NO.4 GULLY BEN NEVIS

The team high up in N0.4 Gully

Lots of ice

Heading into Coire na Ciste

Great sunset about to begin

The guys getting excited

More ice

Great descent down The Red Burn

Coire na Ciste and CMD

Sun setting over Mull

Father Michele and sons Sam and Nathan from Switzerland are out with me this weekend for a couple of days winter mountaineering. They have bags of Alpine climbing and skiing experience but this was their first taste of the Scottish hills. They picked a fine weekend to see the mountains at their best. With high pressure and sunny skies today they got to see Ben Nevis in splendid form. We ventured up No. 4 Gully today. Thankfully some folk had made tracks in the soft snow up into Coire na Ciste so not too much hard work! Iced up crags all around and rimed rocks above 1000m. The cornice exit out of No.4 is steep but it has a notch which helps getting up the final 2 metres. We went to the summit and were treated to a beautiful sunset on the descent. A fine effort and they loved the day. Good times.