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NORTH-WEST
HIGHLANDS NEWS REPORT:
MAY/JUNE
2009: The weather played "Jekyll
and Hyde" with us in May. The first week was one of the worst
Spring weeks I can remember in 25 years of working as a Guide
in Scotland. The Atlantic conveyor belt, driven by an active jet
stream, got into full flow. First we had snow on the Skye Ridge,
then came three days of near-continuous rain and finally we got
battered by two days of high winds and more heavy showers of snow!
By contrast we now have magnificent weather with light wind and
clear blue skies, ideal for traversing the Cuillin ridge.
Our
Adventure Rock Climbing group May 2-7 certainly had their share
of "adventure" - White Slab Direct (S, ***) in Coir
a'Ghrunnda between the snow showers, three Severes on Stone Valley
crags in character-building wind and rain, East Buttress on Beinn
Eighe in more rain (!), sport climbing on Moy Rock conglomerate
with 4 routes up to 6b+, a gale-lashed ascent of Sword of Gideon
(VS ***) on the Bealach na Ba and finally a session of dry-tooling
on on our local Leacanashie crag. Fingers, legs and motivation
were all tested and our three clients responded with great pluck.
We've
also been helping the BBC film a new programme "Munros"
due to be broadcast on BBC4 later this year and possibly on BBC2.
I guided presenter Nick Crane up the In Pinn in perfect weather
(see pictures below). The Pinnacle was so busy with other climbers
that we had to wait until 5.30pm to begin filming the ascent,
but we had a wonderful evening on sunwarmed rock. Meanwhile John
Allott has been doing heroic work prtering camera kit to all the
filming locations which include Bidein nam Bian , Ben Nevis and
An Teallach.
Links
for further information:-
www.mwis.org.uk : Mountain Weather
Forecasts for the Scottish Highlands
www.sais.gov.uk
: Scottish Avalanche Information Service
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RECENT
HIGHLIGHTS:
Changuch
(6322m) - on the Pindar - Lawan divide; one of India's last
virgin peaks; climbed by our team on June 9th
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Rob
Jarvis leading on the fnal ridge to Changuch
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BBC
filming Inaccessible Pinnacle 11th May ; presenter Nick
Crane pounces on an unsuspecting Munro-bagger for an interview
.jpg)
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The
spectacular traverse on Thunderbird (E3, 6a), Seana Mheallan,
Torridon, Thurs Apr 2nd 2009 (photo: Ed Edwards)
,%20Seana%20Mheallan.jpg)
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Skye
magic; climbers on An Stac viewed from the top of the
Inaccessible Pinnacle: 7.30pm Mon May 11th
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Spring
comes early to the Cuillin!: the Inaccessible Pinnacle on
March 19th 2009: climbers Russell Grey and Robbie Warriner
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NANDA
DEVI EAST EXPEDITION: 14th MAY - 23rd JUNE 2009
Our
team of 6 spent a varied and rewarding five weeks in the Nanda
Devi range of Kumaon in India with the blessings of good weather
and a safe return. A beautiful 5 day trek took us from the roadhead
at Munsiari up the Gori Ganga gorge, then up the Lawan valley
to a base camp at 4280m under the awesome 3000m SE wall of 7434m
Nanda Devi East. Base camp was an extensive flat grazing meadow
with fresh running water and a carpets of primulas.
