Scottish Winter Meet 20th to the 28th February 2016

Hello NLMC members,

Although it seems like winter will never arrive, I have developed massive unsightly calluses on my knees from praying every morning and evening that it will, and Scotland will be coated in a vast quantities of ice and rime.

So being of the hopeful nature, I have volunteered to run the coming NLMC Scotland Winter Climbing Meet. Mid February is generally a great time for climbing in Scotland, the days are longer and the ice buildup is usually good so I am hopeful that this time of year will be the best possible time for conditions.

Weather and conditions permitting, the outline plan is as follows: -
20th February, 5:00pm – Meet at the Ben Nevis Inn for gear check, planning, dinner and beer.
21st February – Warmup Climbing day – Valley based – Aonach Mor, Aonach Beag or Glen Coe
22nd – 25th Ben Nevis CIC Hut Booking for 6, any others will be valley based but we will attempt to arrange for a key to the upper car park.
26th – 27th Torridon or Cairngorms or Creag Meagaidh or Arrochar Alps
28th February – Drive back to London

As bookings in the CIC hut are about as rare as boulderers in Antartica, we will give out the places depending on commitment and experience. You will not need to be climbing hard grades but will need to be a) a paid member of the club, b) self-sufficient and c) competent in Scottish winter including navigation and hazard identification. Please let me know if you are interested in staying in the CIC hut for this period.

Accommodation
I have managed to book the CIC hut for 6 people from the 22nd February to the 25th February.
I will make a booking at either the Ben Nevis Inn or another venue in Fort William for the period based in Fort William. If there are enough parties, I will try book a large house or something similar.
Because we are not yet certain of the other venue, I will make provisional bookings closer to the time.

Lifts
For those who are interested in coming and can offer lifts, please could you let me know and I will co-ordinate the lifts.
For those who need lifts, please also contact me and I will try to co-ordinate you with your chauffeur.

Equipment
People will generally need to be self-sufficient in this department although between the gear junkies in the club, there will certainly be some spare kit. Please contact me if you are keen to come but might need to borrow some kit. I will then try source the required gear.

Commitment
If you are interested in coming, please could you reply to me directly (not Chat) to register your interest and commitment level: -
0 – I hate Scotland because of cold, wind, rime, ice and Sweaty Socks.
1 – I can nee do it Captain, I just don’t have the power.
2 – I don’t want to miss the Strictly Come Dancing final on telly.
3 – Maybe if there is beer and whiskey.
4 – Super keen, just need the okay from the boss (wife / husband / partner).
5 – I love Scotland because of cold, wind, rime, ice, etc. I’m a masochist so please take my money!

I’m a 5! I can’t wait!

Cheers

Rob

I’m in at number Five

p.s. should be okay to reply to this thread. It’s easy to turn notifications to the thread off by clicking the link to stop receiving notifications at the end of the e-mail or bottom of the topic.

Dear Scottish lover.

Great idea, but, yes a but. Up to about 2005 or so we went to Glen Feshie hostel for a week, a few days etc and paid for that. The hostel has now changed hands and there could be problems booking it for a week.

Later a member hired a whole vast mansion in Glen Feshie and many turned up and spent many days there, self catering together. We climbed, walked, ate, skied etc depending on the weather.

We had for the first visit to Feshiwe in 1998 or 9 over 25 members, some camping…
You re catering for 6. Do you not think it might be worth trying to get a larger property so many could come up and try all the various sides of mountaineering including doing nothing in hopefully the snow?

I suggest you speak to Bob and Gwen Powney who organised the meet at the hostel ( it is about ÂŁ10 a night). Once some of the younger, then and older members came, they came every year.

We had some fantastic times in Feshie, regardless of the weather.
Some bods did motor to Craig meggy (spelt wrongly I know).

Good Luck and thanks for organising.
Allen MacBordoley

1 Like

Dear Robert,
I have replied on chat. I hopes it goes into the new chat line.

