Moving up to the next grade can feel like a daunting prospect, or sometimes an impossible leap. Much of the time the barrier is in our heads but there are also some practical steps you can take to reach the next level in your winter climbing. 

Protection

To get used to placing protection on harder climbs and in more difficult positions, when you are climbing at your current grade place protection in tricky places. You know you can climb at this grade and you can place protection in comfortable places. As well as this, stop on the steeper, trickier sections and place protection. Don’t power through the crux; instead stop half way through it and place an ice screw or a nut. This will give you practice in placing protection in more difficult places which is what it will feel like on the harder climb. Make sure you are relaxed and slick at placing the protection. If it does not work you can just carry on climbing like you would have done anyway.

In fact, even if you don’t place protection, stopping half way through the tricky section of your current grade is a good idea. Instead of powering through, rushing through the crux to easier ground above, slow down, stop and admire the view. You need confidence in what you are doing and being in the position you are in. If you are rushing though the crux you are not ready to move up a grade. If you are relaxed and confident enough to stop and soak up the atmosphere, to admire the view, you are ready to try a harder climb.
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You need to trust your protection and belay anchors. You might even need to do a hanging belay on the next grade of climb. So, practice and get confident in your anchors by leaning out on your anchors when you are belaying your buddy. This is a good idea anyway. You do not want any slack rope between you and your anchors if you are belaying off your harness so that there is no chance of a shock load on your anchors if your buddy falls off. So, kick out a nice ledge, stand tall and lean back on your anchors with confidence.

Research

Do your research. Winter climbs come in all shapes and sizes, styles and characters. Choose one that matches your strengths, whether it is ice, mixed or snowed up rock. Find out what it takes to be in optimum condition, where the pitches go, where to belay and where the crux is. Choose a popular climb which is well known, not an esoteric adventure that has only seen one ascent. Make sure it is well known so you can get the information you need and so you know the grade is accurate. You will also be able find out when it has been climbed recently which is quite a reassurance. Making the first ascent of an ice climb each winter is certainly more nerve-wracking than climbing it after many recent ascents.

Having said this, it can be tricky working out what kind of route each one is and therefore what the optimum conditions are. The information is much more available these days though and don’t be afraid to ask around. My guidebook "Winter Climbs: Ben Nevis and Glencoe" published by Cicerone puts every climb into a category so that you know what to expect. It also describes in detail what weather creates the chance of each style of climb coming into condition.

Snowed up rock climbs often come in to condition first each winter. These are solid rock climbs that just need a quick freeze along with rime and snow to make the rocks white. Savage Slit and Fallout Corner in the Northern Coires of Cairngorm, Slab Route on Ben Nevis, Scabbard Chimney and Crest Route on Stob Coire nan Lochan are all pretty good examples.

Mixed routes take a little longer to freeze up properly and should not be attempted until the turf is frozen solid. These routes are climbed on rimed up rock, frozen turf and bits of ice all mixed up together. Climbing mushy turf is very unpleasant and damages the turf for future ascents. Taliballan on Stob Coire an Laoigh in the Grey Coires, Western Chimney Route on Bidean nam Bian and Morwind on Aonach Mor are all good examples of turfy mixed climbs.

Some mixed climbs take a bit more frozen snow-ice to be at their best. Snow-ice is formed by snow on the route being warmed by a thaw so that it goes wet but does not melt away, then refreezing into solid, aerated ice that is brilliant to climb on. Thompson’s Route on Ben Nevis is just like this. It’s a wonderful icy mixed route with bits of snow-ice and bits of rock in a chimney that is a dream to climb when the snow-ice has built up but very tricky beforehand.

When the snow-ice has had more time to form and just the right combination of snowfall and thaw freeze cycles (often not until February or March) the West Coast classic ice climbs can be at their best. Orion Direct, Hadrian’s Wall Direct, Point Five Gully and Zero Gully are all climbs to aspire to once you are confident on grade V ice and you can climb 300m or 400m in a few short hours!

When we get a sharp cold snap there are ice climbs that form in natural drainage lines. Whole venues such as Beinn Udlaidh is a perfect example of a venue full of ice climbs that require a very good freeze of a week or two but very little snow or thaw freeze cycles. The climbs here are of strong but hard water ice that is secure to climb on (solid ice screws as well as ice axe placements) but steep and hard work to place your picks. Make sure you sharpen your picks and crampons before you go!

Some winter climbs are good in any conditions and it is well worth knowing about these. If you climb the same route in very different conditions you will learn about how the conditions change the climbing and the feel of the route. It might also give you some good climbing in marginal conditions or bad weather. North Buttress on Buachaille Etive Mor is a great example. The grade is much the same if it is just rimed up, buried on soft snow or if it has a line of ice in the chimney and it is always great fun. South West Ridge of Douglas Boulder on Ben Nevis has become a very popular climb recently for the same reasons. 

Experience

​Climb with climbers who are better than you. You will find it easier to move up a grade if you have seconded a few climbs at that grade and you know what it feels like. In fact, if you can get a buddy to lead you up a climb that you want to lead yourself you will have much more chance of success. Much of the difficulty in moving up a grade is psychological so take away the concerns over route finding, where to belay, what kind of protection to take with you as well as the climbing itself by climbing it with a stronger climbing buddy. Even though leading a route you have seconded makes it much easier to lead, you will still have the confidence of having lead at that grade which will carry you forward to your first onsight lead of that grade.

Serve an apprenticeship and move through the grades steadily. If you climb one grade IV route you are not automatically ready to climb a grade V. Even if you find the grade IV straight forward you should climb several more at that grade before moving up the grade. Experience is earned through spending time on lots of climbs in different locations, on different days and in different conditions. You learn how to deal with many, many different situations and these help you cope with new situations that you will undoubtedly face.
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“There is more to ice climbing than climbing ice”. In fact, the techniques of winter climbing are only a small part of climbing winter routes. Be prepared to build up a huge bank of experience by climbing lots and lots of routes. You will learn all sorts of tricks from other climbers, about dealing with the harsh weather, about how the weather affects the climbing conditions, about avalanche safety and navigation, and about how to cope with all the little (and some major) things that don’t go completely right every time!