The
Heroic Poles: A Polish expedition was already camped nearby,
in the final stages of their attempt on NDE to celebrate the 70th
anniversary of the historic first ascent in 1939. Jan Lencowski,
grandson of first ascensionist Jakub Bujak, was the leader. The
1939 climb of the SE Ridge was the hardest pre-war route in the
Himalaya by a considerable margin, and has only been repeated
a handful of times, all with extensive fixed roping apart from
an impressive Alpine-style ascent by British Guides Roger Payne
and Julie-Ann Clyma in 1994. The subsequent story of the 4 Polish
engineers who pulled off the magnificent first ascent in 1939
is harrowing. Two were killed by an avalanche on Tirsuli three
weeks after the NDE climb. The other two, Bubak and Klarner, were
unable to return to Poland due to the outbreak of war. Bubak went
to Britain, worked in the war effort, then disappeared in mysterious
and unexplained circumstances in Cornwall in 1945, just after
the war's end. He never saw his wife or family again after leaving
for Nanda Devi. Klarner wrote a book on the trip, returned to
Poland after the war, but then disappeared, presumably into one
of Stalin's gulags in 1949. His daughter published the book in
1956.
Nanda
Lapak (5782m): The
whole team (Jim Finnie, Paul Guest, Rob Jarvis, Martin Moran,
John Venier and Leon Winchester plus our LO, Luder Singh from
Kulu) warmed up with an ascent of Nanda Lapak, an excellent training
peak on the ridge east of Nanda Devi. From a comfortable camp
at 5100m an AD standard climb was made to the summit, with a section
of 80m of hard brittle glacier ice at 60deg angle forming the
crux. The views were exceptional, probably the best of the trip.
Longstaff's
Col: Meanwhile
the Poles gave up their brave attempt on NDE, having fixed ropes
to 6900m. They had been hampered by deep snow and strong winds.
It was sobering for us to see these hardened climbers (one had
summitted Everest sans-oxygen!) retreat through exhaustion. Nonethless,
we made our first foray to Longstaff's Col. At 5910m this col
is a historic gateway to the Nanda Devi peaks, first reached by
Dr Tom Longstaff in 1905. The problem with the col is that is
only reached by a 40 to 50 deg snow/ice couloir which is no less
than 1000 metres in vertical height! Add a 16kg load plus the
essential need to reach the col soon after dawn before the sun
loosens the snow and avalanches commence, and you have a challenge.
We set out at 1am. In fog and light snowfall we took 8 hours to
reach the col. John, who was carrying an enormous sack, dropped
out half-way. Longstaff's Col would be fine if a nice cosy snow
hollow for a secure campsite could be found; but no, the col is
a knife-edge with a 900m plunge into the Sanctuary on the far
side. We hacked two tiny tent platforms on the crest and prayed
that it wouldn't be windy. This is no place to trip over a tent
guyline! The day was probably the most exhausting of the trip,
but ended with a majestic sunset over the Sanctuary.
Nanda
Devi East Pinnacles: Over
the next two days Martin and Rob with Leon and Paul explored the
route across the pinnacles towards NDE. The Polish team had done
a superb job of fixing 8mm ropes to an assortment of old pegs
hammered into rotten rock. The pinnacles were snowed up and very
airy. The climb across the three towers was totally exhilarating
- akin to the Eiger Mittellegi ridge. Martin and Rob continued
up the next buttress, looking for a potential campsite at 6100m.
However, the fixed ropes ran out and a long exposed snow ridge
continued to the next step with no sign of a campsite. Deterred,
they returned to the col, and on the evening of June 1st the 6
climbers descended to base camp for a rest and a rethink.
Changuch:
A
recce was then taken under the south wall of unclimbed Changuch,
a beautful peak of 6322m south of base camp, which had resisted
three previous attempts. We spotted a feasible route up couloirs
and ramps to gain its NW Ridge. After tactical discussion we decided
to forgo a slim chance of getting up NDE for the chance of getting
our names on the first ascent list! Meanwhile Jim was suffering
from a strained knee and John was struggling with health and fitness.
With little chance of climbing Changuch they both decided to leave
the trip early and departed for home on June 7th. While Rob, Paul
and Leon made an initial foray to Changuch NW Ridge Martin faced
the unenviable task of going back up to Longstaff's Col with high-altitude
porter Heera Singh to retrieve some 35kg of equipment and tent.
They left Advance camp at 4870m at 7.15pm , reached the col at
midnight and got back to camp just as the sun hit the couloir
at 6am.
