Poor conditions and high avalanche risks: it's not been a great ski season in Chamonix, so British steep skier Ben Briggs decided to head to Scotland instead, and see what he could do on the Ben...
What made you decide to ski down some climbs on Ben Nevis?
I'd never been to Scotland before! Also, the season in Chamonix hasn't been great and a good friend died in the mountains recently. I'd been having a hard time so thought it would be nice to get out of town for a while. I didn't really have any objectives or even places I wanted to ski in Scotland, but after a day's climbing on the Ben I'd seen some cool lines and had the beginnings of a ticklist...
So what was first on your list?
The first line I eyed up was a Grade III climb called The Castle, but once I'd climbed halfway up I realised it wouldn't go - the snow just wasn't skiable. So instead I skied the couloir right next to it, North Castle Gully (Grade II). It turned out to be a really aesthetic ski line, and it's not too steep so it didn't matter that the snow was pretty hard. It's narrow with rock walls either side - 40-45 degrees for the most part and around 50 for the last 10m or so.
And ski descent number 2?
The next day I climbed up Raeburns Easy Route intending to ski that, but again wasn't pleased with the snow conditions I found. Looking around from the top I saw that Ledge Route (also Grade II) was getting a lot of sun so figured the snow would probably be softer there, and I was right.
At the top, Ledge Route follows a snow arete which looks a bit like the one on the Frendo Spur. I skied the sunny side of it, then stuck to the arete as closely as possible for an area of snow-covered slabs and some narrow passages stepping over rocks. The ridge gets very thin and rocky here, so I walked for 10m. It would have been possible to step across the rocks with skis on but pointless. Then there is a narrow couloir just wide enough for skis, and a traverse right to join the system of snow ledges at the bottom where there was some nice skiing. I don't think it's really any steeper than 45 degrees anywhere but there are some technical passages.
And the third line?
On my third ski day I really wanted to ski the classic Grade III Good Friday Climb but I knew already that it wasn't in skiable condition. I'd seen there was a snow ramp traversing into the really pretty gully of Neptune (also Grade III) though, so thought I would give that a go. It was definitely the steepest and most exposed route I skied, and the only one that I would call 'extreme' skiing.
To reach the line, I down-climbed the top of Number 5 Gully, which had avalanched back to ice, to reach a plateau at the top of the obvious couloir of Neptune. This was pretty steep - around 50 degrees. A steeper section of around 55 degrees was covered in a layer of ice so I made a 20m rappel over it. At the bottom of the couloir, instead of heading straight down I traveresed skier's right over snow-covered rock slabs on what I think is Jubilee Route. It's about 45 degrees here but very exposed over cliffs.
How would these routes translate into ski grades?
Castle Gully North would probably be 5.1 E2, Edge Route would be 5.1 E3 and Neptune 5.3 E3.
There are a lot of hardcore under the radar skiers and climbers in Scotland so it's hard to know how how often these lines get skied. I guess the Grade II's get skied sometimes, but the Grade III's must be rarely skied?
I have no idea to be honest. I know all the gullies have been skied but couldn't find any more information than that. Good Friday Climb was skied by a Chamonix guide in the 80's and I don't think it's seen a repeat.
Is there any etiquette about skiing what are traditionally climber's lines?
Well, when you climb up the route you know whether anyone will be below you. On Ledge Route there were some climbers, I just waited for them untill it was safe to ski and everyone seemed happy and chatted to me while they were belaying.
What's in your rucksack: what do you take when you go to ski a line like this?
It depends what I plan to do, but on this Scottish trip I carried standard mountaineering gear, one Petzl Sumtec ice axe, crampons, harness, a small amount of rock and ice gear and a rope (on this trip I carried 60m of 6mm dyneema cord) in case a rappel was needed. I've been testing out a new ski clothing range that Mountain Equipment are developing - Gore-tex shells and a layering system under it.
And the skis?
The skis I'm using at the moment are Whitedot Ranger 98's. By far the best ski mountaineering ski I have used, they are light with great edge hold but still big enough to make the most of good conditions, and should be available to buy next season. I have Dynafit bindings on them and I wear Sportiva Spectre boots.
How does skiing steep lines in Scotland compare to skiing steep lines in Cham?
The routes are all pretty short in Scotland compared to Chamonix, and it's a long walk to the snow-line, but all the effort makes it very rewarding. It's also a stunning country so the walks arent so bad!
What are the best and worst things about skiing in Scotland?
You have to work for it, which is both good and bad! You have to put a lot of effort in, but no one else was skiing and there was certainly no racing to get to routes first like there is in Chamonix! Everyone I met was really friendly. Also I have always liked Scottish single malt so it was great to go to a distillery on a poor weather day, and no surprises I came away with a bottle!
Will you be back to Scotland for more?
Definitely - I'd like to go back and finish off Neptune and ski The Castle and Good Friday Climb when conditions are right. I also did some easy ice routes but am psyched to come back for some harder mixed stuff.
READ: More about Ben on his blog: ben-briggs.com
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