How far ahead did you have to book that?
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Well done to you both,a major achievement,thankyou for the Summit to Summit
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There’s no two ways about it, that is a totally magnificent day out even without SOTA as the icing on the cake. I am envious!
No climbers tunnelling through the cornice? 
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The cornice overhangs look to have all collapsed a while ago, leaving just a vertical head wall. The faces are mainly stripped of ice, with the exception of the summit buttresses. We bumped into a climber at the summit of Carn Mor Dearg. He’d climbed Observatory gully, nipped across the top of Tower scoop and summited via Tower gully. With energy to spare, he nipped around the arete and descended via Carn Mor Dearg.
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I met some guys with snowboards (??mountaineers??) in the Aonoch beag car park this morning who went down Observatory gully yesterday but considered it “too icy”. So they were off to do easy gully in Corrie an Lochain on Aonoch Mor today…
Suspect it will be “too rocky” this one, but they might be burrowing the cornice…
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Some of my best climbing on the Ben was at this time of year. I remember a day when we had done Tower Scoop and were finishing by Tower Gully, we looked up and there was a guy standing on the cornice looking down at us, he had to be a good two metres out from the rock face. We shouted at him to go back but he just looked at us as if we were mad. The cornice didn’t give way, I guess he never knew how near a flying lesson he was! That was Easter many moons ago, IIRC the snow was deep enough to hide the trig point plinth.
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I don’t talk about that time I started climbing Glovers Chimney at 2pm, climbing the chimney pitch, tower gap and the remainder of tower ridge in the dark! Summited at 9pm. Long, slow walk back down to our tent, arriving 6am. Great memory though
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Case on point this afternoon on Aonoch Mor …. It didn’t go, and he found a better way
Or the February night I spent on the top for Bidean… best not
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I think its probable that any keen climber has a store of such tales, best kept for the pub over a “half an’ a half”! 
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Getting Ben on The Ben - Report
Ben @GW4BML messaged me some time ago. He wanted to activate Ben Nevis GM/WS-001 with
me, which was fine because I also wanted to activate Ben Nevis. The only problem was how? I’ve
summited The Ben 13 times previously via different ridges, rock and ice routes and even via the long
mountain path a couple of times. I fancied repeating one of the classic ridge – Tower, Observatory, Castle or even the NE Buttress. However, Ben planned on an April visit, to that was all out as they would be in winter condition. I offered Ben Carn mor Dearg GM/WS-003 and then the arête round to Ben Nevis. The arête is good fun in any conditions. Ben got back to me a couple of
hours later. “Is there any way we could include Aonach Beag GM/WS-002?” If you know Ben, you
know he likes value for money! So, the scene was set for a big mountaineering day out in April, a
time of year where on the higher mountains one can encounter anything from full winter climbing
conditions to the polar opposite.
Monday 22nd April 2024 All times BST
I told my boss I was leaving early, so managed to get home for 2pm and get Dora the Explorer
packed and fuelled up ready for the 111 mile drive over to the west coast. Ben was coming down
from Skye. Tim @G5OLD was also in the area and needing to borrow an adaptor for his radio, so we
would all meet at the Nevis Range ski centre car park.
I got there at 7pm, having enjoyed improving weather conditions as I drove westwards. It was a
lovely spring evening and the three of us stood outside yapping until 9pm. Tim would be leaving
early to drive up to Spean Bridge for his activation of GM/WS-005 and GM/WS-021 in the nearby
Grey Corries range. Ben and I would have a leisurely start, taking the first Gondola up to the top
station at 0930.
As a side note, the ski centre has seen a lot of development recently, with hotel, ski and bike shops
and overnight van camping for £15. There are also excellent toilets and showers. There were around half a dozen vans there in addition to our three.
Tuesday 23rd April 2024
I heard Tim’s van depart and fell back to sleep. I re-woke at 0730 and made some porridge, tea and
muffins. Ben soon appeared and asked if I wanted a bacon roll. Sure, I could easily have two breakfasts today!
At 0900 we re-grouped and compared kit. We both carried food, Ben had 1st Aid, I had a bothy bag. We both carried an axe, crampons and helmets. No rope or harness. The helmets were purely in case of loose rock on thawing steep ground. For food, Ben had sandwiches and snacks. I had a Soreen malt loaf and a couple of bananas. Gloves, hats, insulation, rain jackets. Both had Garmin Inreach. I also had phone mapping.
Radio kit was minimal. I carried my Yaesu ft-60 hand held. This was my summit radio and would be used with a 4m pole and a slim-G. I also carried my Yaesu FT-3d on my pack, with just the stock rubber whip. It would be my back-up and would also be transmitting APRS packets every five minutes. @GM4OAS Gordon and @GM7PKT Robin both run digi-peaters in the area and it would help with the 2m chases. Ben carried his KX2, EFHW and Carbon 6 pole. He had a Yaesu FT-5d on his pack. We planned on quick activations, 2m FM for me and 40m SSB for Ben.
