Beinn Eighe - West Buttress

Culminating on Bell's route on Sunday I'd spent the better part of a week getting my winter climbing season started and was in need of a day or two off. Looking at the forecast it appeared that a thaw was coming on Thursday and Friday so I was keen for getting out on Wednesday after having Monday and Tuesday to rest a bit. Dave G was now living in Braemar and was off work so we began floating some ideas between us. Eventually we decided to go big and made plans for a long day hit on Beinn Eighe, specifically West Buttress in Coire Mhic Fhearchair. With the obvious exception of Lochnagar, Coire Mhic Fhearchair is the finest corrie in Scotland. This accolade is almost entirely due to the 400m triple buttress that occupies it's back wall. There is not a single mountain feature in Scotland that compares with this trident of Quarzite and Sandstone.

Dave drove to Aberdeen on Tuesday night to sleep on my sofa and we set our alarms for 0200. When it went off after a few hours sleep I certainly considered the sanity of this whole enterprise but that soon faded and by 0230 we were on our way. The drive to Torridon would take about three and a half hours. The roads as far as Garve were clear and in good condition but beyond they were untreated and the car showed temperatures as low as minus 6. Approaching Kinlochewe we became discouraged when the temperature rose and it started raining but this passed by the time we got to the car park.



Upon arriving and getting ready we set off at 0630. Later than we had hoped but we still had plenty of time. We walked along the path that hooks around Sail Mhor through the last hours of the nights darkness and eventually reached the lip of the corrie. The darkness faded slightly and we could admire the triple buttress in the predawn light. There was not as much snow as I had feared so breaking train around the west side of the loch and up to the slope where Fuselage Gully fans out was quite easy and we continued to make good progress.

We headed up the gully as the alpenglow bathed Sail Mhor and Beinn a'Chearcail. The gully was in reasonable condition and we made efficient progress. After a steepening we traversed left and found that we had gone too high. From where we were it wasn't too much trouble to descend onto Broad Terrace so we made our way down to the start of the route. Dave took the first pitch leading us up a chimney with a Chockstone which much to his alarm, moved as he climbed over it. I led the next pitch up to a level in the ridge and belayed below an impressive wall. I fancied the wall which looked very steep although well protected so took the lead again.



I led up a corner and then stepped up left into another higher one. At the top of the corner there was a steep move out right around an overhang before the ground eased off. We think this was most likely part of the direct route as it felt a grade harder than the supposed crux of the classic route which we would encounter later. In any case this was a brilliant pitch and the highlight of the day for me. I brought Dave up and he led out a pitch onto the start of the traverse. Above us was the final pitch of the Direct which looked awesome. I will need to come back to have a go at it for sure. The traverse took us rightwards along a terrace to a spur overlooking the upper reaches of Fuselage Gully. We spotted some wreckage at the top of the gully from the Lancaster that crashed here in the early fifties and gives the gully it's name.

After the Traverse is the normal crux. I led up some easy grooves to a shorter more exposed traverse that would take us back left. Again there was a fantastic looking Direct finish above us that I also feel I need to go back for. Not today though so along the traverse I went to the foot of the crux chimney. The chimney was awkward in places and formed quite a nice pitch. We both felt the old grade of IV 4 was fair although it seems to have recently been upgraded to IV 5. I belayed at the top and brought Dave up who led us gloriously through a final short chimney and up onto the crest.



We had made good time and still had plenty of daylight left. The views were stunning although my camera lens iced up so I resorted to using my phone. The descent was steep and quick and we arrived back at the car as it was getting dark and begun the long drive back to Aberdeen.  We were very happy with how the day went. A brilliant day out on one of the most sought after classic mountaineering routes in Scotland as well as making efficient work of  a big day with short daylight hours.