Jake’s shift pattern threw up a bonus three-day window for the second weekend of 2025 and I signed up for a provisional Scottish winter climbing adventure, more in hope than expectation. What are the chances of decent conditions? With less than a week to go I was idly checking Skyscanner for cheap flights to Alicante, but then the tentative cold spell crystallised into something worth gambling the six hours drive for, and we were speeding north. Craigallan, the Rucksack Club hut in Ballachulish, takes all the guesswork and misery out of trip planning!

8am the next morning, we’re setting off from a surprisingly empty car park, with just one team ahead of us on the path up to Stob Coire nan Lochan. It’s -5C and icy underfoot, but the dry spell and sudden cold snap means there’s little in the way of snow.

It’s set to be an absolutely stunning day, if only we can find something to climb.

Just because you can see it from the road, doesn’t mean it isn’t quite a schlep up there…

Reaching the Coire, whilst it all looks very wintery, the powdery snow is just a decorative adornment (or obstruction) sitting on the rocks. It’s annoying going just getting up to the foot of the crag, walking over hidden, unstable scree beneath the dusting. Dorsal Arete, a possible objective, is chalked off as being likely to be a Mod rock climb made miserable by powder.

Twisting Grooves, IV 5, takes a striking groove line (who’d have guessed it) and while it looked pretty steep, fierce, and lacking in ice, there were obvious patches of turf which would be absolutely bomber, and enough cracks that hopefully some of them might take some gear. Here’s Jake on the start of P1 which we split around the 25m mark. I got the second half, with more of the same – axe placements in the corner crack or occasional lump of turf, feet bridged wide, and decent enough gear (assuming a cam will hold in an icy crack…)

Jake topping out from the upper corner:

So far, so good.

The next pitch is shared with the neighbouring Twisted Gully and is a brute of a chimney, in a very traditional sense. Short and nasty, especially seconding with a sack.

The other recent logged ascents had escaped up the easier parent route at this point, but Jake had the bit between his teeth and was keen to do the job properly. The start of the final pitch was pretty sketchy, given the useless exfoliating ice. Good effort!

I took over for the final narrow chimney – delighted not to be carrying the sack.

Topped out to an absolutely magnificent 360 vista and a stunning sunset.

Obligatory summit selfie

… and a memorable torch-lit descent of Broad Gully…

… followed by a moonlit trudge down to the valley.

Not the last ones off the hill:

Fab star show back at the car park.

The following day was a bit of a contrast weather wise, and a fashionably (foolishly?) late start saw us setting out from the car at Bridge of Orchy Station at around 11am (note to future self – check the alarm clock before turning in!)

We settled on Creag Coire an Dothaidh and spotted someone high up on Salamander Gully III 4, which at least gave some encouragement that it might be climbable (by them, but by us?) This takes the left then right-slanting gully on the left of the crag for about 150m of (hopefully) icy fun.

The first pitch was certainly pretty well formed, albeit a bit fragile in places. Not that you can see much through the mist and spindrift. It was roundabout this point when the other flaw in our planning became apparent – we’d only packed three ice screws. We’d been bamboozled by the fact that there hadn’t been a scrap of ice on Stob Coire nan Lochan, and now we were a bit bu@@ered without a hint of rock. Dumb or what!

The lack of screws turned what should have been a fun romp up the second pitch into something of a harrowing experience. It was mildly terrifying just watching, but Jake held it together and disaster was averted.

The final pitch was much more relaxed…

… and we even got a chink of blue in the leaden sky:

Topped out in daylight and an uneventful moonlit meander back to the car.

A final disaster was averted – The Bridge of Orchy Hotel was closed for the evening, but happily the Clachaig was on hand. Definitely time for a beer!