Morwind

Full Scottish conditions on Morwind!

Yesterday I was working for Alan Kimber. Richard was a total beginner but wanted to experience Scottish Winter Climbing and the weather didn't hold back. We decided to take the gondala up onto Aonach Mor and approach the East Face by was of the Nid traverse, giving us time and terrain to introduce the basic skills of using crampon and ice axe. As we approached the Climbers Col there was a break in the clouds giving us some stunning views of the monstrous cornices overhanging the climbs. With a strong westerly helping them to form and the freezing level hovering around 900m we weren't surprised to hear something give way and trigger an avalanche.

We opted to approach the climbs from above and had a good battle through the cornice above the Climbers Col straight into winds gusting up to 70 mph. We managed to locate the top of Morwind (III, 4) which rarely cornices and a few abseils got us to within 20m of the base of the route. The ice was pretty cruddy on the way out but with the belays already in place we made good time. We heard another cornice collapse over towards Tunnel Vision and through another break in the clouds there was plenty of debris below the crag including one big slide which had reached the lochan.

Aonach Mor cornices from the Climbers Col.

Topping out on Morwind.

A first foray in to Scottish Winter climbing!

The cornice above Tunnel Vision on the East face of Aonach Mor