On
the night of June 6th/7th Rob, Paul and Leon climbed the couloir
and ramps to gain the Changuch NW Ridge at 5800m. After a tough
all-night climb hopping in and out of avalanche runnels they established
camp with two single-skin tents on an exiguous site at the col,
and rested for the next 36 hours. Martin and Luder followed the
route the next night joining the col camp at 3am. After a fine
hot spell of weather a more unsettled phase took hold with afternoon
snowfall blowing in from the south. However, the nights were still
fine and after shaking off several centimetres of fresh snow the
team emerged at midnight on June 8th/9th. In Rob's tent Luder
was sick, vomiting his breakfast back into his mug. But this boy
is made of tough stuff - within a few minutes he declared himself
ready to start. Martin was suffering paroxysms of finger and toe
pain, contracted from spending a cold night bivvying outside.
Nonetheless, the teams were ready to move at 12.30am. Martin led
the first 130m of mixed ridge, then Rob took over to make a sterling
lead of the exposed snow-ice slopes above. We moved together across
a 250m 55deg traverse, then Rob led 4 steeper 60m pitches to gain
the undulating upper arete. At around 9am he pulled on to the
summit crest. The highest point was a crumbling pinnacle 30m across
the crest.
We
downclimbed the route to regain the col just as the afternoon
blizzard began at 1pm. After a cramped and pensive afternoon,
the decision was made to bale out as soon as the storm ended.
We couldn't afford another 24 hours trapped on the col. At 6.30pm
descent was started. The slopes below the col had a thick cover
of fresh snow. Once we had satisfied ourselves that they were
safe the downclimbing was easier than we might have expected in
bare icy conditions. At midnight we emerged into phantasmagorical
moonlight on the Lawan Glacier, and wandered back to base camp
in an exhausted reverie. Naveen produced tea, soup and dahlbhat
at 3am and we turned in to bed at dawn!
Traill's
Pass : After
three days of complete rest the team were ready to tackle the
final phase of the trip - a crossing of Traill's Pass to Pindari.
Britain's first commissioner to Kumaon, Mr G.W.Traill, had crossed
this 5312m pass in 1832. Due to glacial retreat the crossing became
much more difficult in the 20thC and the only recorded crossings
were made in 1941 and 1994. Leaving base camp on a glorious morning
on June 14th we climbed a glacier and 300m 45deg gully to reach
the col and camped on the plateau beyond. That night the weather
was warm and misty and we had a tough job trailbreaking over the
plateau next morning to reach a rock shoulder at 5425m where a
mighty downfall broke away into the Pindar valley. As clouds boiled
up and snowfall commenced we tackled a tricky descent of a 55-60deg
snwo/ice gully, then dropped off a glacier shelf on foul exposed
and vegetated ground. With clear weather we might have safely
reached Pindari by early afternoon, but fog and blizzard complicated
routefinding. We could not risk a blind descent to the valley
with so many cliffs in the vicinity. After many false starts and
the best part of 400m reascent we finally bushwhacked a line into
the valley and reached the shepherds huts at 6.30pm - all of us
totally blown! Luder asked the shepherd, Amar Singh, if he could
offer any food and 90 minutes later we were sat cross-legged in
his hut enjoying a magnificent if spicy dahlbhat. The next three
days were spent wandering down the gorgeous Pindari valley, happily
little-changed since my last visit in 1995. We ended with a knee-crushing
1500m descent to the roadhead at Song.
On
June 20th we were reunited with our superb base camp team of Naveen,
Mangal and Heera at Berinag. A delightful night was enjoyed in
the bustling hill resort of Naini Tal before the final weary bus
ride back to Delhi and the furnace-like blast of an air temperature
of 43degC! Thanks to Guide Rob Jarvis, to Mr Pandey and his dedicated
staff and to our peak-bagging LO Luder Singh for helping to make
this one of our most memorable trips.