System

Sort your system so that you stay warm and dry. We all have different preferences of gloves and clothes but a system that works well for you is essential. Any fool can be cold, hungry and dehydrated but all these will reduce your performance. Play around with different gloves and carry spares for when you get wet. Use a belay jacket, one between the two of you if you are swinging leads. A jacket that fits over your helmet, that does not pull out from under your harness and that does not hang over your harness covering up your gear makes a huge difference to your climbing.

Arrive at the start of the climb in a good state to climb. This means that you need to get fit in the autumn, you need to walk up at steady pace and you need to eat and drink on the way, and you should change into a dry base layer before you start.

Find food that is easy to eat on a belay ledge and something to drink in something you can drink from easily. If you can arrive at the foot of the crux pitch feeling warm, dry and well fed you will be in a much better position to climb it. The concept of marginal gains really makes sense to me in winter climbing. Making sure your zips are done up really can help you climb the next grade!

One reason is that we want to follow social norms. For example, if everyone else in a shared home is cleaning the dishes, you will do it too. If everyone else is just leaving their stuff, you won’t bother either.

Someone has to break the cycle and wash the dishes first. Nobody wants to be the person to stand out and do something by actually washing the dishes and asking everyone else to do the same, despite everyone wanting the system to change. But, once you've done it, everyone will be grateful.

You can be that person to break the silence about action on climate change and create a new social norm. Talk about climate change, take action and tell all your friends to do the same.

Remember:

• 89% of people around the world want more climate action but most think that few other people want the same.
• More than 99% of climate scientists believe that man made climate change is happening.

There are many excuses for not acting on climate change. Here are some that I have heard and some responses that you might like to try.

Change needs to come from the top down. There’s no point in making lifestyle changes.

In some ways this is correct. Only governments can change policy on energy production, environmental protection, taxation on aviation, licences for new oil fields etc. There are a lot of things that need to happen that we can’t directly make happen. So when we vote in elections it’s important to learn what each candidate is promising to do for the climate so that we can prioritise this in our decision making.

We also need to tell our government to do the right thing. Despite about 85% of people around the world wanting more to be done for the climate, politicians often find other things to be more important and fail to take the actions we need. 

But, we all need to make some lifestyle changes so which would you prefer? For lifestyle changes to be imposed by those in authority or for you to tell those in authority and everyone else what they should be doing? Neither one is ideal. On the one hand we don’t want to be told what to do with no say in it. And on the other hand, few of us want to do research into what’s effective and become campaigners for climate action. Actually what’s needed is both of these at the same time.

People-power is incredibly persuasive. As consumers we can be very effective at changing what is being offered to us. As an example, if more people buy electric cars, manufacturers will build more electric cars and EV charging infrastructure will be installed more quickly. Also, we’re all micro influencers. We can talk with all our friends and colleagues about driving an EV and encourage them to do so too.
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Plus, it’s very easy to write to your MP. Contact details are easy to find online and you can send an email or go to one of their surgeries and speak with them face to face. If we campaign for change it can happen quickly.

China is emitting so much greenhouse gas that it's pointless for us to change anything.

In the last few decades China successfully raised millions of people out of poverty, which is an amazing achievement. And it’s true that they did much of it with coal. But they are now leading the world in renewable energy production and manufacture of renewable energy infrastructure like wind turbines and solar panels. China’s total emissions have declined in the last year despite strong economic growth.

China now leads the world in wind and solar energy production, with twice as much capacity under construction as the rest of the world combined. Between March 2023 and March 2024, China installed more solar than it had in the previous three years combined, and more than the rest of the world combined for 2023. 

But comparing emissions of countries is not very helpful because of the different sizes of the countries. It would be pointless to say that an apartment block uses more electricity than a bungalow. Instead we need to compare emissions per person. Each person living in the USA and Canada emits far more than each person in China. USA and Canada’s emissions have been dropping over the last few years and it looks like China’s will drop as well.

China has a long way to go but is now moving in the right direction at a very fast pace.

We're such a small country it's just vanity signalling. Our impact on the planet is tiny compared to big countries.

Yes, UK emissions are small on a global scale but in many ways we're leading the world by showing responsibility and by developing technology that other countries can use instead of coal. Renewable energy production is now far cheaper than coal.

We are responsible for much of the historic emissions over the last 180 years so we have more responsibility to show leadership in changing to sustainable practices.
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There’s also nothing much to lose by making the changes necessary. If we do it right we will have better quality houses, cleaner air, cheaper electricity, greater biodiversity and many other benefits.

The climate has always gone in cycles.

More than 99% of climate scientists agree that man-made climate change is happening and current global warming is not part of a natural cycle. 

Milankovitch Cycles take place over time spans of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years and are due to slight changes in the earth’s orbit and tilt along its axis.  In just the last 800,000 years the earth has been through eight cycles of ice ages and warmer periods. These can be attributed to Milankovitch cycles.
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The current warming is different and is clearly the result of human activities over the last 180 years due to greenhouse gasses released by us. The effect of carbon dioxide trapping heat in our atmosphere was first demonstrated in the mid 1800s.

We're stuffed anyway, it's too late.

It’s not surprising that many of us feel pretty despondent. We are being bombarded with news stories and images of the impacts of climate change but never with any positive actions that we can take to do something about it. We also think that few other people care about the climate.

However studies have shown that about 89% of people around the world do want more action to be taken to address climate change. Politicians still don't understand this and are heavily influenced by very large corporations that actively push against climate action. 

We are very close to triggering social-tipping dynamics. A concerted effort to correct these misperceptions could be a powerful intervention, yielding large, positive effects. Instead of following social norms towards inaction, we can unlock potent, self-reinforcing feedback cycles that drive people towards taking action for the climate.