The gondola ride took 15 minutes and deposited us at 650m, leaving us 571m to climb to Aonach Mor. It can be quite confusing to pick a route up the steep broad grassy slope, with numerous ski tows, snow
fences and other ski structures all round. I recalled earthy foot steps in the grass from last time and we soon found these, just a little way north of the gondola top station.
at the gondola top station and ready to go!
The climb was laborious, with little in the way of a warm up for us. Further up we encountered several large patches of old hard snow, easily avoided. Soon a cornice and the east face of the mountain appeared above us. The angle eased and by keeping away from the edge we were able to walk on short grass for around 1200m to the summit of Aonach Mor (1221m), which falls about 20m short of the required prominence for a SOTA summit.
Easy gully and the east face of Aonach Mor - a winter climbers playground
Walking on, still heading south, gentle slopes took us down to the bealach (col) between Aonach Mor and our first objective, Aonach Beag. Glancing west showed the full severity of what was ahead. The east ridge of Carn mor Dearg looked intimidating.
the east ridge of Carn mor Dearg on the left
From the bealach a rocky path zig-zagged up to the top of Aonach Beag, its half-dome summit capped in snow. We daren’t approach the edge due to the large cornice, so I plonked myself down about 5m from the edge, with Ben a further 10m down from me. We were bang on time at 1130. It would be the last time that day!
heading to Aonach Beag GM/WS-002 (1234m)
The snow allowed for quick set up. Once our ice axes had been pushed through the snow, the masts simply filled the hole. Ben actually got going on 40m SSB before I was ready, so speedy was his set up. All of my pre-publication of my 2m FM plans for the day would now be put to the test. Thankfully the plan worked. I had a small pile up and quickly qualified the summit, with a few to spare. Lucky timing meant I got a S2S with Tim, who was still on his first summit. In the background I heard Ben manage an almighty pile up on 40m. He called QRT just after me.
Ben on Aonach Beag, Ben Nevis looming behind
We re-traced our steps to the bealach and looked for a way down to the head of Coire Giubhaschan, the top of which is a north/south watershed. Finding this watershed would hopefully allow us to
access the east ridge of Carn mor Dearg.
heading down to the corrie
It seemed that the best way to avoid any outcrops was to head down a scree run. When this petered out, we took to steep grass. Further down and with our view opening up a bit, we decided to take a traverse to the north, hoping to land in the corrie near the watershed. We had to watch out on some greasy stream crossings and side step a few small crags, but the plan worked. Soon enough we were on the dry grassy watershed beside the remains of a stone wall that looked to have gone up the ridge for some distance. Ben suggested lunch. It was 1300. We were behind schedule, the descent having taken longer than planned.
lunch spot, the wall and the start of the east ridge
Ben spotted a rough path that steeply zig-zagged between the broken buttresses of the broad based ridge. We took to that. Out of sight, it eased off, the ridge narrowed, with bare rock to our left and full snow cover to our right, with the snow folding over the top of the ridge, forming a peak. Crampon time. We plodded up gingerly, aware of the exposure on both sides. Tough going in sun melted snow with a firm base just a few cm down.
heading up the east ridge of Carn mor Dearg
The ridge again steepened to form a broken buttress. The rocks were warm to the touch and devoid of snow. Off came the crampons and we scrambled up, suddenly appearing directly at the summit cairn. It was 1415. We were 30 minutes off the pace. Not a lot of room up here, so I sat at the top of the ridge, pole extended from my pack and got going on 2m. Ben was just 3m behind me, on the Ben Nevis side of the summit. I qualified quickly, the highlight being adding @GI0AZA and @GI0AZB to my log, some 250km south west of me. A brilliant couple of QSO’s. Of course, they also worked Ben on 40m too!
MM0EFI on GM/WS-003
GM4BML on GM/WS-003
I was finished first and got talking to a couple from Ohio. They had climbed Carn mor Dearg and then headed around the arête, only to be turned back by snow. We had a quick chat about what we were up to. They had to duck under Ben’s wire, there was so little room. They left happy enough though. Ben finished and we quickly packed up and descended to what could be the trickiest part of the day – the Carn mor Dearg arête.
The narrow and exposed 1km long ridge drops down from Carn mor Dearg, taking a graceful arc to meet the main lump of Ben Nevis at around 1100m, leaving 245m to climb to the summit. I hadn’t been this way for a number of years and despite having done it twice in summer and twice in winter, couldn’t really recall all that much about it.
The CMD arete from Carn mor Dearg summit
It wasn’t actually all that bad. Most of it is a very exposed walk. Ocassionally the ridge is just one block wide, with our feet on a half a metre wide solidly planted rock and significant drops on either side. A few times, hands were needed to enable progress around blocks and we had one short wall to climb near the Ben Nevis end. Soon enough we arrived at the marker cairn that signified the end of the arête. The marker cairn also marks a point where it is relatively easy to descend into Coire Leis
and escape the mountain. Once an abseil post stood here, but it isn’t really needed. Even on snow, it is a simple down climb, allowing for any cornice.
on the arete
end of the arete, with just the summit slope to climb
Again, we donned crampons and carried the axes. A slip on the steep snow slope would either result on a tumble over the Little Brenva face on the right, or crashing into exposed boulders on the left. We plodded up with tired legs. It couldn’t have been that bad, as we continued yapping all the way up, only stopping for the odd “photo opportunity”. The great thing about approaching The Ben from this direction is that one pops out on the summit at the top of the slope. It always surprises me. This time was the same. We walked the last 100m to a quiet summit, with only one other couple visible. It was 1630. We were now an hour behind. Oops! Anyway, it was summit selfie time.
