Page 40 - AMA Summer 2023

CLIMBINGMEETS
WINTER MEET 2023
The evening of Thursday 23rd February 2023 saw two dozen AMA members from across the Army arrive at the Glencoe Independent Youth Hostel for the start of the annual Scottish Winter Meet. The first challenge: how to squeeze 20+ cars, trucks and vans into a car park designed for half as many! At least it wasn’t icy, Glencoe having set expectations for the Winter Meet suitably low with exceptionally little snowfall in the previous weeks and a Rannoch Moor that wouldn’t have looked out of place in July.
Having the hostel to ourselves meant we were able to commandeer the spacious and well-equipped kitchen/dining room for an opening brief from Chris. The small number of climbers were split into two pairs led by Andy and John, both back again for another AMA Winter Meet. The remainder were grouped into larger walking/winter skills groups. This is the beauty of the AMA and what sets it apart from your typical JSMTC adventurous training, whether you want to tackle gnarly Scottish graded climbs or to develop your confidence navigating and moving on snow, the club caters for all.
After a shakeout day on the local ski area to get used to walking in crampons and rehearsing some critical ice axe techniques, the winter skills groups worked their way through a fine collection of classic routes across the week. Long days double-bagging Munros (Sgorr Bhan and Sgorr Bhearg; Ben Starav and Glas Bheiin Mor) helped the groups justify their tour of the bakeries and cafes across the region. Probably the highlight of the week was standing on the top of Ben Nevis in glorious sunshine without a cloud in the sky and feeling rather smug as some very underprepared walkers struggled up an evidently much snowier than anticipated tourist track.
With no real snow and ice to speak of in the Glencoe area, the climbing groups started off the week with a drive to Ben Nevis to assess the conditions on offer there. Thankfully the north face had clung on to some excellent conditions, though the trudge to and from the bottom car park (access to the top car park having been removed this season) proved significantly less enjoyable. Easing in on the first day with ascents of Number Two Gully (II***)
and a line just off to the left, the following day saw the groups tackle a much snowier than anticipated Aonach Mor, for some the first time using a snow bollard in anger to drop in to the start of The Web (III*)
40 / ARMY MOUNTAINEER