Three nights on the trot out this week, with not everything going quite to plan:
Tuesday evening saw Jamie B and me heading for the North-East Face of Gearr Aonach, where a desire for something quick and straightforward took us up the rather disappointing Bunny’s Route (V Diff). So perhaps it gets a single star in the guide, but we doubt we’d have given a Glen Coe summer star to the long, scrappy chimney (despite good winter potential if it’s ever in condition) making up the bulk of the climb.
On Wednesday, the Polldubh Club became formally constituted at a General Meeting in Fort William, I (somewhat inevitably) agreed to become its first Secretary and we gained our first paid-up members. Exciting times about which I expect to be posting more soon on the Club site! :-)
Last night I was back on the Buachaille with Daniel to do January Jigsaw (Severe), which shares an improbable sense of exposure and lower-grade adventure with the neighbouring Agag’s Groove and many folk rate even higher. But unfortunately Daniel became unwell on the second pitch and I had to take him down on an accompanied abseil from the big block belay shared by both routes. So naturally some mixed feelings here, but no doubt at all that our disappointment at being unable to complete the climb is absolutely insignificant beside the knowledge of having taken the only sensible option and carried out a safe and efficient self-rescue.