Positive changes are happening. Worldwide GHG emissions per person are reducing. The USA has reduced its GHG emissions by 22%. Renewable energy production is now cheaper than fossil fuels. Technology is moving very fast and becoming far cheaper. The cost of solar EV cells and electric batteries for vehicles have dropped by 95%.

Change can happen very quickly. Do you remember we had a big problem with holes in the ozone layer? You don’t hear about it any more because we changed the things we needed to in order to repair the ozone layer.
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So, what do we need to do?

• eat less meat
• fly less
• tell people you want action to be taken for the climate, especially your MP
• donate to very highly effective charities such as Clean Air Task Force that can change government policy

There is no doubt that winters in Scotland are changing. As a result, walkers and climbers will need to shift expectations of what winter is. Ten years ago we could assume that there would be a general cover of snow sufficient to be able to walk over to practice winter walking skills with ice axes and crampons, even in poor weather. We would be able to count on classic routes like Tower Ridge to hold enough snow to feel “wintry” even in the rain.

A study published in 2023 by Leeds University says the Scottish Highlands has seen an increase in mean minimum and maximum temperatures over the past century and a 45-year-long study in the mountains of the Scottish Highlands linked a reduction in winter and spring snow cover duration over this period to an increase in mean temperature. Climate models forecast a continued warming trend and further reductions in snow cover. 

Of course there have been very wide variations year by year, but the overall trend is clear. Data from SAIS collected over the last 18 years show huge variations in temperature and snowfall. Last winter was slightly warmer and we had slightly less snowfall, resulting in much less snow cover.

What does this mean for walkers and climbers?

Finding good snow cover, winter climbing and amenable weather has always been a lottery in Scotland. Nothing has ever been guaranteed and we have always worked with an attitude of making the most of what we’re given. Sometimes it all comes together and we get to enjoy the most fantastic climbing in the world. Much of the time we have a bit of a battle to find something that feels wintry and is enjoyable, even if it is sometimes only enjoyable after getting down and showered! We have always had days when getting onto snow and ice has been impossible.
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In future winters, we will be even less certain to find snow and ice. But it’s still winter in Scotland and there is lots to enjoy.

Does this mean we shouldn’t bother?

Not at all! Walking and climbing in winter in Scotland has never been entirely dependent on having snow and ice on the ground. What many think of as winter skills - using crampons and ice axes - form one small part of the complete set of winter skills we have always required. Route planning and avalanche avoidance, what to wear and what to carry, how to stay warm and comfortable (enough) to enjoy the day, navigation and route finding are all essential skills to develop and these can be learned and practiced with or without snow.

In many ways, a weekend of blue skies, sub-zero summit temperatures and good snow cover will not prepare you for the inevitable wet and windy days that you will come across on future trips. We have delivered many winter skills courses in delightful weather which we have ended by saying that, as nice as it was, these days have not been good preparation for what you will face next time you are out by yourself.
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Unless you live here and can pick out just the nice days to go climbing or walking, planning a trip has always included a lot of uncertainty. With some perseverance to make the most of the tough weather and keep enthusiasm levels high, you will eventually enjoy some really good weather and conditions. If you don’t try, you will never get to enjoy the good days.

Our promise to you.

Last winter included many excellent days for climbing and walking and on these days it was easy to deliver something that our guests wanted. There were also very many days that fell below expectations or aspirations of snow cover and climbing conditions.

We will always try our best to make the most of the weather and snow and ice conditions that we have at the time. We will always find some useful training or interesting routes to try in bad weather to nudge along your experience and skills a step further. We’re very grateful to all our guests who embrace the challenge of the weather in order to learn and develop their skills. It might not be exactly what you expected but we can’t change the weather and there is always something new to learn.

Stopping for a rest can be a dangerous thing to do. It gives you the chance to look around, see where you are and fully appreciate the seriousness of the place. When you are scrambling, focusing on hand and boot placements on the moderate ground, everything is OK. As soon as you stop and look where you are, the sense of place can be overwhelming.

Ledge Route is the modest name for this most outstanding route, a simple Grade 2/3 scramble, rising 400m over its 800m length. What sets it out from all other scrambles is where it is, finding a way through the seemingly impenetrable cliffs of the North Face of Ben Nevis, in amongst the finest and grandest of mountains in the UK.

The ridges and gullies, the buttresses and chimneys of the North Face stretch across 2.5km in a straight line but many, many times more than this if you could pull them open, like a concertina, to reveal their full extent. Rising up to 500m high in a continuous sweep of rock directly to the summit, they look impossible to breach. Through this intimidating wall climbs a single, reasonable route. Ledge Route requires nothing more than scrambling skills, a good head for exposure, and the ability to find the route. But, being surrounded by such grandeur and history makes this scramble feel far more impressive than the rock beneath your boots.

​Walking up the Allt a’Mhuilinn towards the CIC Hut, the mountaineering hut safely tucked in underneath the North Face, the cliffs unfold above you with more and more complexity and detail. What you thought was a big, impressive cliff at the start turns into an even bigger and more impressive series of cliffs and gullies as you get closer.

The most impressive single chunk of rock, just above the hut, is Carn Dearg Buttress, 200m of vertical rock full of overhangs and deep chimneys. Ledge Route climbs this! Of course, it doesn’t go straight up, this is the reserve of the rock climber. Instead, Ledge Route enters the depths of Number Five Gully to the left of the buttress, and finds a series of ledges up the edge of the buttress. Number Five Gully is often full of snow right into July after funnelling the winter snows to its base. Squeezing between the snow and the rock walls of the gully for 50m reveals the first of the ledges, a terrace leading out right through the edge of the buttress.

Immediately, the exposure is incredible and it is here that you find the crux of the route. A slab of rock, set at a very easy angle, but smooth with few helpful holds and often wet, drops away to what is already a very long way down. It is only 10m long, but it can be enough to stop upward progress. It is here that a rope might give the confidence required to climb the slab, but remember, someone needs to climb it first to put the rope in place.

