Page 46 - 2019 AMA Winter

MISCARTICLE
ONE OF THOSE DAYS
By Duncan Francis
It was only when we were starting to drop down the awful track from Coire Domhain that we realised. We had met up in the car park, and had had the discussion about Goat Track versus Pt 1141, and then whether to go via Coire Raibert and along by the loch versus across to Domhain and down without even remembering.
We had been here before. The plan had seemed great; Spring was here, Winter was gone and the masterpiece that is The Clean Sweep beckoned. Facing South East on Hell’s Lum, it was bound to be clear of snow, and the forecast was for warm and sunny. A blue sky day. The magnificent crux crack was one of the best VS pitches in Scotland. Perfect.
But that was what we had thought last year... in exactly the same conditions, the same week in the same month. How could we have forgotten? That time we had hauled all the gear across into the Loch A’an basin full of hope and joy, watching the ptarmigan croaking and the wee white cumulus tumbling through the blue sky; only to find that the warm sunshine was melting the snow which remained on the plateau, and that the route was running with water. Unclimbable........ We had saved the day that time by climbing the only dry route on the crag, Towering Inferno, which was good, it just wasn’t The Clean Sweep.
Simon on the crux pitch
So we dropped down again across those awful boulders and slippery grass slopes, back past where we had stashed the packs last year, when we had slithered on down in our rock shoes, and around to the base of the route to find that while there was indeed some drainage, our proposed route seemed dry. Phew.
So we geared up and repacked our sacks and prepared to give battle. The first problem was that we had to cross the big snowfield at the base of the crag. Now you don’t get that at Stanage. So we did this thing, crabbing sideways across it, slipping and sliding in our rock shoes, and dropped into the bergschrund, which was a stream. So much for warm dry rock.
Now, if you don’t know The Clean Sweep, the first pitch is, shall we say, somewhat devoid of protection. Well up to the standard required, as
you might put it. But once I had cleaned the moss and damp off my shoes I managed to make the first moves and get established in the crack and soon all was well. Small but positive holds for the fingers, nice warm rough rock for the toes and then I was at the top of the whaleback, where the only belay is a low spike at foot level. But no matter, we were on.
Because the best pitches are the first and the third, we had decided that I would lead the first two, and then hand over to Simon for the next two. Now the second pitch requires a long traverse left and then a load of moves back right and up to get to a huge boulder at the base of the magnificent crux corner crack. Well this would have been fine, only being slabby and obviously in the wrong place as regards the increasing drips from invisible
46 / ARMY MOUNTAINEER