James Edwards had climbed Royal Pardon on Aonach Beag and reported seeing a futuristic looking line hereabouts.

My friend Stewart Anderson went up a few days later, climbed Royal Pardon and spied this other line. He said it looked good but would need to form more, you'd be into it!

One week/ten days or so passed and the weather was still good, a day off midweek, Stewart said he'd go back up and do RP if this thing wasn't climbable.

At the bottom was a short, steep ice pitch leading to the main fall, we bypassed this to save time, traversed in from 1st pitch of RP, just incase.......

Stewart belayed behind an iceacle, I set off on a rightwards traverse (good rock runner), pulled onto the ice, thin, steep, headed upwards.

Placed a good screw at the base of a body width, 3m high, iceacle and very gently tapped some pick holes for my tools, dare not kick it! Climbed this very gently, with love, pushing my monos into the holes/ice thinking I'll get a rest on that ledge.

No ledge, pumped, f***, placed a screw and after some conversation with Stewart, went for it. My arms were tired, technique, read the ice, confidence (was slipping from wrist loops), first time placements all the way.

This thing kept going and at 30m a ledge appeared on the right, escape, off I went and got a surprisingly good rock belay, safe, thank god, thought I was going to come off!!!

Stewart seconded and broke the 3m iceacle, leaving him dangling having to pull back up onto the ice. That was steeper than Test Department (Liathatch), that sounds encouraging?

He then followed an ice choked groove, leading back towards the main line, mixed climbing up a square rock pedistill in an amazing position, a steep pull out left/up on hanging ice led to neve and a small bay.

I found the pull out/up to be very difficult (barn door) and the pedistill brilliant, good lead.

A rope length or so of Scottish IV ice led to easier ground and the the top.

We picked up our packs/abb sling and having missed the last gondola, had a very long, tiring walk down the MTB trail (wouldn't dare do it on a bike). Sore toes, felt pretty smug though!

At the time, found it hard to grade, Canadian WI,5R, hadn't done anything like it before in Scotland, so VI,6 was a guess?

Best route on the crag, would like someone to repeat/confirm this one????

(10/06)