A Year of the Extreme

 

Lochnagar, February 2005

 

Lochnagar, a mountain many call the Queen of the Aberdeenshire Hills. The Great North East Corrie sits majestically above the landscape dominating the towns and villages of Deeside. Indeed the impressive nature of the mountain adds so much to the natural beauty of the area that it could have been one of the reasons that Queen Victoria decided on Balmoral as her Scottish home. It was my good fortune that I grew up in the region.

After studying engineering at Aberdeen University I spent some time in the French Alps skiing and climbing. The size of the Alps brings excitement to exploring new corners of the ranges and you are never short of technical challenges. Returning to Aberdeen 7 years ago I felt a bit deflated; gone were the big peaks, glaciers and relentless sun. However Scotland has no shortage of mountains but finding climbing partners was proving difficult. The guide books showed there were plenty of active climbers but how do meet them when there are no indoor walls climbing scene?

Being an engineer by profession dictated that I would end up being based in Aberdeen if I decided to live in the UK, at least if I wanted a share of the money that the oil industry brings to North East. With Lochnagar and the rest of the Cairngorms lying so close to Aberdeen it’s a fantastic base from which to deploy into the hills and any opportunity to take advantage of the local playground. And it is a playground. Getting the right weather and conditions is another factor but for so many years walkers have kept the mountains a secret, their grim expressions revealing none of the joy or reward that their day in the hills has brought them. However the hills have a lot more to offer than walking.

The winter of 2005 was shaping up nicely with regular snow falls, consistently cold temperatures. Even the ski resorts were making some money. A tentative ski mountaineering trip to Lochnagar revealed conditions were coming good. We passed through the corrie and climbed up the Black Spout which held hard snow and hoar frost on the top. Ten years had passed since I last skied this line and I was looking forward to getting the skis on and blasting it. The usual cocktail of excitement and anxiety flowed as I put my skis on and checked the bindings were secure. Something that always plays in my mind is the thought of a ski coming off and the uncontrolled fall to the coire floor and the boulders below. No time for that now, banishing those negative thoughts, a few quick jumps on the spot were needed confirm the skis were on properly and to loosen the legs up.

 

Ross Hewitt Skiing The Black Spout of Lochnagar 2005

 

The first jump turn goes in, one I always end up over compensating and leaning into the slope for fear of high siding and falling headfirst down the gully. The edges bite well and the second turn is better, the anxiety draining, the leg muscles loosening and the mind and body staring to work in unison to produce some flowing technique. The right hand branch of the Spout is reasonably wide by gully standards and taking full advantage, fast carving turns follow and you are soon accelerating out of the gully and down to the loch. The bottom of the Black Spout usually has an avalanche cone of snow which steepens near the bottom. Its off camber nature allows a beautiful drifting surf style turn to be had. One of the best sensations available on snow that I don’t have the words to convey the exhilaration it brings.

Back at work on Monday quick surf in the net revealed a large dump was expected on Wednesday morning. With our changeable climate it’s all about taking opportunities and I wasn’t going to be found at my desk with so much snow falling.

30 cm of new snow lay on the Loch Muick road and it was still falling. It seemed questionable whether the forecast for the snow to stop was right but you’ve got to get out and find out for yourself. An empty car park and the mountain was mine for the day. I set out skiing from the car. After the fork off the Land Rover track, thwarted by hill fog, and the blanket of snow covering any landmarks, my arrival into the Coire was by virtue of a map and compass. Once in the Coire visibility was better and after the short descent down from the Col I skirted the boulders by skiing across the loch and then directly up to the foot of the Black Spout. Amazingly the snow had fallen with no wind so there was an abundance of cold fresh light powder to be had. Could this be Scotland? Well, yes because it had already slipped out of the gullies where I needed it most.

