On The Hills

The Chasm, Buchaille Etive. – This long and formidable climb has been done by R, F. Stobart with Mr. and Mrs. N. E. Odell for what they thought was the first time, but which turned out to be the second ascent.

Stobart also took part last summer (1920) in an attempt on the Aiguille Verte from the Argentiére glacier. As they expected, the party spent a night out high up on the ridge of approach. He intends to be in this summer’s expedition to Spitzbergen, and the preliminary has been the hauling of Sledge and gear over the Little and Great Scheidegg at Christmas.

Flutings Climb, Sgurr Nan Gillean. – On the West Face, a very short distance to the right of the Forked Chimney, R. Lamb and E. E. Roberts examined first, two well marked lines up the crag, and took the third. It begins as a face climb for a hundred feet and then becomes a shallow gully, similar to the upper part of the Forked Chimney, finishing at the same height.

On this holiday, in 1919, Lamb repeated his lead up the top pitch of the gully between the Third and Fourth Pinnacles, Sgurr nan Gillean. It is solid enough but no place for boots. The party also made the second ascent of Mallory’s climb, North Face, Sgurr a’Mhadaidh (would be spelt Vati if a place in India or Africa). This is a glorious face climb of great length.

Green Chimney, Almescliff. – C. D. Frankland has recently climbed this exceptionally difficult place. His solitary climbs in the Lakes are dealt with elsewhere.

Thorough Guides, English Lakes. – Owing to the present cost of production, it is doubtful when or, in fact, whether a new edition of this Guide-book will be published. The following notes may be of interest:-

Coniston, Great How Crags. – The correct height of the point marked 2,625 feet on the map is 2,525 feet. A little further north the ridge attains an elevation of 2,630 feet (only 3 feet lower than the Old Man). It has been decided, after consultation with high authority, to call it Swirl How, from Swirl Band close by, to distinguish it from other Great Hows. There is no local name for the point, which probably accounts for it being left untitled by the Ordnance Survey.

Carrs. – For 2,525 feet on the map read 2,575 feet.

Coniston, Dow Crags; the Great Gully. – The first pitch is now more difficult as a left-hand hold has gone. The Gully was ascended in 1919 by a party of three Ramblers and a lady. The aggregate ages of the men totalled 177 years, some months.

North Wales, Ogwen District;

Idwal Buttress. – This climb cannot be traced in any of the classified lists, except that in Burrow’s Guide to North Wales. It lies up the exterior of the great slab that forms the upper retaining wall of the Introductory Gully. The first 60 feet are difficult.

Glyder Fach, Oblique Gully. – Described on page 40, “Climbing in the Ogwen District,” J. M. A. Thomson, as “moderately difficult.” In the Ogwen Book the first record is a descent. Next comes a note by a party who were turned by a severe pitch. The same pitch turned another party, who found no scratches on the difficult pitch nor on the top pitch, which they climbed down. The first recorded ascent in the book is by Fathers H. and A. Kelly, and Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Benson. The absence of scratches on the difficult part was noted by this party. Father A. Kelly, who led, a mountaineer of much experience both at home and in South Africa, was of opinion that it was a first ascent.

Craig-yr-ysfa. – A more convenient approach. Ffynnon Llugwy has been made a reservoir. The workmen have gone, but the tram line, minus the rails, remains running along the base of Pen Helig to the Capel Curig road. This is rather a longer way round than the route hitherto followed across the moor, but it is a question whether it is not as short a way there and is far less fatiguing.

The Cneifion Arête. – The entry in the Ogwen Book, “Crucifixion Arête,” is misleading. Cwm Cneifion means the Cwm of Shearing. There has for some reason or other been a good deal of controversy as to the soundness of the rock. Benson’s party found many of the holds about as reliable as biscuit china. It is advanced that the bed rock is reliable, but geological authority pronounces that an arête constructed as the Cneifion Arête is simply cannot be sound.