Vanishing Gully – Ben Nevis

We had winter skills training up in Scotland this weekend with the rescue team, so Li’l Pete and I decided to take advantage by going up a day early and getting in a cheeky route on the Ben.

The avalanche forecast through the preceding week didn’t make pleasant reading following some very heavy snowfall the previous weekend combined with strong winds. Some huge avalanches had been reported in various locations, but we reasoned the Ben was the best of a bad job and we’d go and have a look.

After a night in the car, we set off up the hill, noting the deep drifts through the forest section and the warm wind blowing down the valley. It was drizzling, and the Ben was shrouded in mist. Moving towards the C.I.C. hut, we saw some great snow sculptures carved out by the wind, which lightened our mood a little, but I couldn’t help thinking we were probably going to turn around as soon as we got there.

Finally reaching the C.I.C. hut, we stopped for the traditional rest and considered our options. My gut said turn around, my sensible head agreed, but my lazy side wanted some payback for the effort of the early start and the walk-in.

We prevaricated, waiting for glimpses of possible routes through the gloom, and made friends with a wee snow bunting, keen to sample our sandwiches.

Eventually, the mist lifted a little and we glimpsed the Minus Face, Observatory Ridge and Tower Ridge. I’d fancied a crack at one of the Minus gullies, but we agreed that Vanishing Gully would be a safer bet – besides, it was closer!

The tromp up and across the snow slopes to the base of the route was a little spooky, with reasonably consolidated but deep windslab, above a very unpleasant run-out. It was manageable, otherwise we would have stopped, but if the slope did go, we’d have been buried in the gorge below ’til the Spring!

Best not to dwell on the nasty stuff though, we had plenty of time, and the drizzle was at least pretending to be snow now…

After an aborted attempt at finding the base of the route (possibly due to a 50m versus 50ft spelling mistake in the guide?), followed by an abseil retreat to avoid the spooky snow slope…

…we geared up below (what turned out to be!) Vanishing Gully. Pete led off into the gloom, with wisps of spindrift funnelling down from above.

All was well, and I enjoyed what view there was. Strangely, the wisps of spindrift decided they didn’t want us to have it all our own way, and organised themselves into distinct torrents, that I guess some people might call ‘avalanches’. Nomenclature aside, they halted progress each time they swooshed through, but the ice, and therefore the gear, was good, so all nice and safe, merely moderately uncomfortable!

Pete took refuge after an impressive ‘V’ groove first pitch, and hid as best he could, whilst I followed. The next pitch looked steep to start, but appeared to lean back shortly after, so timing my start to avoid the mobile white stuff, I set off. The route has seen plenty of traffic recently, so the pitch was mostly hooking in previous placements, which took away a lot of the effort – welcome indeed given the increasing volume and regularity of the assault from above. Moving quickly up the slope above, I belayed, brought Pete up, and we agreed to ab the route rather than risk unknown ground on the recommended decent.

All-in-all, a great ‘proper mountain’ day out, with (we think) good decision making along the way. Realising that NevisSport cafe would be closed by the time we got there, we topped off the day in style with tea and toast in the car park! I tried for the photo, but the cold had got to my camera again – sorry about that.