22/02/15 - Col on Buachaille Etive Beag in Glen Coe - (me and Jacob)

First day of the Winter Mountaineering course with West Coast Mountain Guides (http://www.westcoast-mountainguides.co.uk/). Got picked up by Jake Phillips at 8am. My expectations were immediately set that options were going to be limited through the week due to excessive amounts of snow (who would have thought it!). Based on prevailing wind direction and avalanche warnings we went to the col on Buachaille Etive Beag in Glen Coe. The snow was deep and getting deeper. And the wind! 60mph with gusts up to 90mph....!

Lots of good crampon technique training, ice axe arrest, scrambling and all round good fun! I'd thought yesterday that I'd been doing the most scary stuff I'd be doing it all week, I now started to think different. However, the difference was I'd be doing it safer!


I was dropped back at the hostel at about 4, so I trucked up to Fort William and got a ticket for the Best of BANF film festival. After getting something to eat I took my (very uncomfortable) seat. I soon realised that it would probably be unwise to stay until the end because my body needed a more complete rest before embarking on tomorrow's activities. I left at the break - knowing that I'd regret it if I left, and also regret it if I didn't.