Winter Climbs Ben Nevis and Glencoe - Scotland - Britain

• Location
• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
• Maps
• Further Reading

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Gardyloo Buttress

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This buttress tops Observ­atory Gully bet­ween Gardy­loo Gully on the left and Tower Gully on the right. The cornices can be very considerable above this buttress and may be impossible to breach at times.

Shot in the Light    100m    IV,5
A.V. Saunders and P. Thornhill, 1983
Climb the first break on the right, 50m up Gardy­loo Gully, initially up right to a belay (40m) then delicately back up left.

Left Edge    155m    VI,5*
R. Carrington and A. Rouse, March 1976
This route requires a very good plating of ice and snow. A peg for tension was used high up to gain the upper slabs. Start at the left edge of the butt­ress and climb the arête up rightwards until level with the upper chute of Smith’s Route to the right (100m). Move across to the chute and finish up this.

Kellett’s Route    120m    VI,6***
A. Paul and K. Leinster, 1980
The most obvious line up the buttress is the leftwards-slanting icefall of Smith’s Route leading to a snow chute in the upper part. Kellett’s Route starts midway between Left Edge and this icefall, and climbs directly to join Smith’s Route (left-hand way) just below the chute.

Augean Alley    120m    V,5 (top section)**
K. Leinster, A. Paul and G. Reilly, March 1981
This route climbs Kellett’s Route (see above) and finishes on the left-hand ridge bounding the finish of Smith’s Route.

Murphy’s Route    130m    VI,6
R.G. Webb and A. Shand, March 1983
Between Kellet’s Route and Smith’s Route. Climb a short icy groove and mixed ground to a shallow cave beneath Smith’s original line. Go steeply up to an airy belay on Smith’s Route (50m). Climb up towards Augean Alley (30m) and finish up this (50m).

Smith’s Route    130m    V,5***
R. Smith and J.R.Marshall, 8th February 1960
Climb leftwards up the obvious slanting ice grooves and slabs to a belay in an icy bay with an icicle fringe (45m). Move diagonally leftwards to steeper ground then back up and right to the right-hand groove. Go up this to the snow chute (40m) and an easier finish. A more popular variation is to climb an icicle direct from the icy bay to gain the right-hand groove, which is followed to the snow chute (V,5***, K.V. Crocket and C. Gilmore, February 1975). If the cornice is very large it may be possible to avoid it to the left by a steep wall and narrow ridge finish.

The Great Glen    130m    VI,5*
P. Braithwaite and P. Moores, 12th February 1978
The route follows the steep shallow groove right of Smith’s Route to exit left across a gangway to belay right of Smith’s Route (51m). Re-enter the groove and follow steep arête on the right to snow. (Serious – take a long rope.)

Right Edge    130m    III*
R. Millward and F. von Gemert, January 1977
Move up from the start of the Great Glen rightwards to gain the right arête of the buttress. Follow this to the top.

Tower Gully    120m    I
G. Hastings, E.L.W. and W.P. Haskett-Smith, 25th April 1897
Follow a broad snow terrace rightwards from the foot of Gardyloo Gully, below the buttress and above Tower Scoop, to gain the gully proper. This is easy but the cornice is often large.