Scotland ina Weekend - Central Grooves and a dirve through the night

Sunday Rob and I were on the hill early, probably should have been a bit earlier.  We found ourselves at the base of Central Grooves (VII, 7) the route I had backed of Saturday morning, today we were going to climb it and I was up first.

I started up the first pitch with more confidence, but after reaching a higher point than Saturday, my confidence ebbed away and I soon back off, thinking of the time and the fact I didn't want to let Rob down by not getting this route down.

Me just below my high point on pitch one on a very lean route.

(Photo: Rob G)

Once I was on the ground, Rob set to work and climbed this very difficult pitch in fine style, picking his way through the thin edges and fine cracks to a belay of sorts.  I apologise at this point as I was to nervous (focused if I lied) to take photo's, sorry Rob.

I started off up the pitch and no everything is not easier on second, it still proved to be tricky and as I arrived at the belay congratulated Rob on a great lead.  I was up again and there was no way I could not, not lead this pitch.  The pitch started off easily enough, but shortly above the belay, it got a bit stiffer.

I found this tough mentally and doubted myself more than once or twice, a bad thing to be doing.  Rob encourage me from below and was great, glad I was on the route with him.  I pushed on, got some more gear in. (The gear seemed to come in clusters with run outs in between.) I made an airy step and then went to move up and lost my nerve and had to sit on the gear, booo :-(

I collected my thoughts and encourage by Rob, I pressed on, but this seemed a tough pitch.  I started up a vertical wall and near the top struggled to find good axe placements.  I decided to down climb for a rest, at this point my left axe slipped a bit and my feet popped, but I managed to stay there.  I wedge myself into a crack and had a few words with myself and made few silly comments.

Rob continued to encourage me and showed great tolerance ;-) , but it was getting cold and time was matching on.  Whilst I was having my moment, I think his patience (rightful so) ran out a bit, the next thing I hear from Rob was "There's no need to cry about it!".  This made me chuckle to myself and I new he was right, his comment and making me laugh seemed to help me focus and clear my thoughts.  I manned up as they say and got on with the job at hand.

I was soon over the wall in front of me, next a little run out to a suspect bit of tat, some discussion about if this was the belay. It all seemed a bit rubbish, so I pressed on thrutching my way up a series of cracks, placing my axes blindly and relying on feel and trusting my ability as Rob had told me to do several times.  I arrived at yet another suspect belay, I hammered the peg back in until it made a solid sound, placed a size 3 nut and called for Rob to start up.

Rob soon arrived and commented that that was a tough pitch, I thought so.  :-)  But I had not bricked myself since I got going again after the slipped so things were good.  I suggested that maybe Rob lead the next two pitches as one as they were a bit shorter and would save time on rigging belays and my faffing on the lead.  He agreed and headed off on what looked to be a bit easier ground, IT WAS NOT!

Rob climbs very well and when you see him thinking about something, it means it is tough, soon I would find out what was causing the thinking, but not before having a few spindrift showers.  After sometime Rob called for me to climb, I asked what the belay was like, "Not great came the answer", oh well what can you do, don't fall off!

I started up, through some difficult moves, eventually rounded the corner to see the slab of death, no ice and patchy snow and no gear between and the corner above the slab.  I thought fecking awesome lead Rob.  I passed this and the corner and the little steps above, collecting gear and feeling very tied and my arms felt dead.  I arrived at the belay and congratulated Rob and clearly the boldest pitch on the route, with some tough moves.

I grabbed a few bits of gear and started up the easier (Grade IV, 4) snowy ground above whacked one bit of gear in above a cornice I had just climbed and headed for the top of the buttress and finally to a bomber belay, woohoo, just when you don't need it.  Bloody Scotland!  Rob soon joined me and we congratulated each other.  I also thanked him for his encouragement and patience.

We made away down to the coire floor in rapidly fading light and then down to the car park in a very rapid time in the dark, I think we were back at the van around 2000.  Giles had already left and Nik and Dan waited for us with hot tea.

We sorted our gear and headed south again.  A long drive through the night, with Rob doing the lions shares and arriving in time for us to have showers and head straight to work.

This rounded out my winter, but what a great way to finish up.  I'll do it again next season as well.

Winter Round Up - Scotland in a Weekend (The mini rescue)

As Rob and I walked off we took in the surrounds and a few pictures as well.

Rob

As we swung around and turned down toward the coire floor, something was missing.............Nik, Daniel and Giles.  We expected to see them on their way down and if not at the bottom already.  Scanning the buttress we noticed them high and on a ledge like some welsh sheep...........they looked stuck.

I headed back up to see how they were doing, by the time I go there they had kind of made the decision for Dan to down climb and come up the gully behind the sentinel they had arrived at. I would drop a rope from the top of the sentinel for Nik and Giles to secure them from above as they would be unprotected.  Rob soon arrived and we rig a rope for me to cross to the top, within about 10 minutes I was throwing the rope over the top.

Daniel cruising the the gully as I prepare to drop rope in the background.

(Photo: Rob G)

As Daniel rigged his belay, Nik and Giles tied into the rope I had dropped to them and soon they started the down climb to the gully from the ledge.  First Nik and then Giles, a shout from each and they were back on Daniels belay and heading up the gully to the top.

Not a bad spot for a belay.

(Photo: Rob G)

Below left, Nik tops out and right Dan, Nik and Giles.

(Photo's: Rob G)

We headed down in fading light, ate well and learnt just how they ended up where they did and made plans for the next day.  Rob and I would head back to Central Grooves.

Winter Round Up - Scotland in a Weekend (Day 1)

Nik, Rob, Daniel and I loaded the van and headed to Glen Coe, West Highlands, Scotland.  Giles was already on route.  We drove through the night and arrived early and Rob suggested getting on it straight away, which if I hadn't worked a longer than expected day, I might have been tempted.

After a few hours sleep the others and myself felt a lot better and we all headed into Stob coire an Lochan. Giles had meet us at the car park so we sorted gear and headed off up the long walk into the coire floor.

 The crew gearing up under the Buttress'

(L-R: Giles, Daniel, Rob and Nik)

Rob and I had planned to climb together and knowing Rob's ability I was prepared to give almost anything a go.  The plan was Central Grooves (VII/7), somewhat of a step up for me, but I was keen if a "little" nervous.  The teams chose their routes and off we went to the bases of our chosen climbs.

 A sunny day in Scotland.

Giles and Daniel had disappeared out of sight and Nik soon headed up the wrong gully as Rob and I prepared for our climb.  Nik reappeared and headed one gully down and disappeared again, we assumed she had found Giles and Daniel. It would be later revealed she had, it is just where and how they had got to that was interesting.

I opted to give the first pitch a go and sometime of twisting this way and reaching that way, with loads of encouragement from Rob, I had to back down off the route.  With time running out, we opted for what we hoped was Twisting Grooves (IV/5), but our eagerness to climb something, saw a marginal error in navigation and we were rewarded with Twisting Gully Right-hand (IV/5 ***) and this proved to be great little route easily climbed and giving Rob his first taste of Scottish winter climbing.  Which he seemed to enjoy.  Fortunately another team broke through the cornice at the top for us, which made life some what easier. (Right, Rob makes short work of the crux on P1).

Left, Rob on P2.  Below right, I top out.

Rob and I sorted the gear and headed down towards the coire floor.