Scottish Winter Mountaineering Course 21-22 March

Course report:  Dave Barker
Course: Scottish Winter Mountaineering

Day 1: Glencoe-Stob Coire nan Lochan
With light wind, sunny and a small amount of cloud we enjoyed excellent visibility. Walking into toward the lower coire, we stopped-en-route to practice movement skills without crampons and use of the axe for self arrest and increasing the stability of movement.

On the way in we looked and discussed general movement (pace, rhythm and foot placement and introduced the idea of snow pack, weather, terrain and personal comfort ‘radars’. We then donned crampons and practiced movement with crampons before setting off toward the upper coire, via the broken slopes to the east of the approach path.  En- route we practiced movement techniques on a variety of angles of snow up to 40 degrees (including a short section of a steeper snow step).

We stopped just short of the upper coire and introduced and practiced some snow anchors (bucket seat and buried axe). We looked at setting these up in a walking style using only a rope and axe. We then introduced and practiced waist belaying and holding sliding falls. We then headed back down to the road via the normal approach path.

Day 2: Ben Nevis-Coire na Ciste-No.4 Gully I
Similar weather today and we walked in to the snowline below No.5 Gully. Just before the CIC hut Clare returned to the bus and then down to the Ski Centre cafe due to sore calfs (where the top of her boots had been rubbing the previous day). The rest of us continued to the snowline below No.5 Gully and geared up. We then continued towards No.4 Gully and up into the lower gully.

During the ascent we discussed the snow pack, things to look out for to aid decision making and safe travel options. About 60m below the gully rim we switched to using the ropes and Iain and Richard led up toward the gully rim. Just below the final steepening they dug bucket seats and belayed myself and Suzanne up to them.
We swapped places in the bucket seats and Suzanne and I belayed Richard and Iain whilst they led the final headwall. About 10m up Iain lost his footing and slid down. He was held by Suzanne and neither party was hurt. Iain was OK and happy to have a second go. Richard had successfully topped out and Iain joined him on his second attempt. They then belayed Suzanne and me up.

We had a discussion about lessons learnt and alternative strategies and then descended via the red burn, past the halfway lochan and back across the moorland to the top car park.

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