Winter workshop in the Highlands for The Trust's Aberdovey team
25 Jan 2011
In December, ten of The Trust’s instructors from our Aberdovey centre set off for a five day winter workshop in the Highlands. Pete and Steve guide us through the week’s events:
“We knew that our five days would fly be and so we were determined to make the most of our time. Our aim was to learn or in some cases recap on our winter skills, and perhaps sneak in a couple of climbing routes too. We headed out on the first morning towards Glen Coe and were greeting with some ominous looking clouds. Our first day was a chance to get acclimatised and give the group an idea of the general conditions. Stob Coire Raineach or ‘peak of the corrie of bracken’ was today’s objective. With fresh snow and tired bodies, it wasn’t a simple plod but we made good time, and while we were no athletes, we were generally pretty fit as a group. But with high winds and a sharp drop in temperature, we donned our gear and move up to battle the last `50m. With the rocky terrain, it was certainly a challenge but we made it – textbook stuff.
With an early start on day two, we headed towards a well-known craggy area, called Stob Coire Nan Lochan. We soon hit steep ground with patches of hard neve underneath so careful route planning and footwork were needed. It was a useful exercise which led nicely into the skill of using winter boots as a tool, where we began to experiment with sawing and edging steps. We then moved on to ice axe territory, giving everyone a chance to practise whilst the weather remained calm. We arrive at the top of this magnificent peak, having overcome a few nerves along the way.
The group splits in two on the third day, with one group tackling a north facing ridge descent of the Stob Ban and another taking on a ledge route of Ben Nevis. It was a useful day for all, and a constant learning process with the ever changing conditions. With day four, some of the group embark for a skiing lesson, others climbed, and a final party returned to the hills for another full walking day, heading towards ‘Red Peak’ via its impressive and striking east ridge. A cloud free, crystal clear day allowed us to enjoy the Scottish hills and not just suffer them. The climbers finished two quality grade four routes that tested all team members, followed by a grade three abseil. A great challenge before a burger and a pint later that evening.
On the final day, there were only four winter workshop attendees left and so we headed out to take the one trophy that remained unclaimed and that was ‘The Ben’. On summiting, we’re tired but the views are amazing. It’s hard to absorb the wonder, the 360 degree views, with the Cuillins, Rum, Eig and Ben Lomond all recognisable. These days are few and far between, but we’re sure glad that we managed to drag ourselves out for them.
