Sebastian Merriman - 2 Poles and 7 Summits

Climbing week

A week that veered from enjoyable and informative to exhaustive and rather worrying. This was a chance to add some technical skills and tricky condition experience to my prior and rather old school approach of going fast and light to power through the terrain and weather – not really an option on the beasts to come!

First was a crash weekend course in beginner’s winter skills (crampons, ice axes etc) run by Mat followed by a week of trying out my skills and equipment in anger led by Zac (see his blog Jan 14^th to 18^th for a bit more of the detail - http://www.mountainzblog.blogspot.com).

Highlights include:

· Rarely getting off the mountain before dark.

· Climbs included: Ledge Route, Curved Ridge, Aonach Eagach Ridge,

· Getting to the top of my first proper climb (using crampons, ice axe and rope) in time for a stunning sunset.

· Finding that my ‘tester’ grade III climb had changed into a grade IV in the conditions – cue moments of reflection as to what I was doing whilst teetered on a very narrow ledge with only one prong of my crampons and a rather precarious grip on my ice axe preventing me falling several thousand feet! To put things into perspective, I was also roped at the time but had not yet come to ‘trust’ the rope and so far from finding it a comfort it was still then a source of concern as being asked to put it on clarified that we had reached a particularly dangerous section of the route.

· Spending time in the national ice centre and trying out the climbing wall in my Everest boots! More importantly, this included jumping off practice; it is amazing how much easier climbing becomes once you have realised that other people are not all incompetent and that a slip won’t lead to you plummeting to your death!

· Getting to the highest point in the UK (Ben Nevis) in 85+ mph winds. Walking while leaning at something like a 45% angle is certainly an experience.

The drive back down was more fun and games with the wretched sat nav and an unfortunate petrol stop on the Southern Glasgow bypass became a battle of wills to get back onto the motorway. I claim victory on this occasion but the lady gets revenge when (still refusing to accept the existence of the M6 toll road) she cunningly diverts me onto the M1 rather than the M40 from Birmingham with allowing her to direct me though all the major traffic jams on my resulting traipse across London.

About as much fun as you can legally have in the snow!