Labyrinth Direct

Stepping onto the crux slab (Photo: Doug B.)

Since getting back from a stormy trip in the North Sea two weeks ago most of my time has been spent enjoying the best ice climbing conditions in Scotland since the 'Beast from the East' hit us in 2018. During this time I've had some cracking day's in the Cairngorms and on Liathach with various partners, the highlight being an ascent of Liathach's Poacher's Fall. These weeks have got me moving well and feeling very good on the ice again. With the weather coming in from the west, Doug and myself thought through our options and on Sunday I ended having a wander into Dubh loch for a recce at how the mighty cliff was shaping up after Saturday's thaw.

On a recce into Dubh loch

What I seen was promising so I set my alarm for 0300 on Monday morning so that I could go and meet Doug in the car park in Glen Muick. We got going a little after 0500 shunning our headtorches in favour of the moonlight. It was a fine morning and as the light of day approached we realised that we had timed it perfectly and arrived on the banks of the frozen Dubh loch while the bright dawn sun illuminated the cliffs. We crossed the river over verglassed rocks and began closing the final distance with the great face.

Morning sun on Creag an Dubh loch

Arriving at the bottom and assessing our options it seemed that Labyrinth Direct was the line to go for. The crux appeared to have formed brilliantly from what we could see. I had narrowly missed out on an attempt at Hanging Garden two years ago when many various circumstances conspired to make me wait until now to get it back in condition. Hanging Garden now seemed the lesser of the options with Doug and myself both climbing well and the famous crux of Labyrinth looking as well formed as it did. Labyrinth was a full two grades harder than Hanging Garden but that did not deter either of us from seeing the potential to climb what is probably the most sought after ice route in the Cairngorms. We elected to head up Labyrinth Couloir which forms the approach for both routes and make a final decision from there.

Approaching the face

I took the first pitch which was delicate to say the least, I would probably have backed off had it been practical but continuing boldly up the thin melting ice was the best option in any case. The temperature seemed to be warmer than forecast and we assumed this was the sun. Doug led another pitch up into where the route breaks off into the Hanging Garden. There was little decision to be made and I led up and through towards Labyrinth Direct. Belaying a pitch before the crux. The route to here had been pretty variable with thin ice, bomber neve, sugary snow and even some frozen turf. Gear was sparse but we managed to get good rock belays.

Doug on the third pitch

On the next pitch the route began to steepen. It was Doug's lead and it was sometime before he had led out the 40m to a belay in a rock wall to the right of the crux. I followed up some very bold, steep and insecure climbing. I was doubtful I would have got up it on lead although retreat options were few and far between so I guess the choice wouldn't have been mine to make, in any case it was a brilliant lead by Doug. By now given how much thawing was going on we worked out that it was not the sun that was to blame and it had to be a higher freezing level for whatever reason.

Doug coming up the third pitch

From the Belay the crux looked wild. Almost vertical ice on a slab had merged with a vertical pillar traipsing down from an overhang. I was apprehensive as it was my lead. I had been climbing well these last weeks but the previous insecure pitches had left me feeling a bit strung out and this was harder than anything I had led before. It was however my turn and the ice looked very good and like it would take good screws. To round it all off switching out the precarious belay would have amounted to no end of hassle so I got my shit together and started getting the rack off Doug.

Doug leading the fourth pitch

Myself seconding the fourth pitch (Photo Doug B.)

The initial part of the pitch was a descending traverse across the steep crud I had just seconded up. I managed to get in a weak Bulldog and found enough good axe placements to eventually get me over onto better ice where I could also start heading up a bit while still trending further leftwards. I realised the ice I was now on was hollow underneath but provided I didn't kick it to shreds it held my weight without complaint. Traversing under a row of dripping icicles I ended up pretty saturated. Eventually I reached good ice and got a screw in. I traversed left into the bottom of the steep corner that forms the crux. The exposure and position were incredible. 250m of gully dropped impressively below me to to entry fan and frozen loch below.

Myself starting the crux section (photo Doug B.)

Inching up the corner and taking rests where I could I was soon forced out fully onto the near vertical slab. Placements were good however and I managed my feet as best I could to avoid getting pumped. As I inched up the wall placing screws as often as I could grab a semi rest until the angle finally eased slightly and I could give my arms a proper break. From here the angle relented more and more and I led out another 30m of rope over what would probably constitute a grade V pitch anywhere else. During this section both Doug and myself heard a strange high pitched noise. Initially I thought disconcertingly that it was the ice but it tuned out to be my camera. It had got wet thought my gore tex jacket and was having a bit of a wobbler. At the time of writing it still won't switch on but this is preferable to the ice collapsing underneath me! To finish off the pitch I had to excavate a mixed step out of bottomless powder before finding a belay half a pitch below the cornice. An astounding pitch.

On the crux section (photo Doug B.)

Getting there... (photo Doug B.)

Doug made it up to me in fine spirits as the weather was closing in. It had began to snow and the upper part of the route was getting blasted by occasional squalls loaded with spindrift. Doug led up through taking the cornice direct and cutting though it making a suitably aesthetic, if unnecessary, finish to an incredible route. Once on the plateau the weather was not so bad so we sorted gear before heading towards Central gully to inspect it as as descent route. There was small cornice which we broke and then downclimbed. Central gully holds some absolutely fantastic rock architecture much of which was draped in ice.

Descending Central Gully

We retraced our descent over the river and down the path to Glas Allt-Sheil. The snow and rain about us doing nothing to dampen our elation at climbing a route that at the start of the winter wasn't even on my radar of possible enterprises. We got back into the car park at around 1915 making for a glorious 14 hour day. Completing a route on the Dubh loch never disappoints.

Walking out in full winter conditions