Near miss on The Godfather (Scottish winter climbing)
Thursday 25 January 2007 11:23AM
Wednesday the 24th January 2007
The day started badly, waking in Glen Brittle (Skye) at 4am to wind driven rain. A quick decision saw us back in the car heading for the mainland and The Giants Wall on Beinn Bhan. I’d climbed here twice before, so briefed Pete and Guy on the various possibilities on the walk in:
New route #1: Steep, needs ice, probably very bold.
New route #2: Very, very, very steep, mixed climbing. Potentially impossible.
What with waking up on the wrong island, we didn’t leave the car till nearly seven, and after scoping out the various new route possibilities decided that new route #1 didn’t have enough ice and new route #2 was impossible, so we settled on trying for the second ascent of Martin Moran and Paul Tattersals’ super route The Godfather (VIII, 8).
After another inauspicious start (Guy left one of the ropes at the bottom of the corrie), we were going well and having a great time. Guy was climbing like a machine, so we let him lead three pitches in a row, all of which had more than a smattering of hard climbing. I then led another hard pitch into the bottom of the big corner, handing the rope ends to Pete at dusk. Pete led up, an impressive pool of gymnastic light dancing above us. It was very steep, and he was getting pumped. After surmounting one bulge, he tackled the next. At the moment of maximum pump his crampon popped off the miniscule hold he was using, and he was off, taking a small fall, but spraining his ankle badly.
The only way was down, as they say, and what a way it was!
The Giants Wall