George Cave

Ice on the Ben

Our first objective was Hadrian's Wall Direct but we were beaten back by some pretty brutal spindrift and a huge slab of ice which seemed barely attached to the rock. Traversing around, we nipped up Tower Scoop and then headed for Indicator Wall to finish.

Climbing on the Ben in mid April is a very relaxed affair. You can do both the approach and return journey in the light, take your time picking a line and then retire for a well-earned game of chess in a hut all to yourself!

Tower Ridge

On Monday morning I flew to Glasgow and by nightfall Ross and I had hiked our way up to the CIC Hut. Unsure of what the late season conditions would bring we opted for Tower Ridge and stormed the route in around 4-5 hour, moving together for much of the ground. Neither of us had climbed the iconic ridgeline before and it was in great shape with a bonus little ice pitch thrown in early on that we weren't expecting.

Middagstinden

The last day of our trip to the Lyngen Alps. We opted for a route that wasn't too taxing and nipped up the 1000m ascent of Middagstinden. Another fine run down and a great end to a week of superb weather and skiing on the northern tip of Europe.

Treriksrøysa

On our bad weather day we decided to drive across the border to Finland and accidentally skinned 22km across a frozen lake.

The aim had been to visit the Treriksrøysa (or Treriksröset in Swedish) where Finland, Norway and Sweden meet. Driving into Finland we stopped at Kilpisjärvi and set off across the frozen ice. It turns out our downhill skimo kit was wholly inappropriate for a long, flat, icy skin and we arrived at the hut to bemuseds look from the Finnish locals. A fun day out none the less!

Storvasstinden

Steve took a day off so Will, Clay and I skinned the long approach through the winds in to Storvasstinden. The ridge gradually steepens until we dumped our skis and hiked the traverse towards the final summit. There was poor windslab on the slopes, confirmed by a quick pit, so we beat a retreat back down the mountain before the weather closed in.

Storgalten

Storgalten was a big drive from our lodge but the good skiing and stunning views from the north of the Lyngen peninsula made up for it. After a tiring skin up, Will and I skiied one of the steeper gullies on the face and popped out to meet the others lower down. Another day of perfect weather.