Seven routes in Angus

This weekend Robbie and I had planned to go to the Ben or Meggie as everyone else. But we both had a bit of a cold and so we decided against a long day on the Ben and had a wee look at a 'new' venue in the Angus glens instead. The walk in was easy with either frozen tracks or firm neve. Our first route was zig-zagging up the crag at grade I...

 ... to reach the small cornice. Great positions but easy climbing.

 We descended an easy gully, route 2, to climb up a slightly steeper gully on the right hand side, route 3.

Here is Robbie starting route 3, another gully line on the right hand side. Short but more of a line and maybe grade I or II. At the top a unique prow.

Again down route 2 and we soloed route 4, a grade II, which we had seen when we did our zig zag route. By the way, we always carried a rope so that we could set up a belay and climb with ropes if necessary.

Once again down route 2 and up route 5, an icy line to the right of route 4, this time with ropes.

Again down number 2 and up the best ice line that we could see which was route 6. It goes just to the right of Robbie.

 Here, I start the main pitch...

 ... and here is the main ice fall, mostly good ice! Grade IV.

 Just above was a good cave belay...

 ... which Robbie enjoyed as well.

Robbie even added a cave variation near the top, a treat for troglodytes and horror for claustrophobics. Great views from the top over the Angus glens.

We descended not very well defined gully line on the left hand side of the crag, route 7 (ok 5 in ascent and 2 in descent), and then walked out in the sunshine.

We could have gone on but I was coughing a lot so decided to call it a day. The sunshine on the walk out was the cold treatment that the doctor had prescribed. I am not sure whether the Ben would have been much better.

Finally, to complete the multi-medial overload, a wee video:
Seven routes in Angus from Henning Wackerhage on Vimeo.

HW

Frozen Forest IV,4

Glen Clova again. It fits our philosophy of climbing (and walking) more and driving less. You can even change inside and for afterwards there is the Clova Hotel for a pint and a meal, a great place. Today Robbie and I went into Corrie Fee as we wanted to climb the large face to the right of the classic Look C gully. Here is Robbie entering Corrie Fee...

... and here is the face with our line..

The line aims for the prominent overhung niche which is also reached by 'The Wild Places IV,4', which was first climbed by A. Lawson and A. Smith on the 12th of January 1980. According to the Cairngorms guidebook (which we forgot to bring) we climbed further right than the 'The Wild Places'. Here is Robbie soloing pitch 1...

... and here he climbs literally a frozen for(r)est, one reason for the route name. Bring many slings as there are lots of tree runners and tree belays...

Here is Robbie on a - you will have guessed it by now - tree belay below and to the left of the the niche...

... and here I am after the icy traverse into the niche receiving a spindrift shower...

There is an easy enough corner up with decent gear. Above was a steep, almost snow-free (as it was below the large roof) squeeze chimney. It was doable but I traversed to the left to have a look and found a tree-lined groove that led to easier terrain. When we reached the buttress above we traversed right into a gully line with good neve in places (The Wild Places goes left below the buttress). We moved together, placing runners whilst moving, and when the gully ended Robbie moved up a turfy ramp which goes left under the large buttress at the top ...

...to climb mixed ground with fantastic turf to reach the very top of the face and buttress.

Altogether roughly 6 pitches of excellent adventure. The Glen Clova answer to the Orion face!
HW

Tower Face of the Comb VI,6***

New routeing in the Clova hills is fun but Robbie and I needed a proper objective. The weather for Saturday looked good and we decided to go to the Ben Nevis and try the Tower Face of the Comb VI,6***. This mixed or in late season icy mixed route was first climbed by Robin Smith and Dick Holt on New Years day in 1959. The route gained a reputation and still has some of it left. We reached the car park at 7 am and with good fitness after the long Angus walk ins reached the CIC hut in little more than an hour. We immediately walked up Coire na Ciste which appeared otherworldly in the soft early February morning light. The Comb is the triangular feature to the left and above of Robbie...

Here is Robbie approaching the bottom of the Tower Face of the Comb through some unconsolidated snow.

The Nevis guidebook description of the climb is at times not very clear and we climbed up Comb gully to Hesperides ledge before realising that the climb started much lower down. The guidebook says that it is 1/3rd up but it is actually close to the bottom of the buttress proper. Here is Robbie downclimbing Comb gully after realising that we were in the wrong place.

A good orientation feature is the little ridge to the left of Comb gully. The Tower Face of the Comb starts just below that. Here, Robbie starts the first pitch...

... and here he tackles the left facing corner...

There is a ledge above and a steep, short wall leads to the belay. Pitch 2 is a 25 m long groove that goes through the lower buttress. Here, I start that groove...

... with some thin and sometimes poorly protected ice and neve climbing...

... to reach a fantastic position higher up.

After that some easier neve to the belay. The third pitch traverses past blocks and flakes to ascend a steepish, turfy wall to again reach a ledge. Here is Robbie, with the SMC approved winter climbing beard, starting pitch 3.

The belay is on a ledge next to an obvious rock window on which I am sitting here, whilst starting pitch 4...

After that the guidebook is a little unclear as it says to go to the end of the ledge and then to climb a corner on the left. The ledge ends at a big block and to the left there is a steep wall which is climbable at a harder grade than 6. I was teetering around, decorating the wall bits of gear and finally decided to have a look on top of the block. And as it happened, one or two not too bad moves led via easy neve to a sit-behind-a-block belay on top of the Comb. Robbie had the unthankful task to remove all the gear that I hung in random places which took him some time. Two easy pitches finished the climb. Here is Robbie starting a perhaps grade II pitch up the tower of the Comb...

The last pitch is a hugely exposed 'au cheval' exercise to walk off into the clag on the plateau...

A fantastic day and even more so as we only made our plans at the last minute...

HW