School Day.

It’s a strange sound.  You only hear it in a certain situation, like when you push snow off your window ledge and it hits the road. Except, when you watch the snow fall, there’s a little excitement there as you wait for it to hit the road.

I was clipped into the belay, having a laugh with Dougie Russell as his brother Adam was sorting out kit for the lead.  Then I heard it, although this time I wasn’t pushing snow off my window ledge.  The noise was much louder with a hit of menace.  I looked up and the sky was filled with snow.  I could see blocks the size of laptops in the snow cloud.

(SHIT! is an avalanche?  Shit. Thank god I’m clipped in.  Thank god the belay is bomber.  Are we going to get fill in?  I think there were climbers heading up the slope…..)

AVALANCHE!!!!!…………AVALANCHE!!!!!!

Blocks of snow hit us from all around, and it felt like someone had draped a duvet over us.  It might had only lasted 5 or so seconds, but it felt longer.  Once the snow had cleared, panic set in.

 

”I am a bad mutha fucka!!, I am a bad mutha fucka!!!”  Dougie’s alarm is going off, and as rude as the wakening was the song it self.  Adam turned up shortly after and we got our things together, pack our bags and set of the up hill battle to Stob Coire Nan Lochain.  Snow was falling at half height, but it was still dark.  Through our head touches you could see the tall mountains of Glen Coe around us.

 

We were the first to the crag and as the morning got lighter we could see that conditions were looking good.  However the avalanche risk was a category 3, considerable.  But we were taking the right precautions and made our way up.  

I could feel that day it was going to be a ‘School Day’, for whatever reason, things just didn’t go as smoothly as normal.  I went up the slope first to get to the ledge below the route.  There was no ledge.  There was how ever a shit load of snow and ice.  Great.  Hadn’t put my crampons on yet.

*Before ascending a snow slope, putting on your crampons before you leave will have you better prepared for changing conditions, snow and ice etc. 

Now on steep ground, this was going to be tricky.  Rolling down a snow slope backwards was not in my plan, although i’m sure Dougie and Adam would have had a laugh.  All I had to do was to get them out of my bag.  Shit.

*When packing your bag for a day of the mountain, organize your bag in order of what you need first.

After digging my crampons out of the middle of my bag, and somehow got them on while standing on my silly little ledge.  I felt a little more secure, although without my harness on, I’m not going to be that secure.

*Put your harness on before you crampons.

After questioning my stupidity, I set up a belay at the bottom of our route.  I think it was Chimney Route, which wasn’t our original plan, but it look in better condition.  Loads of ice!  Who brought the screws.

*Before you set off for your climb, think of the conditions, and take additional gear if needed.

Adam was keen anyway and started gearing up, as best as he could for a very icy lead without screws.  We had met Helen Rennard and Dave Almond making their way up to their route.  It was above us about 10 meters or so, and looked like something quite tasty!

Helen belaying Dave on their new route.

 

That’s when it hit us.  It wasn’t an avalanche, it was a cornice collapsing above us.  It must had been huge.  After everything settled I started shouting up to Helen and Dougie was shouting on Dave.  I looked down the slope and seen the end of a climbing rope, but there was nobody on it.  Getting my thought process together for an absail down to where I think they might be buried, I heard a little ‘hello’.  We looked up to see Helen and Dave popping there heads ups like little Meerkats.  

‘You’s alright?’ I shouted

‘Yeah! I wasn’t clipped in’ said Dave letting out a little nervous giggle.

‘Jesus, I think I’ve filled my pants man! as I readjusted my harness.

Turn out that Adam wasn’t clipped in either!

*Always clip in at the belay.

Smile all round as the adrenalin kicked in, and after a short while Adam set of on the route.  WHOOMF!  I looked up, the same thing.  Not as bad this time.  

‘What the hell is going on up there?’ I asked Dougie.

 

Soon Adam was making his way up the route, and as he did, I notice that the other climbers that were making there up to us had turned around.  The stayed at the bottom of the corrie floor looking at us as if there was a big Lion behind our backs, and we hadn’t noticed it.  Psyched was diminishing quickly.  Adam was having a little bother with the route, as all that beautiful ice wasn’t actually attached to the rock.  With every axe swing and foot placement broke off a heavy piece of ice, with one that hit me and Dougie, Dougie taken the brunt of it like a champ!

‘Fuck this.  I’m outta here dude’ I announced.

Dougie agreed.  Adam protested a little, but there wasn’t anything stopping me.

‘You guys can stay, but this doesn’t feels right today.  And god knows what is up there, if and when we get there, will we be crawling around with head torch’s on with unstable cornices around us?’

Dougie abing off.  You can see the climbers at the bottom of the corrie floor.

Adam set up an ab, and we left.  Adam and myself were sorting out the ropes, when I realized what the climbers of the corrie floor where looking at.  Now in the morning light, you could see big cornices all over the place, and also the debris that had rested from our encounter.

‘Look at the size of them! that looks like it about to go….’ as I said that, WHOOF!

Dougie shouted and I seen the snow crashing down again.  I was pretty sure we were far enough away not to get hit.  But I was taken any chance, and by the look of it neither Adam as we sprinted along the slope.

One of the cornices.  If you know the crag, you’ll know that that’s a sizable cornice, and not the smallest one there on the day.

On the corrie floor now and it felt good to be there. We had something to eat and drink, while a few climbers came up to us to ask us,

‘Where you the guys that got hit by all that snow?’

Not sure if this is how I want to be remembered, but heyho, it happened.  You live, you learn, and you don’t/try not to do something similar.  However, there isn’t much you can do to prevent something like that.  Its the mountain and everyone should have excepted the risk of being in the mountains before they have packed their bags.  They should also know when to pack the day in and call it when it’s time to leave.

Even after what some would say as an unsuccessful day, thumbs up all round!

Adam checks out the conditions and Dougie practice his Yoga.

Don’t underestimate a beautiful day.

Stay safe out there guys, and have fun.  My next little adventure should see me in Romania competing in the Ice Climbing World Cup. Wish me luck, cause I’m going to need it!!!