Photo
Galleries: Enjoy our NANDA
DEVI 2009 , Himachal
Pioneer 2007 and Ladakh-Kang
Yatze 2006 photo selections and check our web
pages for full details of 2009 and 2010 expeditions; book
early for extra discounts:-
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Rod
Hogg's Sponsored Denali Climb: One
of our regular clients, Rodney Hogg, has just climbed Denali by
the West Buttress route and is raising funds for Children in Need
from the climb. Rod has climbed the Matterhorn and Eiger with
us and did our Advanced Norwegian Ice course this winter. If you'd
like read more and contribute to his charity effort keep please
check his web-site www.rodneyhogg.com
Epic
Ski and Kayak Journey up and down Norway well over half-way: James
Baxter from Edinburgh completed his solo ski journey from
the southern to northern tip of Norway. Having skied all the way
to North Cape, a distance of 2600km, he is well en-route on his
kayak back down the west coast, another 3000km, and will finish
sometime in August. He is hoping to raise funds for schools in
remote villages of NW Nepal from sponsorship of the trip. This
is a truly magnificent venture worthy of support from all adventurers
and wilderness lovers. You can hook up to James' web-site, follow
his day to day diary, send messages of support and make donations:-
www.skipaddlenorway.com
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NORWEGIAN
ICE 2009
An
excellent ice climbing fortnight was enjoyed in the valley
of Laerdal by our 14 clients
with guides Tim Blakemore, Matt Helliker,
Martin Moran and Martin Welch with a total of 8,000m
of graded water ice ascended. Weather conditions were varied,
with some cold sunny days and other periods of strong Fohn
winds. Temperatures remained low enough to guarantee good
climbing at all but the lowest levels.
Long
hard routes climbed included the majestic 400m Kjorlifossen
(Scottish VI, 7 or WI5+) (ascended by David Horwood
and Tim) and the superb Seltunfossen
(200m, Scottish VI, 6 or WI5) (Chris Franks and Steve
Potter with Matt).
Likely
virgin routes were established up the Forestadfossen
(Scottish IV, 6) a 600m gully akin
to a giant Lakeland ghyll (Donnie McKechnie, Willie Munro,
David Horwood, Rod Hogg with Tim and Martin W) and Paradise
Lost - a lovely 150m plug of grade
III water ice high in the side valley of Rasdalen (Richard
Ausden, Andrew Hoffman and Martin W).
In
Mid-Laerdal Martin M climbed the excellent Skorifossen
(Scottish V, 6 or WI 5, 180m) and Drosingenfossen
(Scottish IV, 5 or WI 4+, 160m) with Mark Bull and
Gillian Duncan
Many
of
our clients also enjoyed some leading on the 80m icefalls
of Hoggeberg which offers over
a dozen lines from WI2 to 5+, and is the perfect coaching
venue. In 2 weeks of climbing we saw one only other team,
this in a valley 1000m deep and some 35 km in length!
Explorations
to neighbouring valleys revealed some astonishing ice lines
of world-class scale and grandeur, plus a hidden gorge offering
a wealth of unclimbed lines up to 150m, equal in scale and
quality to the honeypot of Rjukan. Full details will
be revealed if you book with us for 2010! And you
can particpate in the pioneering and development of a new
ice arena.
Watch
out for details of next year's courses and book early for
a great week's climbing.
Norwegian
Ice courses
Check
out our photo gallery for the best of our Norway climbs:
Norway
Ice 2005
.jpg)
Martin
Moran leads the 50m ramp pitch on the Skorifossen, Laerdal,
Norwegian Ice March 2009
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Dry
Tooling and Sport climbing in Lochcarron: Development of Leacanashie
crag in Loch Carron's oak woods is close to being finished. The
cliff is composed of crushed gneiss, with much friable rock and
few cracks and is entirely unsuited to trad climbing. Several
visiting climbers have confirmed that the cliff is a great gymnasium
for dry-tooling with ice axes (M3 to M9 standard), as well as
offering some tough and exciting little free climbs (6a - 7b).
