Battle of Stirling Bridge Prt2

Yesterday Dave and myself headed up the gondola to Aonach Mor to with the plan being for me to have another shot at Stirling Bridge. Also with both of us having injured ankles we would be saved from a long descent using the cable car. We walked up in near whiteout conditions and dropped in to Easy Gully and round to the base of the route, it was in perfect nick, game on.

Dave and me at the belay

I geared up for my first proper attempt at winter climbing in about 2 years and the sky began to clear as I did so. I got on the route and felt really good and relaxed, new Petzl Nomics and prosthetic really helping with my confidence. I climbed quite easily past my previous highpoint but then it started to got a bit wrong. I couldn't get my axe with the prosthetic to place right as it kept bouncing out of the shallow crack. Also with only being able to wear a liner glove with the prosthetic my hand had lost all feeling but Rab are making me up something to deal with that. It looks like I'll need to run out the top section after watching Dave place most of the gear out left which is simply impossible for me.

Myself on the route, tantalisingly close-Pic-Dave MacLeod

Dave climbed the main pitch after I'd lowered off then he abbed and retrieved the gear, we battered back round and up Easy Gully. The wind was increasing on our way down but as we followed the chairlift line down we could see the Gondola was still running and this was a boost considering we had only one good ankle between us, we dropped into a dip shortly before the Gondola and in that short time they stopped it running and we had a painful descent to the cars. All in all a cracking day for Daves first day back in the mountains since the accident.

Dave happy to be out, Ben Nevis in the background