Flashback Friday 131
Posted by Max Hunter on 09th April, 2021
11th April 2013. Slingsby’s Chimney & NE Buttress.
I’d set out to climb NE Buttress in winter before, with Hannah Evans, but we climbed away from the ridge and did the top of Route Major instead. So, I had missed out on the mantrap and the 40ft corner. The 11th April was the day to climb the complete NE Buttress. with Matt Lander. One memory from the day was dropping an axe! I wasn’t using lanyards and near the beginning of the route I dropped an axe – it fell several metres before it’s pick caught in a carabiner of my last runner! Matt managed to get it as he climbed the pitch – I got lucky!
This is what I wrote on my blog for the day :
Today Matt Lander and I made our way up Ben Nevis to try and do North East Buttress via Slingsby’s Chimney. The weather suggested it would be dry with little precipitation, with a chance of some sun, with light winds – we weren’t quite so lucky – it snowed most of the day with winds sometimes up to 20mph, no sun, and at the top of the Ben zero visibility. We chose Slingsby’s Chimney because we thought it might save time, and be more interesting, the guide book suggested a grade of II/III. The upper fan was a hard tech IV in places! The ridge was great above, and every pitch had interesting climbing. I’d never climbed the ‘Mantrap’ or the ’40ft Corner’ before but read much about the history of the climb, so I was excited to get my turn on these obstacles. The ‘Mantrap’ is easier these days with modern tools, but still tech V, the Corner was about tech IV. A brilliant climb in good condition, with great variety – easily 4 stars..
This was my original blog from the day :
https://www.huntermountaineering.co.uk/2013/04/slingsbys-chimney-north-east-buttress/
Matt starts up the 40ft corner.