Greg Boswell and Guy Robertson have launched the winter season with a first winter ascent of The Nihilist, IX 9, at Lochnagar.

The Nihilist, which checks in at E1 in the summer months, comprises two pitches and 50 metres of climbing, with what Greg described as a 'very thin, pumpy and technical crux pitch', leading to 'awesome, but also very sustained climbing above'.

The pair switched leads, with Greg leading first, and Guy taking over for the second pitch. 

Sharing news of the FWA on instagram, Greg said:

'It's amazing how you can feel so nervous and "rusty" when you're stood at the base of the first route of the season. But after less than 5 meters of upward movement, everything becomes a natural flow and is as fluid and confident as ever before!'

'It's always good to get a successful climb ticked off at the start of the season, but this one wasn't a foregone conclusion, and we nearly left unvictorious with our tails between our legs. Tricky and bold above sharp ledges is never easy on the head!'

We reached out to Greg to ask a few questions about the ascent:

There have been a few attempts made on this line before, how much did you know about these and did anyone involved have any advice, or was it just a case of getting on it and giving it a go?
 
Well one of the attempts had been by Guy years ago, but he had zero recollection of the route, just that it was thin and hard. We didn't know anyone else had tried until I found the bail out gear from where they had rapped off, and Guy stated that that wasn't his. Since making the ascent, my friend messaged to say they'd tried it before as well, but thought it needed ice build up at the crux. Basically I had zero prior knowledge of the route or what I might find.
 
The summer description for The Nihilist is 'an excellent route that packs a lot of climbing into its short length'. Does this match how it felt in winter, or did it feel a lot longer as a result of the increased effort required to climb it?!
 
Well it's two sustained pitches, so it's short in terms of a Lochnagar route, but it'd be a good sized Northern Corries route for example. It definitely packed a lot into the two pitches, and regardless of the obvious crux section on the first pitch, the entire route didn't let up easily and kept you on your toes throughout, which I really enjoy in a winter climb! I prefer this kind of route to routes that are a bit of a romp, then really hard for a short section, and then ease up.
 
How did the two pitches break down, and who got to lead what?
 
First pitch was sustained off the ground and then you get a bit of respite on a ledge, then its into the crux section which is hard to commit to as it's super thin and pumpy and you know that you're definitely going to bang the ledge if you come off! Then it's sustained thin then thuggy moves all the way to the belay. I led this pitch. The second pitch took a winter line to the left of the summer rock route. It went up a steep corner that was capped with an overhang dripping with frozen turf. This pitch was harder than it looked from below, and it was very satisfying to swing over into the thick frozen turf. Guy led this pitch.
 
You mention within your post on Instagram that you nearly came away 'unvictorious, with your tails between [your] legs', what happened exactly, and just how close were you to retreating/falling/failing?
 
Yeah for sure. I basically got to the ledge where everyone else had retreated from and it was obvious that it was going to well and truly kick in from there. I couldn't see any potential gear to aim for and the climbing looked hard. It's very tempting to bail when there is already runaway kit from previous parties on the route. But I slowly searched around up and down multiple times, eventually commited, and swiftly got to the point of no return where the only options were 'up' or 'fall'. I value my ankles too much to take the second option, so it was time to fight!
 
Lochnagar seems to hold a special place in people's hearts - including yours and Guy's - can you tell us why?
 
It's just such a beautiful place that really draws you into the climbing. There are so many historic routes in this corrie, and there is potential for some more lines that will help push the sport onto new boundaries, so it really inspires me to spend time there. Plus, since I've recently moved to Aberdeenshire, it's now my local crag.

With the winter season just beginning, keep your eyes peeled for more action at Lochnagar, a place that Guy described as 'the gift that keeps on giving', with 'unclimbed winter territory' still to be found.