Aonach Dubh, a lazy day out...

Our final day in Scotland and as we'd gone big the day before we were knackered. I still wanted to do something with it. After much discussion the night before we finalised plans to head to Aonach Dubh as it was pretty roadside, and near to the Clagaigh Pub for a drink afterwards. Ian had gone home so it was me, Stewie and Andy climbing together as Toaf and Rob went off to practise some navigation.

Aonach Dubh is a pretty easy crag to get to, but it had the hardest walk in of the week. This was set against the fact that I'd had a late start (slept in till 7) and had a cooked breakfast before we headed off! Our route choices for the day where "the Scream" (grade IV) and No.6 Gully (also grade IV). Technically the Scream was probably harder as it was a 75metre long icefall, but when we got there it didn't seem in condition at all so we headed for No.6 Gully. Stewie had put me in charge of party management (assuming his role of a responsibility dodging adult).

The walk in like I said was steep but a small price to pay. We where at the base of the route within the hour, talking to the two man team who had arrived before us. We where missing out the first pitch as it wasn't really in condition, but they'd started up it. We agree as we where a three and they were clearly going to climb miles faster than us that we'd let them lead off ahead of us, so as they scrabbled up an out of condition pitch, we walked round. We geared up as they took the first pitch allowing us time for some tea and food before we set off. Stewie would lead the first pitch, Andy the second and me the third (I'd nabbed the best ice pitch).

We decided to abseil the small slope to get to the base of the route. I say we, but what I mean was Stewie and Andy abseil off me (tied into my harness and braced against a rock) while I took photos and downclimbed/walked round. Stewie made short work of the first pitch, which involved some hollow sounding ice and a couple of big blocks coming down. We'd all stayed out the line of fire, so it was all good. He brought me and Andy up together while I took out the screws Andy concentrated on the climbing. Andy took the next pitch, a snow slope and mixed groove. He yelled he would try the left hand side, but we told him to take the right as that was the line of the route.

Andy faired fine on the right a grunted his way removing all the crud ice in the process. He stopped below a short steep icefall and belayed there. Once he's brought up me and Stewie I decided Stewie should take this short pitch and then I'll have the pitch afterwards. From this point it should have been only 3 pitches to the top now. Off Stewie went, worryingly close to Andy as he set off. I started wondered what would happen if he should fall off, then the ice started to dinner plate! I took up a posistion above Andy, trying to block as much ice as I could from falling on him seeing as he was doing something important... belaying. Stewie topped out eventually and we started on up, this time Andy climbing first leaving me to remove all the gear (again!).

Finally it was my pitch, a 30 metre high ice pitch (and then some snow, but I didn't know that then). So gear swapped, roped sorted and off I went. My last pitch of ice for the week and I enjoyed it. I took adventage of th screw holes left by other parties in the good ice and happily climbed on. I tried to minimise the amount of debris that got knocked off as Stewie and Andy where actually in the firing line this time. As I topped out of the ice, I hit a small patch of loose rock, all about half the size of a brick. Not something every nice to top out on, especially as it was all loose, but I yelled a warning and plodded off up the snow to belay in a groove.

Andy took the last pitch, again with a bit of yelling for direction. This was another mixed section with a bit of squirming around a large block. Stewie left me to deal with the gear. It had juts become my job for the day I guess. From there we (me and Stewie) walked off roped to Andy just in case we still need the ropes. We soon found out we didn't so we deroped, racked off and packed up ready for the short steep walk down.

For our last days climbing it was perfect, It was a short, easy (ish) and ended up in a good pub that sold 12 different ales. I mean, what more could you ask for?