While Sunday found the keen walkers in the club stomping around the clova hills, Stu and Ed headed north to the steep frowning glory of dark lochnagar.
The air was depressingly warm as we left the carpark and uneasy "jokes" about "taking the gear for a walk" and "walking on some fitness" filled the air. Luckily as we got closer to the col this was replaced by snow, with more falling as we arrived at the rescue box. Central Buttress - a pleasant grade II, was settled on for a first route blast. Another (braver!) team were heading up towards eagle ridge. The buttresses were white with plenty of (wet) wind blasted snow sitting on the approaches.
The first pitch gave run out climbing on broken ground - wet powder giving little purchase on the rock, and turf semi frozen but climbable, made none the more pleasant by constant scouring spindrift. The second pitch along the crest of the buttress gave nice mixed climbing (if absolutely baltic where exposed to the wind) again with wet powdery snow to the belay before the final runout snow slopes to the top.
Unfortunately the cloud stayed down all day, with only fleeting glimpses of the loch below and plateau above, with spindrift further limiting vis all day.
Apart from the team heading for eagle ridge and a lone walker seen in the distance whilst walking in we spotted no one else on the hill, and no tracks hinted at others out - a rare quiet day on the 'gar!
Stu
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