​The ledge continues but soon reaches vertical rock and impossible ground; turn left and climb easily up an open gully to some boulders on a shoulder looking into Number Five Gully. Easier ground now heads back up right to the top of Carn Dearg Buttress, past a bizarre top-heavy tower, to the finest picnic spot on Ben Nevis. While you take a break and catch your breath look between your feet to the path 400 below.

The route now changes character, from the series of zig-zag ledges outflanking the steepest of ground, to a narrow ridge leading all the way to the top. At its narrowest you’ll have your hands on the crest and your feet shuffling along just below, but mostly it is a wide, blocky crest giving you the chance to admire the North Face scenery on both sides.

Over to the left, in Number Five Gully, grow some of the rarest wild flowers found in the UK. Arctic mouse ear and several saxifrages found only on the highest peaks in the country grow here. Keep your eyes open on the first ledge of Ledge Route for globe flowers (giant buttercups!), alpine meadow rue and dwarf cudweed, sibaldia and roseroot. The first recorded ascent of Ben Nevis was made by a botanist and the plants growing here are still being studied.

​The crest of Ledge Route leads finally to the summit of Carn Dearg, the northerly top of Ben Nevis. Looking across to the summit and resting before the half hour walk over the plateau, consider the volcanic origin of the rocks. The andesite and rhyolite of the North Face cliffs are what remains of a huge area of volcanic rocks put down 430 million years ago, all of which have eroded away apart from the summit of Ben Nevis.

To top off the day, if you have the legs for it, go around the Carn Mor Dearg Arete and down to the North Face car park, to have the chance to admire the route you came up. There is a great satisfaction in seeing a route after having completed it, reliving the experience and fully appreciating the grandeur of the setting. 

Ledge Route, Ben Nevis
A brilliant scramble through the finest of mountain scenery.

How hard is it? 
Grade 2/3 scramble, often completed without a rope, but with exposed and tenuous moves on the crux slab. The scrambling mostly requires confidence rather than climbing ability.

What skills and experience do you need?
Hill walkers with experience of exposed routes such as Carn Mor Dearg Arete or Crib Goch will find Ledge Route as the next step up. Route finding skills are crucial. Although most people do not use a rope on a dry day in good conditions, having a rope and knowing how to use it for a simple pitch would be a good plan.

Guidebook: Highland Scrambles South (SMC). Scotland’s Mountain Ridges (Dan Bailey – Cicerone).

Much has been written about the Cuillin on Skye. They are unique, set apart and a step up from everything else in UK mountains. Their rocky nature is daunting and inspiring in equal measures and rising out of the sea with only islands and the open ocean to see out west adds another wonderful dimension to the experience of climbing the peaks.

There are eleven munros in the main ridge of the Cuillin and you can often reach all of these summits in four single days based in the glen. A complete ridge traverse is one of the finest mountaineering objectives in the world but it is incredibly intense and not for everyone. Climbing all eleven munros in single day trips is more achievable for most people and just as rewarding.

​Here is how the four days can work out.

Day 1. Sgurr nan Eag, Sgurr Dubh Mor and Sgurr Alasdair
Day 2. Sgurr Mhic Choinnich, Inaccessible Pinnacle and Sgurr na Banachdich
Day 3. Sgurr a' Mhadaidh and Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh
​Day 4. Sgurr nan Gillean, Am Basteir and Bruach na Frithe

Day 2. Sgurr Mhic Choinnich, Inaccessible Pinnacle and Sgurr na Banachdich

​There is no need or desie to go up the An Stac screes to reach Sgurr Mhic Choinnich from Coire Laggan. Just after the lochan in Coire Laggan you can go up grass and fairly solid ground to find a slight path on the left side of the screes. This allows a simple climb on far more pleasant ground to reach the crest of the ridge at the foot of the east ridge of An Stac. The crest is then followed to Sgurr Mhic Choinnich up grade 2 scrambling, normally to the right of the crest but more on th eleft side in the last few sections. Sgurr Mhic Choinnich is a brilliantly exposed wee summit from which you can admire the full drama of Coire Laggan.

Return back along the ridge to climb An Stac directly on the crest (intimidating but surprisingly straightforward despite the not quite solid rock) or follow the brown bypass on the left directly to the foot of The Inaccessible Pinnacle. This is, of course, the hardest of the Cuillin munros and in fact the hardest of them all. Its grade Moderate climbing hides the incredibly exposed position; the experience is far greater than the grade would suggest. 40m of rope is required to abseil off the short side.

From Sgurr Dearg it is a simple walk with only occasional touches with hands to reach Sgurr na Banachdich. It's actually quite nice to be able to move at a faster and more flowing pace over easier ground, compared to the more technical and therefore slower scrambling. From the summit you descend west down easy slopes into the small Coire an Eich to join the path leading to the Youth Hostel.

Day 3. Sgurr a' Mhadaidh and Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh

This is a shorter and easier day so if you get a bit of slightly worse weather go for this one, but stream crossings are a real problem after very wet weather. Start at the Youth Hostel and follow the good path for a long way all the way towards An Dorus. Many waterslides and waterfalls decorate this walk into beautiful corries full of gorges and flowers. Follow the path up scree towards An Dorus but leave this about 100m below the top to find a shelf on the left. This leads to easy slopes past bivi spots to the simple route up Sgurr a' Mhadaidh.

Descend the same way but head directly to An Dorus. There is a tricky step down into An Dorus and another bigger step out of An Dorus on the other side. Simple terrain leads over a slight bump before you pass to the left (east) side of Eag Dubh, a black, deep chimney. Meander up the ridge and to the right of The Wart, a massive lump of gabbro stuck close to the summit. There's a short section of ridge to enjoy before reaching the summit of Sgurr a' Ghreadaidh.

Return the same way to An Dorus which requires you to climb down its awkward step, then follow the gully and path all the way back down to the Youth Hostel.

So, there you go, eleven munros in four days. Breaking them down into these routes creates four fairly even sized days that are all manageable for most people. In dry weather and if you are moving well you can complete all the munros in three days by joining the 2nd and 3rd days together, or by including Sgurr Mhic Choinnich into the first day via Collies Ledge  and going from The Inaccessible Pinnacle to Sgurr a' Mhadaidh on the second day.

