
Out with 2 mock clients for 3 days, on the 3rd day joined by friend Cat so the clients could practice climbing and leading as a team of 3.
Day 1 weather forecast was absolutely raging, started off not too bad. Headed up to Mess of Pottage. Decided on Hidden Chimney Direct as they`d done a little bit of winter climbing before and were leading VS/HVS in summer. Both did really well and enjoyed this bit. Then continued guiding them up Jacob`s Edge. Was hoping to fit some teaching in but the weather was full on and just got them up and out. On top the wind was desperate. Tied 2 ropes together, lowered them down Jacob`s Ladder 120m and instructed them to get to the left hand side and stamp a big ledge and drive axes in. I abbed the cornice/ initial steepening of Jacob`s ladder then soloed down to them. Made a quick rock belay and lowered them another 120m pretty much down most of the way. Wild day!
Area :
Cairngorm: Northern Corries, Hell's Lum, Creagan Coire Cha-no, Lurcher's Crag and Outliers
This Area includes some of the most accessible (and some of the hardest) winter climbs in Scotland. Coire an t-Sneachda has an excellent variety of winter climbs, many in the lower to middle grades, while Coire an Lochain hosts classics of a range of grades and some extremely demanding test-pieces. This Area also includes the very accessible Creagan Coire Cha-no, Lurcher's Crag in the northern Lairig Ghru, and the training bluffs of the Chalamain Gap. Also included here are the cliffs of the northern side of the Loch A'an basin such as Hell's Lum, Stag Rocks and Stac an Fharaidh (as they are on the same general massif as Cairngorm), while cliffs on the southern side of Loch A'an are in the Ben Macdui, Carn Etchachan and Shelter Stone Crag Area of DLOG. The range's former name is Am Monadh Ruadh (the red hills), distinguishing them from Am Monadh Liath (the grey hills) to the west of the River Spey.