Top tips: SIX of the best Scottish Winter MOUNTAINEERING routes. PART ONE: Gullies, I-III
Winter is Scotland is one of the great proving grounds for both the budding and competent mountaineer. The combination of arctic weather and proximity of the sea means that dream conditions are often there today and gone tomorrow. This makes the successful ascent of any route during the harsh winter all the more poignant.
I’ve spent some time considering what makes the perfect winter route, conditions obviously play a major part to every experience but other than that for me it comes back every time to line. Line is hard to define; in summer and winter harder routes wander all over the place, but easier lines tend to follow more linear features. These linear features are more easily defined as ridges or gullies. For this first article I’ve focused on gully lines. Looking at my selections, popping out within a short distance of the summit seem to be key requirement too.
These then are my top SIX, two at each grade, some won’t agree with my selections and I can’t claim to have done them all but be sure if not they are high on my hit list!
I – Central Gully, Ben Lui, Southern Highlands
This is one of the classic lines of Scotland but the southern half of the Highlands are largely ignored, only glanced at in passing at the way north on the A82 to the honeypots of Glencoe or the Ben. The competent winter mountaineer will confidently solo this route but grade 1 gullies are the perfect gradient for avalanches so this is best enjoyed in the stable conditions of the spring.
The best approach for Central Gully is a fairly long walk in from Tyndrum, and in good visibility the line obviously cleaves the mountain to the summit. Walking up along the river Cononish, the stream is followed right to the base of the gully. Initially narrow, the route soon opens up into a wide steep snowfield which allows some variation of route to dodge the usually present cornice.
From the top you get great views westwards to the sea and inland to the vast interior of the Highlands.
Supervising two teams leading, spring 2018
One of the greatest finds in my mountaineering career is the striking gully pictured above. It’s form is largely invisible until you are stood right at the gateway. The gully quickly steepens from the entrance but then maintains its gradient until the top. The cornice can be big but often passable on the left and then the summit is mere metres above.
Approaching the narrowing on Summit gully
Tim Oates topping out above a stunning cloud inversion
This has to be the longest gully climb of it’s grade in the UK, situated in a wild high coire. Because of it’s tendency to avalanche in poor conditions, this is another one for stable conditions.
We were treated to a spectacular day late in March as temperatures rose and we swapped steep ice faces for ski descents. However we were still keen to climb up to the tops before enjoying the ride down. That week we had already enjoyed the classic Paradise descent off the top the nearby Bidean Nam Bian so knew the conditions were good. Four of us then trudged into the base of the bowl, where the line reveals itself.
The gully follows a steady gradient and obvious line for several hundred metres before dog legging slightly right and then back left round a chock stone. After this the line again is fairly obvious but make sure you take some time out to enjoy the views until after nearly 500m of ascent, you pop out just metres from the summit cairn!
This list wouldn’t be complete with at least one route of the North Face of Ben Nevis. Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the UK, is a very inhospitable place under snow but has the biggest and most reliable range of snow and ice climbing during the winter season.
It’s a stiff pull from the car park to the CIC hut, Britain’s closest answer to a high alpine hut. From here the expanse of the north side of the mountain is revealed. No 2 gully is situated high up in the back of Coire na Ciste, nestled in between the bulk of Tower Ridge and Comb Buttress. Care is need to safely approach as the wide initial slopes are on a variety on aspects. Once in the right place the gully is obviously followed inbetween steep rock walls.
This was another gully I have enjoyed both with and without a rope and it’s even skied on a regular basis although not yet by me! Due to it’s location high on the mountain, it is often in condition but can be harder in lean conditions when several ice pitches can be present. It can also have some loose rock near the top in lean times or a large cornice when it’s banked out. The approach can also be very avalanche prone so be aware!
From the top it’s a short walk along the summit plateau to the cairn and shelter which mark the top of ‘the Ben’.
Looking up No.2 - March 2016
Looking down - March 2019
III – Staghorn Gully, Creag Meagaidh
Creag Meagaidh is another iconic location for winter climbing, it’s long approach and tendency for hard to come by conditions mean it is overlooked by most. This route is one of the more reliable lines and features in the classic book ‘Cold Climbs’.
I enjoyed this one in early season moving fast and light with a good friend we went in with very open minds to conditions. Arriving into the base of the coire, this looked like the best of our options.
The initial ramp line is slightly obscured but leads easily and diagonal right to the start of the steeper upper pitches. The two gullies here are known as the ‘the Pipes’ and Staghorn gully follows the line of the right hand or North Pipe. Here a couple of steeper enclosed pitches lead with interest to a widening funnel and the broad and wild summit plateau of Creag Meagaigh itself.
III – The Resurrection, Sgurr Mor, North West Highlands
This is the line on the list I haven’t done; wild, remote and hard to see, it’s tricky to get this mini alpine face in good condition but I’m reliably informed it’s one of the best routes of it’s grade in the Highlands.
This is the most serious route on this list, with hard to build belays and it’s first ascent date of 1980 reflects it’s modern nature.
To access this line, you park on the A835 Inverness to Ullapool road, 3km south east of the Braemore Junction where a 2 ½ hour walk in leads to the base of the route.
This route is over 300m long and requires good build up of neve and frozen turf to be doable. An initial long pitch of ice, leads to a big snowfield and then several connecting pitches to link the steeper snowfields of the upper face to a final belay on the summit cairn.
Sgurr Mor is the highest summit in the Fannichs so saviour the well deserved view before a long descent back out to the road.
Owen Samuel guiding Resurrection, photo credit: Owen Samuel
Owen Samuel guiding Resurrection, photo credit: Owen Samuel