Lunch time ice!
Lovely chewy easy ice and in the sun, perfect!
Short Grade 3 sections. I was also trying out my new Black Diamond 'Spinner Leashes' they are fantastic! A leash- less feeling but no stress of dropping your tools, ideal!
Nice grade 3 ice falls. Today I climbed the second from left, I first did this last winter. The thinner smears to the right have not been climbed as far as I am aware, but if you have please let me know.Last winter I had a great time exploring the grade 1-111 ice runnels and bulges on North side of the Pass of Brander on Loch Aweside. Facing south these routes offer great fun, easy and escapable ice climbing at 'Mere Mortal' grades!
You do need to get there early as they catch the sun early on, which today made for very chewy ice!
I had a wee solo of the Fun Grade 3 ice which forms over the crag at approx grid ref 054283 . The stream beds running up to the right of these offer bulgy easy grade 2 ice for approx 150m plus and were there today.
Today's Lunch time's other jaunt was to have a look at a large slab [grid ref approx 066276] I had spotted a week or so ago whilst doing the Lumberjacks Falls on the opposite side of the Pass. The thaw has had effect and the slabs were running with water behind the ice sheets, but because its not very steep, it was pretty thin but solid enough to climb. The stream beds started freezing at appox the 150m contour and finished at approx 400m contour, following easy runnels of ice and some nice little bulges. Having said that, a slip and it would be a long slide! Great fun and not a sole around!
