Plas Y Brenin
5 day mountaineering
10 participants
Day 1 - looking at skills an building on what people knew, day 1 was very much a shake down day.
Buchaille etive beag ridge, summitting the furthest munro Stob Dubh. Some of the avalanche forecasters came out with us to discuss snow profiles and the conditions which made for a very interesting conversation for the group.
Day 2 - Meall a Bhuiridh
Strong winds and really poor conditions led us to the ski area, we choose a rocky rib and looked at steeper ground and skills moving in those environments, a strong southerly so we did find good enough shelter to do lots of skills in the north side of the mountain. looking at ice axe arrests at the end of the day due to warm conditions and getting colder in the afternoon.
Day 3 - Stob Coire nan lochan
Using the main track to the basin below the summit, then going up broad gully, wet snow made the gully fairly staright forward, steep at the top of the gully but I was leading from the front kicking very big foot holds and keeping the more nervous individuals in the middle of the group with garath. (pyb staff) i did have a rop[e coiled around my chest, reasoning being i didnt want to have to take my bag off in steep ground if a client needed a confidence rope. rope was never needed.
Day 4 - Sgurr an lubhair
Windy conditions and quite a tired group, we went for a out and back of Lubhair.
day 5 - Buchaille etive mor.
out and back on the tullach. the descent had to be carefully managed for the group. it was still slushy snow but the exposure affected a few individuals which we were aware of and were able to manage safely but the group were very ready for that challenge. if anyone were to slip they would not have gone far due to the wet snow.
Area :
Ben Nevis & Aonach Mor (Fort William To Loch Leven)
This area covers the mountains between Fort William, Loch Leven (to the south) and Loch Treig (to the east). The area includes Ben Nevis and Carn Mor Dearg, The Mamores, The Aonachs and The Grey Corries. An impressive 20 Munros are split equally by Glen Nevis and the waters of Abhainn Rath. Relatively accessible from the A82, these mountains hold some classic walking and climbing routes such as The Ring of Steall in the Mamores and Point Five Gully on Ben Nevis. Includes all major peaks above 600m.