The highest folk in the British Isles!
a bonus point if you can name the gully
We got to work, a well-rehearsed routine by now. This time things were slower for me, but not Ben. He was experiencing yet another pile up. I thought I’d logged four, but looking at my phone only showed three. With some patience (for me) I flicked up and down from the calling channel to
145.400MHZ up and down, adding QSO’s here and there, including a couple up on the island of Skye this time. No GI this time, which surprised me, given the additional 125m altitude. Hero chaser of the day has to go to Douglas @MM7DCD. Douglas heard of my 2m FM only plans and messaged me to say he’d be going up GM/SS-222 Duncolm, which sits 18km north west of Glasgow. Douglas was determined to give me contacts on all three summits, and that is exactly what he did, sitting up there all day. Of course, he did add a lot of other stations to his own log, but a massive thanks from me for the three summit to summit calls.
a fine quiet summit
Telepathically we both called QRT at the same time. It was 1700 when we started our descent. I reckoned on 2.5 hours to trudge down the long mountain path to the car park. We’re not supposed to call it the tourist path these days because that encourages il-prepared people. On our way down
we passed a couple of lads with two poles between them and nothing else except for a Go-Pro. Further down still, a guy bend double under the weight of what must have been a 50kg Bergen. Then a couple heading down, clearly broken with just a couple of km to go. Finally, a lady, walking ever so slowly across the footbridge leading to the car park, her husband and dog waiting patiently for her.
Waiting patiently for us were Ben’s partner Martha, daughter Lyra and also Tim. We enjoyed hot coffees, swapped greatly exaggerated stories about our days and chilled for a bit. It had taken us exactly 2.5 hours to reach the car park.
SUMMARY
A brilliant day all round. Perfect weather, little wind and a great mountaineering day spent on a rarely travelled route. Ben enjoyed massive 40m pileups on his summits, totalling 113 QSO’s and I totalled 30 2m FM QSO’s across the three tops, which I have to thank the patient chasers for. 21.5km walked, with 2182m/7158’ of ascent, excluding the gondola ride. Four 1200m/4000’+ summits, three SOTA ten pointers. Four of the UK’s highest mountains (#1, #7, #8 & #9). We both slept well that night and I think I got Ben on The Ben in style.
By the time Ben uploads his considerable paper log for the day, he will be the 99th activator of Ben Nevis GM/WS-001. Who fancies going for the Century?
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What a fantastic day! Well done. No chance of a QSO from here - deafening chaser QRM 
73,
Rod
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Brilliant report and photos of an epic SOTA expedition. Brilliant to get Ben on all summits and I listened for you but not much hope from here Fraser😟. Well done both.
73 Allan
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Fantastic report and photos of an epic day. We were listening hard for you on VHF and it was the highlight of the chase for us both to work you Fraser, you have a great set up for the summits, hearty congratulations to both 
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Epic is about the only word to describe it!. Thanks for doing this and for documenting it. I was watching you on aprs.fi, Fraser, but I think you must have been out of range at times as the tracking was a bit sporadic.
I attempted Ben Nevis with my Dad a few years back but the weather was atrocious (the wind was particularly awful, with frequent squalls) and we were thwarted by the snow and ice which was still abundant in mid-May. We didn’t make the summit (a bit of a downer I must admit at the time) as my Dad didn’t feel safe, but it’s not going anywhere and so I need to make the long journey north to try again., this time with my radio! What a mountain though!
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Might be worth training on the local summits James, before going for the big one! I am still waiting for that first promised s2s…:
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Thanks very much for the marvellous report and pictures - I’m sure that they are the closest I will now ever get to any of those hills. Congratulations on qualifying each summit on 2m fm as I know quite a few people have failed to get the necessary 4 despite frequent calls from the Ben. I was easily convinced that it wasn’t worth my while going up any of the local hills and listening out for you… Hope to have better luck within a week or two when we are considerably closer!
73 Viki
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Yikes, you’re welcome to that CMD arete - it’s not for me that! I did like the look of your route from the gondola to WS-003 & WS-002 though, so may consider that for the future - if there’s a viable return route from the second summit that doesn’t involve aretes!
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Hah, yes you’re right of course Viki. In fact I activated G/WB-006 on Sunday, feet in mouth, mincing my words, fingers all over the place attempting to log, but I had a great time, so yes S2S soon!
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That’s a great report of an amazing day in the mountains. Well done to both of you.
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Great report. Massive day, even without the radio!
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