Ascending The Black Spout on Crampons

 

The day’s objective was to ski the left hand branch of the Black Spout which joins into the main right hand branch in its lower section. Climbing the gully with crampons and my ice axe the snow was still quite hard but there were hoar frost bobbles stuck to the surface and I hoped these would give the edges of my skis enough grip. With some rocks sticking through the snow where the gully met the plateau I geared up about 10 feet down the gully. For the first time on skis I put a helmet on – just in case. The same ski checks and mental games blotting out bad thoughts got me prepared to go. Then I was off confident in my own ability to hold it together. The turns didn’t exactly flow and near the junction of the gullies the slope steepened to over 50° and became icy. A few rocks protruded through the snow below just to shred my bum if it all went wrong. But it went without incident and the bottom of the Black Spout allowed the usual carefree acceleration towards the loch on ever improving snow.

Winter disappeared almost over night last year and while the skis were stored for another year, the bikes were dusted down and made ready for action.  During the spring what better way to get round the hills and soak in that range of colours from the disappearing snows to the blues and greens of the valleys in that special Scottish light.

High Level Mountain Biking

 

For me this is the best time of year with the days becoming longer and for the motivated there are opportunities to get into the hills mid week after work and experience some of the amazing quality and clarity of light that Scotland has to offer. However with the summer on its way and the cliffs drying out there was the more pressing matter of going climbing.

Evening Atmospherics at Creag and Dubh Loch

 

A dry couple of days had us heading to camp and climb at the Dubh Loch. We had left Aberdeen on Friday afternoon after work and were into the hills early enough to sample a good route on the emerald slab up high above the Dubh Loch and get the head used to those amazing granite moves. Waking up on the beach to the sun glinting off the loch in such a beautiful setting as the Dubh Loch really does inspire the soul. Arguably it’s the best mountain crag in Britain and right on Aberdeen’s doorstep. The approach couldn’t be easier; a quick cycle along Loch Muick, drop the bikes after Prince Charlie’s house, then walk up the path to the crag. It’s close enough to get down to the pub in Ballater for those fit enough and with a taste for a pint.

 

 

Morning Sunshine while Camping at Creag and Dubh Loch2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

However with the forecast for the weather to change the motivation was there for an

early start. We set off to climb the E4 Sans Fer up on False Gully Wall. A sublime finger width laser crack blasts straight up over a couple of bulges taking all the mid sized cams your rack has to throw at it. The second pitch is the crux and takes a wider crack system up a slightly impending wall. Although short, the climbing is sustained until the end where a desperate move has you flopping out onto the next belay ledge.

Two pitches behind us and it was my turn at the sharp end again. A long 6a pitch to come and I was already feeling knackered. A delicate teeter across the lower brink of a slab was followed by sustained moves over a bulge and into a groove bordering the edge of a slab. The tension in the legs was rising quickly from the smearing the slab moves and finding the crack in the back of the groove blocked with dirt I resigned myself to clipping into a rusty peg and  cleaning a couple of holds with the wire brush.

 

 

Pete Benson on the Crux 6B Pitch of Sans Fer

 

 

 

Setting off, hard moves bring you up out of the groove to bigger holds on a steep wall and over the next bulge. Getting overheated with exertion had me wrestling to get my jacket off and leave it for Pete to bring up. No time for hanging around here though.

Pulling out on the next ledge system all that remained was a small triangular niche about seven feet high. Launching up onto it the awkwardness of the exit quickly beat me back to cower in the corner and arrange some good gear. A couple more attempts were repulsed before mustering the do or die approach and with some of those weird granite moves I arrived at the belay ledge utterly soaked to the skin in my own sweat.

 

Pete Benson Shaking Out on the 3rd Pitch of Sans Fer

Sitting belaying on the ledge with those waves of relaxation flowing through the body following a hard won pitch is one of the few short-lived moments of absolute contentedness to be experienced. And it was short lived as the rain came on we abseiled off down to the sacks. As we ate lunch the sun came out again and the relaxed atmosphere was only broken by Pete’s eagerness to get onto another route.

 

So after my initial disappointment of returning to Scotland I have shared ropes with climbers of amazing ability, enjoyed some of the most technical climbs I’ve embarked upon on impeccable rock in absolute solitude. And of course when winter does show its make itself felt the skiing is very special. It is an absolute playground out there, it is up to you what you make of it.

 

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