Contact Bob Powney for more information which may be of advantage to all of us, as you are organising.

Cheers,
allen B.

I will sort out a few photos to tickle the taste buds…
Allen
(Master Kodak Snapper)

@khalidqasrawi is right. It looks like Rob just pasted this straight from his post to the old chat list though which is why it’s there. Reply away to this one!

@allenbordoley you did indeed reply to the right thread.

Bob,
I forgot. Glen Feshie is a independent hostel at the end of the road, nearly in Glen Feshie. Glen Feshie is just south of Aviemoe on a parallel valley to the main road, NEAr Loch insh.
it is about 20 minutges from the car park at Aviemore skiing centre with the railway etc.
Lots of skiing, walking, climbing etc if there is snow, always a problem in Scotland.
Look up GlenFeshie hostel for more info. Holds about 16/20 pertsons.
asviemore is 2o minutes away.
Superb climbing etc on Cairngorm and its mountains. A few bothies near by…

Good luck etc.#
allen.

Hi Rob,

I wanted to ask what the form was for winter novices? I’ve done some winter walking so have some experience with crampons and an ice axe but nothing more (except a lesson in the freezer at Kinlochleven). I am really keen to do some winter climbing this season and plan to do an intro course but was hoping to get out after that too. Is there room for a beginner on the meet?

Cheers,

Ali

Allen,

Thanks for the information. I’ll look into Glen Feshie. I’ve done a fair amount in the Cairngorms and agree that the climbing is brilliant. I’m hoping we can get a whole bunch of people interested in the meet. Regarding the CIC hut booking, this is unfortunately very limited and the maximum places I could book. The plan would be that the meet is valley based but a luck six get to stay in the CIC thus avoiding the walk. I think Chris mentioned he can get a key for the gate so we can use the higher parking for the rest so it’s only a 45 minute saving on the walk anyway.

Hopefully we can all mix it up a bit and maybe take some of our members up into the wonderful Scottish highland for a true mountain experience. None of this bouldering malarky.

I’m happy to organised accommodation for as many as want to come whether they are hill walking, climbing or having snowball fights (but no bouldering - only joking!). I’m sure we’ll all meet up for pints and tell tall tales in the evening.

Cheers

Rob

PS: Still waiting for that history stuff on the NMLC for the MCSA reciprocal agreement.

I’m up for it- put me as a 5,

Will

Ali,

Thanks for the enquiry. There is room for everyone on the meet but please bear in mind that this is a climbing meet and not an instructional meet. You will need to have a climbing partner who is happy to climb what you are able too. If you are a complete beginner, then climbing with another beginner is a sure way to get into trouble. Scotland is a notoriously challenging place to climb but can be very rewarding and in my opinion, one of the best places in the world when its good.

If you are doing a course before the meet, thats great and that will surely be to your advantage in keeping safe and getting you a partner.

Who is to say that you use the meet as an opportunity to practice your newly learnt skills, navigating, reading the terrain, risk management, etc, etc.

To gain experience you could of course do some work with an MIC or guide (shameless plug - I’m a guide :-)) and I’d be happy to recommend some to you. Drop me an email on saclimber@gmail.com.

Cheers

Rob

I don’t quite fit on the scale you’ve suggested Rob - more a “strong probably” barring work and such concerns. Matt F and I that is.

Early bird catches the worm. Khalid and Will, 2 places in the CIC for you guys.

Hello NLMC’ers,

Well its getting cold and thats good! So the Scotland Meet is coming up soon and conditions are looking good with many routes being logged on UKC.

Regarding the CIC hut booking. I have an email from October 2015 with the booking. I have tried three times since to confirm this booking but have not got a response. Apparently this is quite normal as I have friends with similar experiences. Regardless, I do have an email from the CIC with the offer of the places and I confirmed at the time.