It's a great venue for an autumn or winter day in a beautiful
location, which gets all available sun. Crag Directions: Grid
reference 854356. Drive through Lochcarron village and turn L
on road to North Strome and Ardaneaskan. Follow this for 3.5 miles
past Strome Castle. The road dips steeply down past the shingle
bay of Smugglers Cove. Park on R of road above the cove, beside
an old gravel cutting, just before the woods. Walk 60m up a grass
hollow. Just past a large rock turn L over a low wall and follow
a path through bracken into the oakwoods. Walk 70m across a slight
marshy hollow then turn up R and walk 50m through trees up to
the base of the crag (10 minutes from the road). The Routes:
An 8m wall at L end of the crag gives several short crack
problems from M4 to M6 standard with belays in place at the top.
The bulging wall R of this provides an excellent sustained M7,
Buccaneer (6 bolts and chain). An easy corner offers an
M3 warm-up for beginners. The arete of the corner can be done
at M5 with detour left at a bulge. The bolted roof crack just
right goes on natural holds throughout and is called The Gibbet
due to one's propensity to swing uncontrollably from the crucial
placement near the lip (M8, 7 bolts). The next line goes direct
up the blank roof, Credit Crunch M9 (7 bolts and chain).
The start has an awkward high clip to the second bolt. Three drilled
placements in the roof are very hard to find on-sight, then there
is a long reach to bomber placements in a hidden horizontal crack
over the lip. Ribcracker M8 (7 bolts and chain) is the
crag classic, starting up a groove to a ledge then tackling the
big roof from R to L on drilled holds finishing with an exciting
pull into a bottomless groove on the lip. The 4 routes right of
this have been climbed as sport rock climbs - grades 6c, 6c+,
7a and 7b respectively, but they could also be dry-tooled. All
ascents so far have been done with rock shoes. Cramponned ascents
are awaited! Scottish winter grade equivalents are approx 2
grades higher than the M grade - so an M6 would be Scottish 8
in pure technical difficulty. Routes are decidedly easier with
verbal instructions on where to find the crucial placements!
Below:
Martin Moran feels the pinch on the roof of Credit Crunch (M9),
Leacanashie dry-tool crag, Loch Carron
Sligachan bridge now replaced:
The bridge over the Allt Dearg, which was destroyed in summer
2008, has now been replaced with construction by the Territorial
Army. So climbers and walkers bound for the northern Cuillin can
now be guaranteed to keep their feet dry. Moran Mountain Ltd was
pleased to support the cost of construction with a donation of
£100.Thanks to Lochalsh and Skye access officer Donald Kennedy
and to Sconser Community Council for getting the project organised
so quickly. Otherwise, parties could have been trapped when the
river was in spate. Imagine being 200 metres from the Sligachan
bar, unable to cross the river and then being forced to walk 3
miles upstream to find a crossing point!
Don't
hesitate to send reports of your own expeditions and climbs in
the NW Highlands to me on: martin.moran@btinternet.com
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Price:
£3,250 incl flights to India, all guiding, travel, accommodation
and ground services in India
ARCTIC
PARADISE - NORTHERN NORWAY: June 7-21 We enjoyed
two weeks of fantastic climbing in the land of the midnight sun,
visiting the Lyngen Alps, Stetind and Lofoten Islands.....
SUMMER
ALPINE SEASON 2008: The summer season
has given excellent conditions on the higher peaks and an acceptable
mix of weather without the intense heat of 2006 or the continuous
storms of 2007. Our courses have achieved many successes and enjoyed
unforgettable mountain days....
NORWEGIAN
ICE 2009: An
excellent ice climbing fortnight was enjoyed in the valley of
Laerdal by our 14 clients Tim
Blakemore, Matt Helliker, Martin Moran and Martin Welch
with a total of 8,000m of graded water ice ascended...
