An okayish forecast meant climbing was on. I had been browsing through the SMC Glencoe and the Scrambles in Lochaber guides for easy multi pitch mountain routes and had come up with a couple of options.
- 'D' Gully buttress on Buachaille Etive Mor (Diff/Severe)
- No. 3 Buttress on Stob Corie Nam Beith (Grade 3 Scramble)
- No. 1 Buttress on Stob Corie Nam Beith (grade 3S Scramble)
D Gully buttress was graded Difficult/Severe with the crux (Hell's Wall) graded at Severe and unprotected. However the guide also noted that this is avoidable to the left and right. With a shortish walk in Cb and I decided that this would be the preferable option. Increasing the appeal was the possibility of finishing the buttress and then linking Curved Ridge into a cracking mountain day.
Forecast was for warm with light winds but a risk of heavy, slow moving showers with a risk of lightening.
We left the car in warm sunshine and blue sky, by the time we reached the waterslab black clouds had moved in over the hill and a few spots of rain had fallen. We deliberated and decided to make a decision at the bottom of the climb. We pressed on up the crappy scree which was causing me some discomfort and were passed by a couple of guys that I took to be MRT of some sort. We passed a pair who turned out to be from Prestwick and had a chat.
At the bottom of the route the black clouds had not shifted and I was concerned that we might get half way up and get drenched (or worse) in a sudden downpour. We were unanimous in leaving the route for another day but not wanting to head home without a tick, we decided to take the rope and rack for a walk up Curved Ridge.
By the time we got to the start of the scramble to the base of Curved Ridge, my ankles were in agony from walking up the scree and the weight on my back. A tea break request was denied and so we pushed on until we found a reasonable sized ledge (about 1m wide) to sit on. The ledge was off to the left of the ridge and below was steep - as near vertical that it made no difference - it was here I started having a wee "moment" the pain in my ankles and weight of the pack were sowing the seeds of doubt in my head - I was getting a bit scared, there, I've said it. I realised I would have to stand up on the ledge and swing my pack onto my shoulder to start climbing. It didn't make me feel better. I drank but didn't feel like eating (this did not go unnoticed apparently).
As pleasant as it was to sit in the sun, the pain in my ankles had gone and it was time to move on up. The thought of down climbing just wasn't an option, it was far, far easier to continue. I regained my feet and after a few tentative steps regained my composure (for the time being) and we climbed on enjoying the good holds and grippy rock.
The ridge is almost in two parts, the first initial climb from the start of Easy Gully then there is a short walk. The second section is steeper with a buttress of sorts on the left, a gully/crack then a buttress on the right. The sensible option is the left buttress, climb a series of steps till you are standing at the bottom of a short, smooth wall with a crack on it's left side. You know you're on the right path because the rock is clean, smooth, polished and covered in crampon scratches. The exposure here is not massive but enough to freak me a little - I put it down to carrying as heavy pack. Cb had climbed a rib just to the right and I shuffled along a ledge to see if it would go. I didn't fancy it so I shuffled back to the smooth polished wall. It was at this point our new pals from Prestwick climbed past, the younger taking Cb's route and the, well I'll be honest, older (65 apparently) taking the route I was looking at. I had mentioned to Cb about getting the rope out. She thought I was kidding!! Fortunately I was shown exactly how to climb the wall by my more experienced fellow scrambler. I was impressed by the smoothness and ease with which he moved up. Shamed into action I followed without the style, grace or economy of movement. I found the "thank god" hold and I was up. Hurrah. What had I been worried about?
I hadn't suffered any of this self doubt/exposure fear on our previous week's trip up the North Buttress. Climbing is such a head game. I'm sure if I had been on steeper ground and roped up I would have been quite delighted. In winter I have been more exposed with worse holds. Over the past few years we've done a few routes together and Tower Ridge seems to have become the benchmark by which I measure a routes difficulty. Everything we've done since seems to be harder. Maybe I'm just getting older.
The rest of the ridge was delightful and we reached the cairn to find the two MRT guys having a tea break. I thought that was a good idea so I had a drink but still not eating - it was at this point Cb said she knew something was wrong 'coz I wasn't eating. I'm so transparent sometimes.
Cb had insisted on doing Crowberry Tower but I'd done it many years before and had finally managed to get over the post traumatic stress. My dad had been in charge of navigating and when we reached the top of CR he read the next paragraph without reading on.... I got a bit of a fright when I realised we were on the Tower. I vaguely remember the down climb and relief at getting back to the top of CR. We had come up from the top of Crowberry Ridge and was unaware of the easy climb from Crowberry Tower Gap. Parents!
As we were sitting, our new pals moved past and I asked if they were going up CT?, "yes", "Could you take my friend up with you?", "Sure, no problem". So glad about that.....
I moved of round to the left of the crag and took what is probably the worst way to the summit, and managed to get a photo of the 3 on top of the Tower.
Cb downclimbed and soon appeared above the gap. not much else to do but start the slog down hill.
We arrived at the car at about 15:00 5 hours after starting so we must have moved at a reasonable pace.
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