Pertex Presents: Beinn Eighe

Scottish Winter mountaineering is the full test.

Not only whether you can cope with the physical challenges; a heavier pack, a more arduous walk in, trickier navigation, time constraints, staying warm while belaying in dark gullies, keeping your ropes tidy, calf pump, arms and shoulders on fire, getting off the top in the gloaming; but also whether you can accept and maybe even relish the emotional ingredients of the day.

Getting a buffeting from the wind, route reading on terrain that might not be, and often isn’t, in guidebook conditions, being cold, being frightened, but still questing upwards. If these characteristics of the day can be not only tolerated but embraced, then winter climbing in Scotland, which can be a hard won joy, is the full package.

Jack and Ella take us up Beinn Eighe’s Far East Wall, giving us a flavour of the acquired taste of what oft-fickle Scottish winter climbing can be like. They show their home mountains are every bit the equal as proving grounds to those found on longer journeys.

Partner: @rab.equipment
Athletes: @ella_mary_wright @jack.morris94
Film: @coldhouse_

#JourneysCloseToHome
#Pertex

Instagram:   / pertex  
Facebook:   / pertex  
Twitter:   / _pertex  

Subscribe to PERTEX: http://tiny.cc/PERTEX-subscribe
Discover our fabrics: https://pertex.com/elemental-protection/
Discover our stories: https://pertex.com/elemental-journeys/

Got questions? Let us know by leaving your comments below!

Discover our stories on the PERTEX YouTube Channel:
📽 Dark Peak Fell Runners: http://tiny.cc/Dark-Peak-Fell-Runners
📽 Janhukot - How To Go On A Greater Ranges Expedition: http://tiny.cc/Janhukot
📽 Elemental Journeys: http://tiny.cc/Elemental-Journeys

ABOUT PERTEX

First registered in 1979 after the concept was discovered by Hamish Hamilton, Pertex® have grown from humble beginnings as a simple theory and vision into an iconic fabric technology brand.

We are now established as the leader in lightweight technical fabrics and today are partnered with some of the most prestigious and successful brands in the outdoor industry.

Our technical knowledge is matched with a solid understanding of the outdoor environment. We appreciate that protection from the elements is paramount to maximise the enjoyment factor and experience in the outdoors.

Based on our founding principles of long-standing relationships, we continually collaborate with brand partners across the world to drive innovation and retain an integral position at the forefront of fabric design.

It is our continued ambition to enrich the current and future generations’ experiences of the outdoors.

It is our continued aim to protect from the elements and we are determined to enrich the outdoor experience for the current and future generations.

TRANSCRIPT

North West of Scotland always feels super remote.

To be in the extremes of the Scottish winter is so unique in its own way. Having all the dramatic surroundings around you, to look at the mountains and know that once upon a time they were bigger than the Himalayas.

Whatever level you are at, or looking to aspire to, Bienn Eighe has got a bit of everything, something for you to go and test yourself against.

It's a perfect training ground for anyone who is into mountaineering.

You can have some of the biggest adventures on these relatively small cliffs and have all the fear and adrenaline you would climbing in the Alps.

The anticipation of walking into a climb and not knowing what you are going to expect like even though the guidebook might say this is the route and this is the grade - conditions are different and so unpredictable you can’t just go off on only that prediction. You need to be out there making your own judgements on the snowpack.

And you are walking in trying to pick up loads of clues around you and the surroundings around you.

You are going into quite a serious place and you know it’s going to be a battle.

I think it takes a particular person to enjoy a 'sufferfest'.

We don’t bring the mountain down to our level, we aspire to try and get up to the mountain's level.

You can be walking in for an hour and a half, two hours, three hours before you even see the buttress you are going to look to climb on.

Is that little ribbon of ice going to be there? Is the crag going to be white? I don’t know.

Mountaineers from all over the world know Bienn Eighe. It is incredible. Just the quality of winter climbing at such a low altitude.

The people you go Scottish winter climbing with they have to be your friends.

You are both going through something that is really challenging and your bodies are working hard.

It's pretty incredible and it makes you really close.

If you turn up for three days you might only get one day’s climbing out of that, but it makes it all special when it comes good. It's the best place in the world the North West of Scotland. It's like the place of giants.