Magic day with a few photo opportunities from a ski off Britain's highest mountain today. The last time I climbed Ben Nevis was over 20 years ago, long before I started skiing and that was a simple walk up and down the busy tourist path, so I'd never seen what was hiding under its north face.
I'll be back.
I joined for the second day of an overnighting trip, arriving at 11 PM after a head torch ascent to the CIC hut, 700 metres vertical and 4 miles hike from the car park ...
More gullies than you can shake a stick at ...
Heading up Observatory Gully ...
At 1,200 metres ASL, steady moderate snow at the point where Gardyloo and Tower Gullies converge on Observatory. The others climbed another 100 metres up the Tower, but the exposure was more than I could handle so I waited here while ice and rocks tumbled around me...
A stolen photo from May 2012 shows Observatory in near full length. My starting point was the yellow dot, my companions started from the red dot. The bit down from the red dot to the level of the yellow dot has an average gradient of 48 degrees and the main exposure is the risk of any mistake and consequent fall over the dogleg above the Tower Scoop.
After the clag cleared, runnels, avalanche debris and nice spring snow ...
Happy after the descent, although the steady snow had turned to steady rain down here ...
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sun 12-05-13 16:33; edited 4 times in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Fantastic
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Very nice. I am liking the yellow dot. The red one, not so much
After all it is free
After all it is free
Thanks all. It was a great place to be and the reward versus effort was definitely worth it.
I have nothing but respect for the skill and commitment of the others in my group who skied the Tower and the Ben itself which was pure humbling.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Major respect
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
nice line to tick off. thanks for sharing
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
moffatross, I just noticed this on the British Backcountry group on FB. Is that you walking up ? Whichever, the vid does give an idea of the difficulty entering the gully.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Good spot, AndAnotherThing.., there is the briefest, fly-by, fleeting glimpse of me walking up in that video and the skier who made the video is in my 2nd from last photo above. One of the others would be able to put some context on the Tower Gully and I know that Haggis_Trap has skied it too. I've seen a couple of photos of their final climb up from the Scoop and they frighten me just looking at them especially knowing what's below.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I've ridden Tower on my snowboard. The scoop is definitely a game changer!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
A few photos to add covering the two day trip to the CIC Hut on the Ben on Thursday to celebrate my birthday. Some familiar faces joined the fun with No 5 , No 4, No 2 (partially) and Tower gullies seeing some action. Probably the most snow on the Ben at this time of year since 2008 which had similar cover in May. The cornices are larger than in recent years but No 5, No 4 and Tower can be negotiated with care. I topped out on No 2 after a mini battle with a bulging cornice which helped me decide to leave a full descent of No 2 for another year
^Looking back towards the CIC hut from No 5
^ Relatively straightforward to overcome the cornice in No 5 and top out
^ The classic shot of skiing No 5 with views down to the CIC Hut 500m below.
^ The ski train departing for No 2 gully. Jungle, Dave A, Pablo, Jamie and Blair
^ Ascending No 2 before the fun really starts....
^ At the midpoint the deep avy runnel and increasing gradient starts to spice things up otherwise No 2 is as wide as I've ever seen it...
^ I decide to have a look beyond the runnel..topping out involved 20 minutes of hand to hand combat with the bulging cornice which made the decision to head over to No 4 rather than try to ski back in an easy one.. (photo courtesy of Blair Aitken)
^ About to drop the cornice entrance to No 4 gully
^ Hut with a view...CIC as dusk falls over the North face of the Ben.
^ After leaving moffatross we ventured high above Tower Scoop into a steepening and misty Tower gully
^ Visibility was so bad the only ski photo taken was in lower Observatory gully..the visibility might have been bad but the snow was very good!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
HighRustler wrote:
^ After leaving moffatross we ventured high above Tower Scoop into a steepening and misty Tower gully
Very atmospheric photos, HighRustler, and that's the one I meant.
Good to have been there 'listening' to you all safely coming down it again.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
moffatross, I see you were skiing with a good friend of mine who I ski with a couple of weeks per year: Andrew (ACA Jungle). Did you know him previously?
Hi, HighRustler, I didn't know your user-name on here. Jungle sent me the Nevis videos and pics.
By the way, Re Andermatt, was the Giraffe couloir where on the map I had thought it was?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Tue 14-05-13 22:01; edited 3 times in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
moffatross, HighRustler, excellent pics and write ups - good work!
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
The last time I climbed Ben Nevis was over 20 years ago, long before I started skiing and that was a simple walk up and down the busy tourist path, so I'd never seen what was hiding under its north face.
It was a great place to be and the reward versus effort was definitely worth it.
