Fiacaill Coire an t-Sneachda at Sunset
This is the third year that I’ve travelled up to the Cairngorms in February for winter training from John Lyall. As I’ve mentioned on previous occasions, John has a passion for the mountains that is both infectious and to be admired. His training is informative and to the point. On safety his philosophy is simple, ‘don’t get into any situation that requires you having to haul a body out of a crevasse or avalanche. The key is, planning, but most importantly learn to read what the mountain is trying to tell you’.
Two Climbers High on Fiacaill Ridge
After saying that, it’s still useful to know how to self arrest a slip or pull someone out of a crevasse or avalanche. So day one was about self arrest. We threw ourselves down a slope forwards, on our stomachs, on our backs, head first and then upside down and head first. It’s not easy turning upside down on your back and then launching yourself down a 30º slope and not being able to see where you’re going! It also doesn’t come naturally. We’re told that any reaction to a fall has to be instinctive, which only comes with practice. It is, of course, very easy to do this in a controlled situation. If it ever happens it will be without warning and probably on a steeper slope of hard ice, but hey, at least I would know what I should have done as I’m hurtling over the edge of a cliff…I should have assessed the slope and come to the conclusion that I probably shouldn’t have been there in the first place! But, hey, life can be a bitch.
Cairngorm Summit Plateau
The weather was abysmal in the morning but cleared up after lunch, (as well as the Scottish weather ever clears up) so we decided to climb Fiacaill Ridge, a classic winter ridge climb, leading onto the Cairngorm Plateau. Then wandered along the plateau rim and back down to the Ski car park. A useful day.
What I should have said about the weather is that it rained, not snowed most of the previous night and all morning. This had the effect of washing away much of the loose lying snow but consolidating the underlying snowpack (this makes it less prone to avalanche). This combined with the high winds and cold temperatures of the previous week meant that much the recent snow had been blown off the summit plateau into hollows or the surrounding forest. So the rocks in the Northern Corries were laid bare, rather than covered in ice, which made the climb on Fiacaill Ridge very much a mixture of rock and ice.
Fiacaill Ridge Climb
The next day’s forecast was good, the reality, however, was not. Windy, misty and cold. So we found one of those hollows, where all the snow had blown and practised crevasse rescue. Again the lesson was don’t get into the situation where a rescue becomes necessary! But we had a great time while Andrew and James dropped each other off the rim of the hollow to then perform a crevasse rescue, while I took photographs!
Wednesday, was forecast wall to wall sunshine and that’s exactly what it was! The Scottish weather tends to be like the Scottish Midge, mean and unrelenting in its ferocity! (For those of you that have never heard of the devil, that is the Scottish Midge…Google it) But today the Scottish mountains proved that not every Scottish Midge is evil! We woke to blue skies and no wind. The plan today was to do an ice climb. John chose one called Fiacaill Couloir, off Fiacaill Ridge a 175m gully that led to just below the top of the plateau.
Girls Just want to have Fun!
John appeared to want to race to the crag, sprinting past all the groups heading for the Northern Corries. When we got there I could see why. It was like Trafalgar Square on New Year’s Eve…packed shoulder to shoulder with climbers jostling to get to their preferred climb. We did however just arrive first at the start of ours, with only one other couple wanting to do the same climb, so we geared up and powered on up to the start.
Fiacaill Couloir is a grade II winter climb, which in the scheme of things very easy. The Scottish grades go as high as grade XII, that just gives you a little clue as to the difficulty of the one we were trying. Powering up to the start of the climb was ‘interesting’, a 30º – 35º slope of compact snow, not particularly steep but gave some cause for concern if your thoughts wandered to the possibility of a slip. Whilst desperately searching your mind for all those lessons learned only two days previously.
James Seconding the First Pitch
All four of us were stood on a kicked out ledge of snow anchored to a small outcrop. Andrew was seconding John, whilst James and I were partnered up, with me taking the first lead and James then following through onto the next pitch. I haven’t led a climb of any sort since my school days. This would be a test of confidence and I have to admit I was somewhat apprehensive! The first pitch led out onto a 45º slope, this was made up of hard packed snow and short stretches of ice. The first placement of protection was a relief, all of a sudden the prospect of a possible 30m to 40m fall was reduced to just a couple of metres. Let me put this in perspective, though. John was effectively soloing the climb as he was not being belayed by Andrew nor did he have the luxury of any protection and was, in fact, placing my protection for me, while I followed just a few metres behind. Confidence is a fickle thing, I could quite easily hang from a rock face a couple of hundred metres up whilst securely tied on to take photographs, but to climb to that position, whilst leading and putting in my own protection is now probably beyond the confidence that I would feel comfortable with doing. So this lead was a big deal for me and I was determined to conquer and compartmentalise any fear. ‘Fear is the Mind Killer’ (Frank Herbert, Dune)
James at the Top of the Gully
Andrew at the Top of the Gully
This first lead was a run out of approximately 50 metres, at this point I was still too busy squaring my position in my mind, so as to fully enjoy the climb. But as I belayed James up I looked around and was stunned at the view and perspective that this stance gave me, a view reserved for just the few people who are mad or stupid enough to climb these rock faces. James followed through the lead and led the crux of the climb. I have to admit I’m glad it wasn’t me that led this pitch! This time, I followed through up to the top of the couloir and sat astride the apex. I came out of the shadows and onto the sun, both metaphorically and literally, the view opened up to the near vertical shadow rock faces of the Northern Corries and the summit of Cairngorm. The weather was perfect with no wind and the sun lighting up the mountains as it reflected off the snow. With one more pitch to go James completed the climb onto the top of the Fiacaill Ridge and the Cairngorm plateau. Before I followed I savoured the view from this unusual position, high on the headwall of this once glaciated corrie. The experience was exhilarating, especially with all the adrenaline still pumping through my veins. The fear stayed compartmentalise, only occasionally trying to break free. It was enjoyable but I think I’d still want a more experienced climber with me, to give that little bit of extra confidence if and when I try it again.
Cairngorm Sunset
The climb had taken approximately four hours to complete! 175m in four hours. That was height gained, distance travelled was probably only a matter of metres, but we still felt that we deserved a hot cup of coffee in the cafe at the top of the ski lift. So we sauntered up to the summit of Cairngorm and idly made our way down to the cafe. The funicular railway looked a tempting way to descend to the car park, but as climbers, we weren’t allowed that luxury, it’s reserved for skiers and day trippers and we were neither, we were now, hardened climbers!
Cairngorm Sunset
As always John was instructive and informative, especially with his stories of mountain rescues that he has been on. I understand that he has been a member of the mountain rescue team for many years and as a regular walker, it’s comforting to know that the men and woman of these voluntary groups are there if required. (That’s a plug for all readers of this blog to give generously to their funds http://cmrt.org.uk/ ). He has hopefully given us the groundwork required for our forthcoming trip to Mont Blanc in June.
