Eddy has gone backwards in time to relate his experience. I shall try to move forwards.
Day 1. After a bimble up Aladdin’s Mirror and down his couloir I met Sally in a coffee shop in Aviemore and learned not to let her get anywhere near laptops or other electrical equipment. Eddy turned up later by train and the party commenced.
Day 2. Sally, Eddy and I headed out to Corrie nan Lochan for a session on self arrest, digging holes and then to try a route. Milky Way looked in and despite being full of wet unconsolidated snow gave 2 reasonable pitches. Neil and Caroline joined us for the digging and sliding then went up the central couloir.
Day 3. Crap weather persuaded us to follow the advice of the nice folk in Cairngorm Mountain Sports and we all headed over to Cummingston for a gentle day of seaside cragging. Eddy was seen to climb in his slippers!
Day 4. Fort William was warm with a sea level temp of 9 degrees. Eddy and Steve headed off to the Ice Factor, Sally, Carolina and Beth went for a walk and Neil did something else. I had a relaxing day in the sun fixing odd faults on Sally’s car.
Day 5. After an hour or so working on bucket seats, buried axes and stomper belays, Eddy, Beth and I slogged up Observatory gully to the base of Tower Scoop. The freezing level was higher than forecast, recently fallen wet snow was sloughing and sliding and bits of cornice were tumbling down, all of which contributed to a decision to abb off after the first pitch and head home.
Day 5. Buachaille Etive Mor North Buttress and Agag’s groove were the venues for today’s fun and frolics. Awesome scrambling, great views and fine company. 
Day 6. “This is smaller than I thought, we should get 2 routes in” “That pitch was the most mentally challenging climbing I’ve ever done” 2 quotes, 1 man, 1 route. Oh deluded eyes, overconfident toes. Slow careful padding. Eddy and I started up the Pause on Etive slabs around lunchtime and so began our ordeal of dry rock, slippery rock, comfortable belays, overlaps, freezing belays, blank rock, off-route, shivering, blanker slabs, wetter slabs and a final god given gear filled hold festooned corner. 9 hours. Thank you Roy and Sally for waiting so patiently, and to the guys who found my sadly broken camera.
Day 7. Resssss……zzzzt…….
Day 8. Rannoch Wall, B.E.M. Superlative rock, awesome positions, and sadly a goodbye to Sally, who headed home to resurrect her fizzed out laptop and save her MA!
Day 9.Chill, shop, slippers and a new camera!
Day 10. Glen Nevis, a different type of rock, sunburn and a rope that is now a bit shorter.
Day 11. Tower Ridge. Beaut! We appeared to be the only folk on the ridge which was just as well, my guts being in pretty poor shape. Strong winds followed us all day. Words will not do justice to the effect of sunshine, warm dry rock and solid snow where folk had gone before. Eddy attempted to set up a tyrolean over the Gap, but Paul and I elected to cross the normal way.
Day 12. The Boke.
So after a great 2 weeks up north, we know each other better and the day moves nearer.
Day 6. “This is smaller than I thought, we should get 2 routes in” “That pitch was the most mentally challenging climbing I’ve ever done” 2 quotes, 1 man, 1 route. Oh deluded eyes, overconfident toes. Slow careful padding. Eddy and I started up the Pause on Etive slabs around lunchtime and so began our ordeal of dry rock, slippery rock, comfortable belays, overlaps, freezing belays, blank rock, off-route, shivering, blanker slabs, wetter slabs and a final god given gear filled hold festooned corner. 9 hours. Thank you Roy and Sally for waiting so patiently, and to the guys who found my sadly broken camera.
Day 7. Resssss……zzzzt…….
Day 8. Rannoch Wall, B.E.M. Superlative rock, awesome positions, and sadly a goodbye to Sally, who headed home to resurrect her fizzed out laptop and save her MA!
Day 9.Chill, shop, slippers and a new camera!
Day 10. Glen Nevis, a different type of rock, sunburn and a rope that is now a bit shorter.
Day 11. Tower Ridge. Beaut! We appeared to be the only folk on the ridge which was just as well, my guts being in pretty poor shape. Strong winds followed us all day. Words will not do justice to the effect of sunshine, warm dry rock and solid snow where folk had gone before. Eddy attempted to set up a tyrolean over the Gap, but Paul and I elected to cross the normal way.
Day 12. The Boke.
So after a great 2 weeks up north, we know each other better and the day moves nearer.
12 weeks to go.
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