Smoking the White Owl

This was the plan; Early start, climb route, gondola back to car, back for college at 11. Although I was forgetting this is Scottish Winter and it is never that easy.

As soon as we pulled into the Gondola station we found out that it opens only at the weekends and doesn't properly open until the 17th of December.
Once we, Jamie Hageman and I, arrived  and were kitted up at the bottom of the route. Jamie kicked his crampon in and broke the toe bar. This meant he had to watch as I soloed up the route which I had talked myself into not looking that steep. Once I was committed with no protection and a long fall below me it began to look steeper but the ice was in good condition so every axe placement was a happy one, until the top that is.

Smoking the White Owl

Me topping out

Once back down I was only a little late for college.
I should point out that Jamie is a very talented Artist and Photographer, sometimes it can be hard to tell which is which. Check out his web page here and look out for his photo's usually in the Top Ten picture of the week on UKC.