Shadow B Buttress - Bell’s Route
Winter had returned and I was looking to get my climbing season started proper. I’d been been put in touch with Doug through a friend and he was free all week and equally keen. Conditions developed as the week went on so we were optimistic at getting something outside of the northern corries done. We had taken a look at Bell’s route on Lochnagar on Thursday but it wasn’t frozen so we had climbed Magic Pillar and resigned ourselves to two more days in Coire an t-Sneachdta. Come Saturday evening we were planning for something bigger and quieter to end the week on and we convinced ourselves that given the cold conditions, Bell’s would be worth another look. Bell’s route is the classic line on Shadow B buttress. As is common with most classic winter lines in the Cairngorms, Tom Patey was responsible for the first winter ascent. I had been wanting to have a go at it for some time with it being the next in line logically for me progressing through Lochnagar’s buttresses. Doug was equally keen as it presents a fine mountaineering objective as well as a climbing one.
We met at Glen Muick at the leisurely time of 0700 and began the approach. We made short work of this and became optimistic about conditions as things we’re obviously further developed than they were a few days before. Once we dropped into the corrie we were treated to the alpenglow on West Buttress which along with the rest of the beautiful cirque was clear and open for our admiration. No matter how much time I spent in this corrie it’s soaring ramparts never fail to impress or inspire. Passing beneath Polyphemus Gully we could hear running water beneath the snow covered boulders. This discouraged us about conditions but we convinced ourselves that it was less of a flow than on thursday and kept heading up below the toe of Shadow B and into Douglas Gibson Gully. The turfy groove at the base of the route was frozen! Our optimism had paid off and we began gearing up.
I led the first pitch up the groove and across into the centre of the buttress where I found a spike belay then brought Doug up. While we were both at the belay an avalanche came thundering down Douglas Gibson Gully. It fanned out below the buttress as its power dissipated. It had been powerful enough to move boulders so we were very glad we were out of the gully when it came down. I would see another one come down Raeburn's a short time after. I assume these were caused by cornice collapses given the recent winds and snowfall.
The next pitch was the crux and looked hard. The guidebook describes the section as follows: “From a perch on the left tooth flit across a hold less wall to a flake handrail”. Doug took the lead and worked his way up above the teeth. From what I could see there was little for his feet and he had one good hook. He was having trouble placing his other axe when it ripped and he took a fall down to below the tooth. His highest bit of gear, a cam, held him and I lowered him back down to the belay.
He recovered his axe which had shot down past me and got himself ready for another go. This time he found some better placements and got a bit higher before looking at the blank wall to his left. It kind of fitted the description but the move looked a bit wild. In any case he went for it and made it across eventually finding some good foot placements. He led out the rest of the pitch which had another hard section up a corner before the belay. I followed him up and found the crux desperate. I was glad to have the tension of the rope and a bit of gear to steady myself on. Speaking to others since and looking at climber’s log's it seems that some other parties go straight up from above the tooth rather than traverse the blank wall. This doesn't look particularly easy either. The whole section also sadly seems to be getting stripped of turf.
When I arrived at the belay Doug informed me that it was about three in the afternoon which I couldn't believe. We only had an hour of daylight left at best and still at least two but most likely three pitches to go. I raced up the next pitch which was pleasant steep mountaineering. Doug quickly followed and climbed through leading out another full rope length stopping just below the plateau. I led up through onto steep ground. It seemed there was a sting in the tail and I was aimlessly pulling my axes through steep bottomless powder hoping for some security. I found a peg and eventually got myself to the top where I was met with fading light and a strong wind. I brought Doug up and we wasted little time in sorting ourselves for the descent
By the time we got down it had taken us ten and three quarter hours all in. This is a fair time for the kind of route we done and we could have avoided the Dark by starting earlier but we still topped out without the need for head torches. All in all we were both chuffed with the day and it was a fitting end to a good week of climbing. Eagle ridge which sits parallel to Shadow B forming the other wall of Douglas Gibson Gully is now next in the natural progression. It's soaring towers and aretes had consistently caught our attention throughout the day. Hopefully conditions on it develop to make it amenable and we can get a crack at it. The winter seems to be showing positive signs so far.
We met at Glen Muick at the leisurely time of 0700 and began the approach. We made short work of this and became optimistic about conditions as things we’re obviously further developed than they were a few days before. Once we dropped into the corrie we were treated to the alpenglow on West Buttress which along with the rest of the beautiful cirque was clear and open for our admiration. No matter how much time I spent in this corrie it’s soaring ramparts never fail to impress or inspire. Passing beneath Polyphemus Gully we could hear running water beneath the snow covered boulders. This discouraged us about conditions but we convinced ourselves that it was less of a flow than on thursday and kept heading up below the toe of Shadow B and into Douglas Gibson Gully. The turfy groove at the base of the route was frozen! Our optimism had paid off and we began gearing up.
I led the first pitch up the groove and across into the centre of the buttress where I found a spike belay then brought Doug up. While we were both at the belay an avalanche came thundering down Douglas Gibson Gully. It fanned out below the buttress as its power dissipated. It had been powerful enough to move boulders so we were very glad we were out of the gully when it came down. I would see another one come down Raeburn's a short time after. I assume these were caused by cornice collapses given the recent winds and snowfall.
By the time we got down it had taken us ten and three quarter hours all in. This is a fair time for the kind of route we done and we could have avoided the Dark by starting earlier but we still topped out without the need for head torches. All in all we were both chuffed with the day and it was a fitting end to a good week of climbing. Eagle ridge which sits parallel to Shadow B forming the other wall of Douglas Gibson Gully is now next in the natural progression. It's soaring towers and aretes had consistently caught our attention throughout the day. Hopefully conditions on it develop to make it amenable and we can get a crack at it. The winter seems to be showing positive signs so far.
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