But there is great value in exploring the corries in the sides of the main ridge and enjoying the views and scenery on the walks in and out each day. It's a wonderful place - why rush it?

​Senja is the second largest island in Norway and sits on the west coast a long way north of the Arctic Circle. Its highest peak is just over 1000m but the peaks rise straight out of the sea in fantastically jaggy formations that would fit the Lord of the Rings perfectly. Many people know it as a destination for ski mountaineering, ice climbing and mountaineering but in a slightly mythical way. It is a dreamscape that we know we want to go to experience but one that we can’t quite grasp. Even when you get there, it doesn’t seem real.

Having arrived in a snow storm, day one was always going to be about working out the lay of the land and calibration. There is little information available anywhere and our few ideas soon went out of the window when we started looking around. 

Despite its location in the far north, Senja is not immune to global changes in climate and climbing conditions. Three times in the winter of 2025, sea level temperatures rose to +8C and the snow cover and ice routes were badly affected. One of these periods of thaw occurred just before we arrived so the regular ice climbs we were hoping to find were not there. 

​By 1pm on day one and still having not climbed anything, Daniel, Lauren and I decided to try Chockstone Gully in Ersfjord, a climb next to Big Blue which was forming again after the melt but still looked too thin. Chockstone Gully was nice after the first pitch which was a mixture of snow and cruddy, layered ice. Many years of climbing ice in Scotland give you the confidence to climb less than perfect ice, a skill that was tested on every climb we did! But, we were up and running, we climbed an ice route in Senja!

​It’s common to need to make your own decisions and work out how it all works by yourself in Senja. On day two we climbed a route that overlooks Senjahopen that you can see from the road. This is all the information we had; what we could see from the road! Of course the first pitch turned into 40m of laminated, thin ice on smooth rocks that gave me two ice screws on the whole pitch. Pitch two was brilliant! Pitch three was a link up of new ice and pieces of old ice through steep rocks to the snow slopes above. We managed to walk down an unknown ridge, weaving a route between steep rocks and scrubby trees.

Then it rained up to 500m so we took a rest day.

​Our third day of climbing was on a mixed route that was reminiscent of mixed climbing in Scotland. It is called The Trolls, The Trolls and was first climbed by Rich Cross who was a real pioneer of climbing in Senja. He spotted the adventurous nature of the climbing here and was keen to put his extensive Scottish experience to good use. Rich made the first ascent of many amazing climbs in Senja and was good enough to send me the information before our trip. 

The Trolls, The Trolls climbs steepening moss filled rocky grooves for four pitches before it reaches a major chockstone. This gives a punchy crux with wild moves swinging out around the chockstone, above a very impressive drop. Mixed climbing on turf, frozen moss and rock is a completely different style of climbing to the ice climbing we were used to, and it felt pretty tough, especially with the cold wind blowing the heavy showers of hail up into our faces at all the wrong moments. Determined to finish, we topped out as the sun was setting, bathing our descent in a warm glow that we could only enjoy in between more blasts of snow and hail in our faces!

​Back on the ice for day four of climbing we went to Even Bigger Blue, which, as you’d expect, is an enormous sheet of ice in Ersfjord that would have a dozen different lines described on it if it was anywhere else. In Senja, we just knew it was about WI4 or WI5 and the rest we had to work out for ourselves. 

We made two pitches up easy snow climbing to get to the ice, then two pitches up good ice to get to the main event. We chose what looked like the fattest ice and were rewarded with fabulous ice in a wonderful position, looking across the beach at Okshornen (sometimes called the Devil’s Teeth).

​After another rest day we were ready to take on one of the bigger climbs, Hesten Islinja. This tops out at 700m but feels like a big mountain route. The approach is steep and avalanche prone, the climb is enormous in very impressive terrain and we needed to abseil the entire 400m climb because of the avalanche conditions on the regular walk off. The common theme of layered, delicate ice continued on the second pitch but, after that, it was all good to the top. What a fabulous climb!

​Our last day of climbing coincided with rain and another thaw forecast to arrive midday. We played it safe and went to experience one of Senja’s wild, narrow ridge mountaineering routes. Bent Vidar Eilertson is the local mountain guide who knows all the routes and has all the information. We were very grateful to him for sharing some of his knowledge, and in particular the details of this brilliant alpine route on Hatten. 

There was something peculiarly nervewracking about being on this incredibly narrow ridge. Most ridges have jagged rocks to hold onto and thread the rope through, but this one was smooth and clean with nothing but balance stopping us from taking the ride down the side. 

We made our summit before the rain and made good use of the occasional bolts placed by Bent to get down as the rain came in. This was the Senja I wanted to see on this trip and I was so grateful to get to explore one of these impossible looking ridges before we had to go home. We descended rock and frozen turf all the way to sea level, arriving on the dunes behind the sandy beach still in our crampons.

​Bent, the local mountain guide, is in a dilemma. He has all the climbing information in a big folder which he is happy to share with visiting climbers once they are in Senja. He is considering putting it together and publishing it as a guidebook and this is his dilemma. Should he give the world his unique knowledge and make it easier for climbers to come and experience this unique place, or should he try to maintain the uniqueness of the place by letting every visiting climber work it out for themselves, maintaining the adventurous spirit of the place?

There’s no doubt that climbing in Senja is pretty wild; it’s everything I was hoping for and more. It’s hard, exciting, scary, brilliant and testing; exactly what climbing should be.

Relative impact of lifestyle choices compared to donating to effective climate charities (Source: Founders Pledge Climate and Lifestyle Report)

However, not all charities are created equal and some are much more effective than others. In order to find the most impactful donation opportunities - it’s recommended to follow the advice of independent charity evaluators. For climate change, Giving Green is the gold standard charity evaluator. They spend thousands of hours each year rigorously evaluating which charities make the biggest difference and then curating a list of the most effective ones to support. Their 2025 recommendations include organisations such as Clean Air Task Force and the Good Food Institute, which focus on policy and technological innovations to reduce emissions across entire industries.

