How to climb Tower Ridge in winter

A first walk up to ‘the Ben’ in winter has to rank up there in any British mountaineer’s memories.  As the CIC hut draws nearer, and the deer that have come down from the hills to shelter from the weather are left behind, you become aware of something big up there.  If you are lucky and the mountain shows itself, the Great Tower on Tower Ridge will stand silhouetted against the sky, capping a jumble of buttresses and ridges heading for the plateau.

The most important thing to have in mind for a climb of Tower Ridge is how you prepare for it. Treat a winter ascent of Tower Ridge as an Alpine climb to give it both the respect and attitude that it deserves.

The Approach

At 600m long with crux pitches shared out over its entire length, Tower Ridge is one of the longest routes on mainland Britain and is best approached as an Alpine day out. It’s just over three miles to the CIC hut from the North face carpark with around 650m of ascent – the path up through the woods is good but steep to start with. It is best to walk up in the dark and reach the hut for ‘sunrise’ or for when the sky lights up; let’s face it, we might not see the sun.

Tower Ridge can be climbed in any condition, but the challenges will vary depending on whether you are doing a wet rock climb or a snow crested arctic adventure. The main factor that will cause grief on a winter climb of the ridge will be high winds, while very heavy snow conditions can also make things incredibly time consuming. In the face of frustrating conditions, the Southwest Ridge of the Douglas Boulder can give a shorter, lower down alternative.

The Climb

Leave the banter and nervous anticipation in the CIC hut behind and head up into Observatory Gully and the Eastern approach – the most popular way of starting the climb. Be aware, in some snow conditions the slopes up to Douglas Gap can be avalanche prone, so take note of the SAIS forecasts and choose your line of attack accordingly.

Take with you at least one thin rope and make sure it’s full-length in case you do need to escape. Moving together is key to having a good day and will ensure you make it back to enjoy an evening recounting tales of daring adventure in the Nevis Sport bar, rather than sitting on the Great Tower shivering and wondering how long you can make your final jelly baby last.

While moving together will help you get a shift on, there are around six to seven points in the route that are best done in short pitches. There’s a pitch out of Douglas Gap, a pitch after the first short section of ridge and a rising rightward traverse, a pitch up a short corner on the little tower (not to be mistaken for the Great Tower), two pitches from the start of the Eastern Traverse to the top of the Great Tower, and a pitch into and a pitch out of the Tower Gap.

Battling the crowds and avoiding benightment

Tower Ridge, like many classic alpine routes, is justifiably popular. Getting Tower Ridge all to yourself probably means that conditions are sub-optimal and everyone has likely gone for tea and dry tooling at the Ice Factor. An early start will get you nearer to the front, but be ready to pass people and to let people pass you. The Eastern Traverse and Tower Gap are the big bottlenecks and some parties can start to take a lot of time here.

Getting benighted high on the ridge is a possibility on an alpine route. If you don’t get your tactics right and take too much kit, you could join the considerable ranks of British mountaineers lucky enough to have spent the night waiting for daylight to return on top of the Great Tower. This prominent feature is high on the ridge and is sandwiched between two sections of more technical climbing. The climb into and out of Tower Gap is very exposed and some alpine rope work trickery is needed to protect both leader and second for the descent in to the gap.

Don’t get benighted on the Great Tower. If it’s dark when you get there, take your time and be safe but keep moving upwards as it’s the best option for a safe extraction from the ridge.

Those that continue the Eastern Traverse into Tower Gully may end up on steep ice slopes or face an avalanche-prone descent of Tower Gully/Observatory Gully. Some of the bolder have abseiled down Glovers Chimney, but the easier and safer option is to go up.

Remember that getting to the top is only half the job as the five mile walk back to the car may seem much longer in failing light and/or whiteout conditions. If you had an early start and danced up perfect late-season neve and dry rock to arrive on a sun-drenched plateau, you might want to break out the sunglasses and factor 50 and make a day of it with a trip over the summit and round the CMD arête to get the classic long shots of this magnificent north face. However, reality and conditions will likely dictate the guidance on which of the two bearings to take.

Whether your thing is climbing the latest extreme test pieces while busting out figure or whether this will be the climb of a lifetime with a guide, Tower Ridge has a special place as a true alpine challenge amongst British Mountain routes. It has to be on any British mountaineers to do list simply as a celebration of the best that British mountains have to offer.

Suggested Equipment:

Boots: You should have a B2 or B3 boot.

Crampons: Consider using a 12 point crampon or a more technical climbing crampon.

Axes: Two axes will help speed up progress and is generally recommended. However, if you are experienced and have the right conditions, one axe might be enough.

Rack: Take medium to large wires, four to five slings (include at least one big sling), and around four quickdraws.

Rope: 50m or 60m half rope (double it if needed).