With less stuff to faff around with and organise we got an earlier start today, heading up Glen Coe to Stob Coire nan Lochan.
After a short walk in through the drizzle we quickly roped up for a scramble up "The ZigZags".
From there it was a walk up the blunt ridge to the side of the corrie for ice axe arrest practise. Normal, backwards, upside down and then upside and backwards, all not so straight forwards.
For there we headed up the corrie proper to the base of Dorsal Arete, a classic easier route.
Roping up at the bottom of the climb on ledges stamped out of the slope definatly had a big mountain feel.
Really fun climbing up very solid snow with the odd rock move followed, in an amazing postion. We blasted up in two ropes of 4 in double quick time. Emerging on to the spindrift blasted ridge was great.
After the summit we descended to a col in the face of the blasting spindrift. I was really happy to be testing a new improved hood design: Even better protection.
After chopping out a snow bollard we classic abseiled down into the Hidden Valley and then descended the neve covered hillside above the river gorge.
We arrived back at the car park in exactly the same windy, drizzly twilight that we experienced when we left.
Roped up on The Zigzags
Above the Zigzags
Heading up the back of the corrie towards the start of Dorsal Arete, which starts on the left hand side of the central buttress in the picture.
More photos to follow.
More photos to follow.