• Clean Air Task Force played a key role in advocating for the EU’s methane regulations, which could reduce global oil and gas emissions by 30% [11]. They are also pioneering the advancement of next generation geothermal energy (also known as super hot rock geothermal energy) which could account for as much as 15% of our electricity generation by 2050 [12]
• Good Food Institute supports research and policy changes to accelerate plant-based and lab-grown meat alternatives. A shift to alternative proteins could eliminate as much greenhouse gas as the entire aviation sector emits annually [13].

Act for our glaciers

If you want to take action for our glaciers, here are the most effective steps you can take:

• Make impactful lifestyle changes. For example, consider taking the train instead of flying the next time you visit the Alps.
• Vote for climate-forward policies. Support parties that advocate for ambitious climate action.
• Influence your workplace. Encourage pro-climate choices within your organization.
• Spread awareness. Share this article with friends to amplify effective climate action.
• Donate to the most effective climate charities. Your contribution can drive systemic change far beyond individual efforts.

Conclusion

The Alps are experiencing climate change at an accelerated pace, with rising temperatures, glacial retreat, biodiversity loss, and increased rockfall making their mark on these beloved landscapes. While personal lifestyle changes can contribute to a more sustainable future, the most effective actions involve systemic interventions—advocating for policy change, supporting cutting-edge climate solutions, and funding organizations that drive large-scale impact.
For those who live, work, and find inspiration in the mountains, the urgency is clear. The question is not whether we should act, but how we can act in the most effective way possible.
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By Jennifer Stretton, International Mountain Leader and co-founder of Mieux Donner

So far, the winter of 2024/25 has been a bit on/off. It is not shaping up to be a classic winter. In fact it is a concerning indication of what our future winters might be like as the climate changes and we experience different weather here on the west coast of Scotland.

Since November we have enjoyed periods of settled, cold weather with some great mixed climbing conditions. Rime on the rocks, freezing on the tops and very dry air have combined to give us really nice days for mixed climbing. Luckily we have had enough snow at the right times to make things wintry enough to feel good.

We have been lucky enough to climb routes like Turf War (V,6) on Douglas Boulder, Neanderthal (VII,7), Gargoyle Wall (VI,6), North Buttress on Buachaille Etive Mor (IV,4) and Tower Ridge (IV,3) on lovely days with amazing views and everything you want from Scotland in winter.

In between these nice periods of weather and climbing, we have had very intense thaws with a lot of rain that has melted away the majority of our snow each time. Another of these thaw periods has been with us over the last four days and we have lost much of the snow we have beforehand. This has been a characteristic of the last few winters, that the thaws have been too intense for the snow to build up and transform into snow-ice.

The ideal combination is a cycle of fresh snow, a thaw and rain that is enough to make all the snow wet, then a refreeze to solidify the snow and turn it into snow-ice. We have had too little snow and too much rain for the cycles to build snow-ice. We have had virtually no snow-ice climbing all winter so far.

Reliable classic routes like Green Gully, Comb Gully, Point Five Gully and Central Gully in Creag Coire na Ciste, all on Ben Nevis, have not been climbed this winter.

Over the last four days we have had over 100mm of rain in Glen Nevis and the temperature on the summit of Ben Nevis has been above zero for much of that time. To put this into context, that amount of precipitation falling as snow on the summit would have been 1metre in depth.

At this point in the winter we would normally expect Tower Ridge to be pretty well covered but right now the Fallen Block Chimney is not covered over and we are climbing underneath the block like we do in summer. There are rocks showing in Number Four Gully which more commonly has a metre or two depth of snow blown in by now. And the scree slopes in the corries are still only half covered in snow.

This all sounds very depressing and in some ways it is. But the west coast of Scotland is an amazing place full of all sorts of challenging adventures. We might have to adapt and change our aspirations as the winters change over the coming years, and we will certainly be ready to jump at the chance of some classic ice climbing. There is no doubt that there will be times when the big routes are great to climb. 

We believe that spending time in our beautiful mountains, immersed in nature, challenging yourself physically and mentally, is fundamentally good for us all. We can find some breathing space, escape everyday stress and feel the restorative effect of nature whatever snow cover and climbing conditions we are presented with.

We are incredibly grateful to our guests who have endured the worst of weather; those who have got soaked to the skin, dried out overnight and who are ready and keen for another day of the same the following day! There is good learning to do in tough conditions, working out what gear works and what you can put up with and still be able to think and to function. And all the bad weather days make the good weather days seem even more sweet!

The winters might be changing but the commitment to get out and have fun does not change!

PS If you want to know about effective actions you can take to help us all reduce our impact on the planet take a read here.

A significant thaw in the last week of 2024 gave way to much colder weather on 1st January 2025. The thaw had melted away just about all the older snow and there was a lot of rain at all levels. Here on the west coast we have not had a huge amount of snow over the last ten days but there's about 20cm to 30cm general cover higher up and the snow is down to sea level with summit temperatures around -8C.

So, the snow is dry, soft and fluffy because it has not been warmed up and refrozen. There is no base layer of snow - instead the soft snow is sitting on rocks and rubble in most places. Turf and the ground everywhere is pretty well frozen and water courses are freezing up creating cascade ice in streams and on some climbs.

Our chief guide Mike was climbing with Chrissy and Steven this week, teaching climbing skills so that they can go and enjoy climbing independently. They started out by climbing the East Ridge of North Buttress on Stob Ban, a grade II/III that is open to much variation and a turfy mixed climb that suited the conditions very well. There is a choice of pitches low down offering grade III climbing with quite technical short steps interspersed by turfy terraces with the chance to practice a variety of placements of anchors for belays.

Higher up the ridge narrows and becomes a fabulous rocky arete in a fantastic position. Mike led the first four pitches before Chrissy and Steven took over to lead themselves up the remaining five pitches. The descent is a grade I climb down the North Ridge of Stob Ban before a quick and efficient walk down to the Lower Falls in Glen Nevis.

