Number in series 59; Year of publication 1966 - Fell and Rock ...

Geoff Oliver 225
agreed unanimously that there was no longer any pleasure in
the escapade and it was time to make a strategic withdrawal.
This took the form of two abseils and a speedy descent to the
hut, followed by copious brews of tea.
I returned for another attempt three years later, this time
with Jack Hesmondhalgh. We had only a day or two at our
disposal, the plan being to arrive at Glen Nevis in the early
hours of Saturday morning and start up the hill by 8 a.m. At
the hut we were to meet a friend who had been there for
several days getting fit, and he was to form the spearhead of
our attempt. We learned later that our impetuous friend,
becoming impatient, had launched an attack on Point Five
Gully the previous day with a chance acquaintance of unknown
ability. While leading the second pitch his companion
fell, and motivated by the instinct of self-preservation rather
than any thoughts of malice, broke his fall by planting a
cramponed boot on the head of his second. The result of this
was that our friend temporarily lost his love of the high hills
and headed south to warmer climes.
But, for the present, we woke to a perfect day of blue skies
and sub-zero temperatures. While our bacon and eggs cooked
we stamped about to thaw frozen boots then, having eaten, set
off up to the hut with the unaccustomed but pleasant feeling
of light sacks on our backs. Coming in sight of Zero Gully
we saw, with mixed feelings, that two climbers were already
ahead of us. Assuming that they were successful our task
would be easier, though climbing in steps chopped by others
gives rather a hollow victory. We toyed with Point Five for a
moment but soon rejected the idea as the time was nearing
11 a.m. and this gully is more formidable than Zero.
Conditions for an ascent on this occasion were ideal. Due
to a larger than usual build-up of hard snow, the near vertical
ice at its foot could be bypassed on the left up a groove which
though steep readily yielded steps. One rope-length up this
brought us to the foot of a band of rock where upward progress
was halted. Jack belayed here to a somewhat psychological
rock peg to secure me as I traversed across the ice wall
to where it joined the right bounding wall of the gully. From
here I was able to climb straight up steep ice on bucket holds.
The party ahead had no difficulty in maintaining their lead,
as it transpired that they were merely cleaning out steps which
had been cut a week earlier.
Continued on p.237