Successful return to Aonach Mor

Forecast was +2'c at 900m, so we had to go high. Just over 2 weeks after running away from avalanche slopes on Aonach Mor, we were back on the off chance that there was ice to climb. We were right! Visibility was poor, there was some definite dripping going on, but no wind. Surprisingly there wasn't many teams out.

It was a little soft at the bottom of the route, and foot placements never felt totally secure, but White Shark IV,5 *** gave a good climb. We felt rusty and weak, but just about managed to hold it together long enough to get up the crux steep section on the second pitch. There was soft snow on the upper slopes (a while since I've used a deadman in a belay on a route), and a tricky cornice which succumbed to swapping axes so that I could use Vic's better plunging HB Hurricane, and a traverse to the right.

We just made the gondala and relaxed in the new cafe. Very civilised.