BMC International Winter Meet Underway

The BMC International Winter Meet runs all this week in the Cairngorms, with  British climbers playing host to 40 international guests from 27 countries and with daily updates being posted on the BMC web site.

The hosts include top climbers like Dave MacLeod, Simon Richardson, Zoe Hart, Alan Hinkes and Ian Parnell, who are all experienced Scottish winter mountaineers.

Having said that, participatns come from right across the grades with a mix of hard routes and relatively easy ones being tackled according to ability and experience.

On Day Three of the meet, for example, while Zoe Hart (USA), Ian Parnell, Simon Richardson and Maxine Turgeon (Canada) climbed a three-pitch new route named Big Wednesday (VI, 6) - see pic, Parnell - Col. HS Chauhan, the Secretary of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation did his first Munro - Brynach More - in a snow storm and bitter gusting  winds.

On Day Two, climbers headed across to Ben Nevis in search of ice on the higher routes while others climbed in the Northern Corries of Cairngorm. Good to see the BMC introducing those pesky furriners to the delights of Scottish winter mountaineering, though it's a shame that things are rather warmer than they were a few weeks ago.

In advance of the meet, Nick Colton, BMC Deputy CEO said: “BMC International Meets always spawn some fantastic mountaineering achievements as well as foster great friendships between  climbers of all nationalities. We’re looking forward to welcoming our international guests  and introducing them to the delights of winter climbing in Scotland.“

More information at www.thebmc.co.uk