Wednesday was a stunning day after a hard frost with lots of sunshine and amazing views. Chrissy and Steven led themselves up Curved Ridge on Buachaille Etive Mor with supervision from Mike all the way. There is a mixture of pitched climbing and moving together alpine style on Curved Ridge, so this is a great route to practice both rope techniques as well as more protection placements, belays and route choice.

When it is as cold as this, lots of ice forms on the approach and in the lower sections of the route. This gave us the chance to try a small grade III pitch of ice climbing on the way to Curved Ridge, as well as placing some ice screws.

​Great Gully is forming ice really quickly and by now it is likely to offer many pitches of fun grade III ice climbing.

Yesterday we went for Tower Ridge on Ben Nevis. Since there has been no transformation of the fluffy snow into useful snow-ice, it was slow going and footery. But there was no boot trail and it was a proper, cold, winter day so it was amazing! The Fallen Block Chimney has very little snow in it so we went underneath the block, and the Eastern Traverse is very simple because it has not been banked out with snow. The crux pitches up The Great Tower and Tower Gap are as fiddley as ever though!

In the current conditions, the best climbing on Ben Nevis (and in most other places) is on steep mixed climbs. Routes such as Gargoyle Wall, Darth Vader, Babylon, Lost The Place have all been climbed recently as well as Centurion on Carn Dearg Buttress by a very strong team of young climbers who spent something like 18 hours climbing, finishing at 3am! Well done team, amazing climbing and I look forward to seeing the images.

The great ridges like Tower Ridge and Castle Ridge, NE |Buttress and Observatory Ridge are fun but slow going with the soft snow on rocks. With no snow-ice at all the gullies such as Green Gully, Comb Gully, Point Five Gully and Zero Gully have nothing in them worth climbing at all. The big snow gullies have some soft snow in them but it is sitting on rubble and rocks, so they are no fun at all right now. There is ice forming fast in drainage lines such as Waterfall Gully, Gemini, Compression Cracks and The Curtain, and there is ice on the Carn Dearg Buttress Cascades close to the CIC Hut which means that there is ice at Beinn Udlaidh, Bridge of Orchy and on the West Face of Aonach Mor. 

We have a couple more good days of weather before the temperature starts to rise on Sunday. Next week looks warmer and wetter. Hopefully it will not melt away all the snow we have currently!

Glen Coe has a long tradition of hard mixed climbing. Think of Hamish MacInnes and Chris Bonnington in 1953 climbing Agag's Groove (VI,7), Raven's Gully (V,6) and Crowberry Ridge Direct (VII,6) before front point crampons and leashless technical ice axes had even been thought of. These climbs have lost none of their respect since their first ascents over fifty years ago. Currently on Stob Coire nan Lochan, there are four routes graded IX,9 (Satyr, Scansor, Year of the Horse and Eggäschpili) and one of X,9 (The Tempest). Glen Coe remains a destination of choice for mixed climbing.

For those of us who can only dream of reaching these grades, there is also the full range of grades of mixed climbs in Glen Coe. They all involve a long mountaineering day; this is not winter cragging. Approaches are usually steep, reflecting the steep sided nature of the glen. The rock is predominantly rhyolite with nice positive edges and spikes and it is worth reading up on the geology so you have something to wonder at when standing on belay ledges.

The topography of Glen Coe crags is particularly complex too and it will take a few trips to learn your way around. Avalanche hazard can be difficult to assess due to cross loading for the same reason but this is less of a problem at the start of the season before the snow has built up.

All of the routes described are good early season mixed climbs since most of them are climbed just on rock. 

Aonach Eagach

My first winter route in Glen Coe was the Aonach Eagach and it blew me away. I had no idea what to expect so it was all a brilliant surprise for me. It is at its best when it has been buried in snow by a recent storm and its grade can vary between about II and III. Make sure you do it on a clear day; the views in all directions, including downwards, are breathtaking. When it is like this it is one of the best mountain experiences in the UK.
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The Aonach Eagach is a mountaineering route with a big walk in, several hours spent traversing the ridge and a good couple of hours more to descend. The best route zigzags along little ledges close to the crest all the way. It goes up and down many pinnacles so the climbing is complex and delicate with several sections of airy down-climbing. Good route finding skills and the ability to change quickly from one rope technique to another are essential. By necessity, you will learn how to move efficiently over all sorts of mixed terrain. Do it with one ice axe to develop precision and confidence with your cramponing on snowed up rock.

Buachaille Etive Mor

The sense of open space on any climb on Stob Dearg, the northern summit of Buachaille Etive Mor, is immense. The crags drop away to the huge expanse of Rannoch Moor below, and wrap themselves around the sides of the mountain. The climbs are surrounded by nothing but thin air and the distant views of far away peaks. Paradoxically, many of the climbs are very well sheltered from the wind. Curved Ridge in particular is well known for being a good choice in a westerly gale and an excellent introduction to Glen Coe mixed climbs. North Buttress is another well known “banker” of a climb which is possible in any winter conditions. Descent from these routes is down Coire na Tulaich if the snow is stable. However several major avalanche accidents have happened here and a descent down the broad ridge bounding the west side of the coire is often a much more secure descent.

Curved Ridge III,3

Many people fall into the trap of thinking that Curved Ridge must be easy to find because it is a very popular climb. Unfortunately, this is not the case. If you follow the path and the boot prints in the snow from Lagangarbh past The Waterslide and up the scree you will see a quite distinct ridge. This is not Curved Ridge (it is D Gully Buttress, another great climb but a whole grade harder). Curved Ridge is found by scrambling away up to the right over a wee waterfall and into Crowberry Basin, a well known avalanche trap. Even from here, the ridge does not stand out well but after climbing the first pitch out of the top left corner of Crowberry Basin the route becomes obvious.

The climb is relatively friendly with harder sections of a pitch in length, separated by sections of easier ground that should be tackled by moving together on a shorter length of rope. The rhyolite rock is particularly helpful and much of the protection comes from nice small spikes. A rack of nuts and slings is all that is required. The crux corner has very nice torques in the corner crack and a bomber thread on the left. Despite the friendly layout of the ridge, do not be too relaxed. It is a long climb with plenty of ground to cover and a finish right on the superb summit of Stob Dearg. Hopefully you will get to enjoy the panorama from the summit, it’s a wonderful place.