Just to confirm, the following peeps have booked places in the CIC hut for the 22 to the 25th: -
Rob Powell
David Barlow
Khalid Qaswari
Will Boxall
Ian Millard
Colin McCoy (MCSA Member).

If for some unlikely reason, the CIC don’t have the booking or have given the places away, I’ll arrange accommodation in the valley. I plan to arrive on the 20th so I should be able to confirm the booking at the hut.

If anyone else is keen to come, please could you confirm by the 10th February 2016 so that I can arrange transport and accommodation. This will be valley based but we can surely stash some gear at the CIC so you don’t have to carry it up each day.

For the remaining days, people will be free to go where they please and I will arrange accommodation closer to the time depending on people and conditions. I’m hoping for Torridon or Applecross.

Cheers

Rob

Hello everyone,

The CIC huts has buggered up our booking so we are going to be valley based in Fort William. If anyone would like to join us, there is space in the accommodation we have booked but it is filling up fast. We are staying in the Ben Nevis Inn which has the nicest pub in Fort William and makes great food. Everyone is welcome. If you want me to book for you, I can do so but the bookings have to be paid for upfront so I will require you to make a bank deposit into my account. You can email me direct on robertpowell_2000(at)yahoo.com

Our current booking runs from the 20th to the 23rd where we can assess the conditions and change venue or stay if its so good that we don’t want to leave.

Cheers

Rob

Can’t wait for this @saclimber. Reports say there’s a lot of snow. http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/winter. I’ll take my skis too and maybe skiing powder.

Me too

Robert Powell
+447855879066

Change of plan due to the dire Scottish conditions and forecast: we’re off to Cogne instead. Though Duncan Tunstall may stay in Scotland since he lives up there…

Oh no! The weather and conditions do look pretty diabolical. Is Pedro up to the challenge?

Hey, that was once okay! Poor Pedro is getting stigmatized! :frowning:

Robert Powell
+447855879066

Scotland via Italy - Water Ice Climbing Trip to Cogne, Italy. TRIP REPORT.

Scotland didn’t happen. Terrible weather and too many avalanches.Last minute we decided togoto Cogne in Italy instead.The weather was amazing and ice conditions great but it was a bit too warm.

NLMC Members on the trip:
Rob Powell (Organiser)
David Barlow
Will Boxall
Jan Lieb
Khalid Quasrawi
Yvonne Sell
Two chaps from the MCSA came for part of the trip.
Colin McCoy
Paul Henderson

Day 1: Rob & Will and David & Colin climbed Tutto Relativo (WI4)
Day 2: Rob, David & Jan climbed Lillaz Gulley (M4+) and Loie (WI3), Colin, Will and Khalid climbed Pattinaggio Artistico (WI3)
Day 3: Rob & David climbed Lau Bij (WI5+) and Rob & Will climbed Loie (WI3) twice Khalid & Jan climbed Lillaz Gulley (M4+) and Loie (WI3)
Day 4: Rob & David climbed Coupe Money (WI4+/5) Khalid & Jan climbed Thoule (WI3)
Day 5: Rob & Will climbed the 1st pitch of Tutto Relativo (WI3) Khalid & Jan climbed something Colin & Paul climbed Lillaz Gulley (M4+)
Day 6: Rob & David walked into Repentance Super (WI6) but bailed due to conditions Will & Yvonne walked into Voglia di Tenerezza (WI3) but bailed due to thick snow on the walk in Eventually David, Yvonne & Rob teamed up and climbed Il Fallo du Plutone (WI4+/5) Colin & Paul climbed Coupe Money (WI4+/5)
Day 7: David & Yvonne climbed Patri Droite (WI4+/5) Khalid & Jan climbed Patri Gauche (WI3) Rob & Colin climbed Patri Gauche (WI4 version)
Day 8: Everyone went skiing on fresh powder. Congratulation to Jan for leading his first ice route and to Colin for leading his first WI5.

Many a beer and pizza was consumed.Cogne always delivers!