Focus Mountaineering

I climbed Castle Ridge on Ben Nevis yesterday with Adrian and Tom. Castle Ridge is a wonderful outing and being the northernmost of the great Ben Nevis ridges has great views over Fort William and the North West. Being relatively … Continue reading →

Simon joined me at the weekend and set me the task of finding grade III/IV ice as a warm up for a forthcoming expedition to South America. Ben Nevis was the only option for easy ice and with plenty of … Continue reading →

Yesterday I climbed North Buttress on the Buchaille in wild weather. This route is generally a safe option when heavy snow rules out other routes and was in superb climbing condition despite the freezing wind and constant snowfall. By the time … Continue reading →

I climbed a route on the Far Eastern Buttress of Aonach Dubh today with Paul and Ronin. The wild weather and high avalanche forecast made route choice tricky but we managed to stay out of the wind and climb a … Continue reading →

I’ve just finished another few days work in the North West. The week started with sparse snow cover with results of trips to the highest corries being limited to gullies full of damp snow. Regardless, a flexible approach paid dividends and we … Continue reading →

I accompanied Tatania and Andrew along the CMD arete on Saturday in fantastic conditions for Scotch on the Rocks Guiding. The mountain was busy with climbing teams reporting excellent conditions on the big ice routes.

Last week I was up in the North West Highlands running a climbing course for Martin Moran with Phil, Jamie and Clair. Although the recent thaw has reduced the snow cover we still managed to find plenty of quality routes … Continue reading →

I’ve been working on a winter mountaineering course at Glenmore Lodge this week where I’ve looked at reinforcing core winter skills and using a rope to provide security on steeper ground. The Cairngorms have been significantly drier than the West Coast and … Continue reading →