North Buttress IV,4

This is one of those routes that is nearly always possible. It is also a brilliant climb for learning hooks and torques with ice axes and for standing on small edges on your front points. It’s been said you just need to reach up and your pick will fall into a hook or torque by itself. It might not feel like this first time but the hooks are really quite positive when you find them. In fact it is just a brilliant climb with four very interesting pitches straight up a continuous line of weakness in the buttress. The approach is a complicated scramble and the exit to the summit is potentially time consuming as well. Start early!

The descent is the same as for Curved Ridge but if the weather or time is against you a descent by abseil is quite simple. The route goes straight up a chimney and the belay anchors are nearly all big spiky blocks.

Shelf Route IV,6

Shelf Route follows a line of chimneys up the north west side of Crowberry Tower. Like many climbs in Glen Coe, the approach is quite tricky. Head up as for North Buttress so you get a view of the route before crossing Crowberry Gully. A short traverse leads out of Crowberry Gully round to a bay below the two chimneys of Raeburn’s Route and Shelf Route. Start up the left chimney (Naismith’s Route) before going across to Shelf Route.

Simple sections of snow link short steep sections which look quite intimidating and can prove tricky. Being a chimney though, the key is to keep looking behind you to find footholds for bridging. The entry into the last pitch involves a bold couple of steps then a well protected tricky step right. Fun sustained mixed climbing leads to the top of the climb. Of course this is not the top of the mountain though. Crowberry Tower is still another 100m of climbing away and the summit beyond that. 

This is a great route to try the technical grade of 6 but in the relatively friendly setting of a grade IV climb.

Bidean nam Bian

The highest crags in Glen Coe, Church Door Buttress and Bishop's Buttress on Bidean nam Bian, face north west and are visible from the road. They rime up and freeze quite quickly being exposed to the wind straight in from the sea. The best way to get there is next to the stream at the side of Achnambeithach farm and to follow the line of an old fence all the way in to the coire. It is a long pull up to the buttress but the scenery is spectacular and quite distracting. Church Door Buttress is a maze of tunnels, chock stones, chimneys and a great arch which forms the church door. It is quite possible to get lost under ground, behind the buttress.

West Chimney V,7 Church Door Buttress

This prominent line of chimneys used to have a cave and a through route requiring a bit of tunneling. A few blocks have moved though and this is no longer possible. Simply climb the chimney around and over the chock stones in the chimney to large stances in between. The crux is a short, well protected but powerful couple of moves - hard but not very long at all. It is classic, chimney climbing mostly on rock but with a little turf and ice mixed in as well.

Many climbs on this buttress reach the great arch and this route is one of them. Walk over the arch and make sure to peer down the hole behind it. If you want a quick and very exciting descent, a 60m abseil from the arch itself get’s you to the foot of the crag in Central Gully. However the climb finishes with a deceptively tricky pitch up a groove on the left, Raeburn’s Chimney. Some ice in this groove will help progress and protection can be fiddly to find.

The Gash IV,4 Bishop's Buttress

Often overlooked in favour of Church Door Buttress, this crag has some brilliant climbing. The Gash is the biggest feature on the crag, forming a deep, dark chasm up to its highest point. This is another climb that can be climbed at any time of the winter. It does form snow ice and the climbing can be mostly on ice with a few rocky sections oat the chockstones. However it can also be climbed with no snow-ice, just rimed up rocks. There are a couple of hollow sounding blocks but it is easy to climb past these gently. A through route behind the monster chockstone at the top adds to the atmosphere and fun factor!

Stob Coire nan Lochan

National Trust for Scotland owns Glen Coe and puts in a great deal of work on the footpaths, for which we should be very grateful. The walk in to Stob Coire nan Lochan is one of the tougher approaches but the continued work on the path makes it much more reasonable. Once in the neat and compact coire you are likely to have a more sociable climbing experience than on other Glen Coe crags. There is a wide variety of climbs which are clearly seen from the foot of the coire including snow and ice gullies and mixed climbs from very simple to the hardest in Glen Coe.

Rucksacks can be left in the coire and a descent made to the north over the top of the crags until the slope eases near the col to Aonach Dubh. Take care with cornices over the gullies which cut into the summit ridge more deeply than you might think. A couple of people I know have taken the ride down into the coire by walking too close.

Crest Route VI,6

For a climb that goes directly up the crest of the buttress, there is some confusion over the exact line (and grade) of this route. However, the variations are all about the same grade so you are in for a good climb whichever way you go.  The true line gives the most sustained and best climbing and looking down from the perched block is very satisfying.

The groove on the second pitch is probably the technical crux and the climbing is so involved that you might well miss the step left and down to the belay on a small pinnacle. This might explain the confusion in the grade and line of the route. If you miss this belay, you are likely to run out of protection. The cracks are all quite helpful (carry large nuts and some hexes) and there is often some gear stuck in place. Get back into the groove and follow it straight up for more sustained mixed climbing fun in an amazing position. This is full on scraping and seeking, torquing and hooking. It’s not a long climb but every move is hard won and it is a battle to finish the three steep pitches. Everything you’d expect from a grade VI mixed masterpiece in Glen Coe.

Twisting Grooves IV,5

Twisting Gully is the classic snow-ice gully on South Buttress - Twisting grooves follows a line straight up through the rocks to the left of the gully. The first and third pitches offer fun and spectacular climbing, tremendous bridging up a corner on the first pitch and perfect back and foot chimneying on the third pitch. The link pitch is a bit of a wander and you can go by any one of a few lines. This is a fantastic climb to test your mixed climbing with options to change plan if it doesn't go perfectly! Leave this one a bit longer for the turf to freeze properly, it's not pure rock so you want the turf to be solid and a bit of snow-ice on the ledges is very helpful!