Ben Nevis in its winter cloak.
The trip involved myself Dean and Cliff, unfortunately Dean was unable to come due to work. The trip went ahead as planned leaving on Sunday the 3rd April returning on Fri 8th April. The extra bits in the middle were little pieces of excitement to be enjoyed either side of the Ben. What does all this mean, well Cliff had designed a superb plan to attack the (Souter) and the (Old man of Stoer) on the way.
So, not been distracted by these fantastic creations of nature lets get back to the story.
Before we headed up to climb the Souter we had to carry out an SPA (Single Pitch Award) training session at Brimham rocks NorthYorkshire.
Cliff supervising the Placing of anchors for a top rope.
The end to a long day.
Contact Myself Edward Dalton at www.peakathleteclimbing.co.uk
or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Peak-Athlete-Climbing-997640083635085/ for climbing in the Peak District with many different courses to offer.
Contact Cliff Lowther for training and a superb range of courses at all levels at www.roxcool.co.uk.
Also on Facebook.
Cliff Lowther of www.roxcool.co.uk is a provider/trainer through the (Mountain Training Association)
So, course completed by Sunday night and it off to Billingham to collect Cliffs kit and get to bed ready for an early start to Fort Willam in the norther highlands.
Monday morning arrives, vans kitted out and we are off to Scotland via Eyemouth. Target Dowlaw Farm, Dowlaw rd. The Souter is located at the top just below the word Google Earth. This area is fairly airy and very low population which gives a feel of solitude and remoteness.
The Souter has a variety of climbs at different grades, see the link above for UKC.
The main issue as with most sea stacks is gaining access to the climb itself. By the word access I mean actually getting on the thing, this is usually the biggest challenge.
Live video prior to our attempt on the Souter.
Cliff eying up the options.
Short video prior to our attempt on the Souter.
At the Souter itself.
Access is barred by the sea, so a tyrolen line would be required. A tyrolen line is a static line from the landslide to the stack, thus allowing us to gain access across the water to make the first move on the route.
The big problem being that the Rock was as green and slimy as you could ever imagine plus the rain was horizontal. All this was adding up to a NO show.
Not happy, we won't be climbing the Souter today.
Ok, next target on the list is Ben Nevis. So boots cleaned vans at the ready, we're off to bonny Scotland.
But before that a wee coffee at Tyndrum. Great stopping off point before we head off across Rannoch moor and down through Glen Coe to Fort William.
We arrive in Fort William and head for weatherspoons, two pints chips peas and pudding for less than £10, result.
All fed and watered it's time for bed, so we drive out towards Torlundy to the North Face car park to bed down for the night.
Parked up its time for a wee dram.
06:00 hrs soon arrives and we are off up the track to arrive at the CIC hut just before 10:00.
Serious faces.
Cliff looking at possible routes prior to us arriving at the Douglas Boulder.
We arrive just below the Douglas Boulder around 10:30, kit up and head up the snow slope to our intended target (Tower Ridge) http://www.ukclimbing.com/logbook/c.php?i=563
Grade 3, 2000 ft
Summer view of the ridge.
Winter view of the ridge.
Little different.
Anyway, we kitted up with crampons ice axes and our various pieces of kit ready to make our ascent of this superb and spectacular route which is rated as one of the finest mountaineering routes in Britain.
Looking down Glovers Chimmney.
Crossing the ridge to gain access to the spectacular descent into the gap above Glovers Chimney.
After completing the route we arrived at the top into a complete white out. We navigated to the rescue shelter for a well earned brew.
Heading down to the zig zags which is the common term for the route down to the main path leading to halfway lochan, (Lochan Meall) this leads across the moor to the path at (Allt a Mhuilinn) which then gains access to the top car park for the path leading down through the main forest back to the North Face car park.
Heading down the track we had spectacular views of the surrounding hills as the cloud broke out into super sunshine.
Looking out towards Malaig and the road to the isles.
Back at the van its dram time before tea.
So, tea made and consumed it's off to bed. Cliff has promised a traditional Scottish breakfast, bought by his own fair hand at Weatherspoons in the morning. Super value and a great breakfast was had with copious amounts of coffee, the only thing he couldn't buy was the weather.
It's not looking good for our next objective, the Old Man of Stoer.
Guide book and heaps of enthusiasum we head for Stoer, via Ullapool and the coffee shop at Loch Inver.
A short video our our intended ascent and a little bit in between (Two Buns Please)
Just before we get to that part of the trip we had to stop off at Fort Augustus for haggis pies.
We arrived in Ullapool at around 5pm had a quick chat in the tourist information for bunkhouses in the area as cliff is running a second trip to the Old Man of Stoer later in the season, so if you fancy booking on this contact cliff on the above web site. Or just go to www.roxcool.co.uk.
We finally got to Stoer, the end of the earth. Had a quick wander around before dark, met nit a sole. What an amazing place, if your after thinking time Stoer is the place.
Quick shot late at night as the light rotates on the light house.
Morning quickly arrives, and the smell of bacon and eggs waft through the van. Cliffs still asleep at this time, best not wake him or I'll have to share.
The view from the van.
Cliffs making a quick call before we head down to the stack.
This is the path leading down, 90 meters to the bottom.
Go on topple, or not.
Roxcool pose.
Moved it, only joking.
Cliff starting the decent down the cliff path to the base of the climb.
The current is to strong to make an attempt at swimming across so we wait for the swell to calm down, but it doesn't.
First clip is an introduction to our adventure.
After considerable deliberations and mind games we have to abandon any hope of an ascent. The tide is to strong and the reality of making a crossing without injury is to great. We head back to the vans with around 80lb of gear on our backs. It's a long walk back through sodden moorland and bog, up and down the edge path we go till we arrive at the vans. Coffee with egg and bacon butty is order of the day from the little cafe wagon at the car park.
We store the gear clean ourselves off and head for home. The trip is nearly at an end, we decide to go into Pitlochary for tea then camp out in the hills above the town.
