| We met our guides, Chris Ensoll and Anna Carter, in Fort William and after
sorting out equipment drove on to the Gondola station at Aonach Mor.
The cable car put us in reach of some snow, although a walk round the eastern side of Aonach Mor was necessary to find suitable conditions for instruction in pointing and arrests. |
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Nicky practices using her ice axe. Here the idea was that if we slipped on a slope with a well planted ice axe that we should be able to halt our fall by grabbing the axe at the base. |
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Instruction in using front points on crampons and ice axe. Preparing for the climbs later in the week. |
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The class look on as Peter takes his turn. |
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| Finally, practising 'arrests'.
The snow was frozen and steeper than it looks. We attempted to halt our progress down the hillside from a variety of different positions with and without the 'aid' of an axe. It all served to prove that prove that it was not going to be a good idea to fall over in the first place! |
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Our day ended with a climb over the hill and back to the top of the cable car.
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The essential lesson for the day was that, in Chris' words, "We were people that do not fall over" ..well.. at least "people that try not to fall over" |
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