Tower Gully, Ben Nevis - Cornice?

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 Spready 16 Mar 2022

Heading up on Monday with my daughter, with the idea of Tower Gully if conditions are OK or Ledge Route if sketcky.. 
She is new to the white stuff so a gentle gully is required. 
I can't find details of the Cornice condition - Huge, easy? etc..
Basically - whats the current exit like?

I've done it a few times and had very different exits... She is not ready for a vertical heave over a cornice! 
 

In reply to Spready:

Was up there today. There was quite a bit more snow overnight than forecast, although by Monday I'm sure all that new stuff will melt into the snow pack given the tempetures over the weekend.

I've not seen the exit to Tower Gully, but there are some large cornices developing in many areas of the Ben. Number 3 for example looked pretty much impassable.

Ledge Route might be a better intro route despite the higher grade. You'll be able to get rock belays and keep her roped at sections that are exposed or where she's uncomfortable being off a rope. Tower Gully I've always thought is pretty serious. It's a long way up Observatory, like any gully - hard to protect, it's steep for the grade and with Tower Scoop below, a slip is serious. Although Tower Gully gets grade I, I'm not sure it would be my first choice to take someone new to winter climbing up.

I'm saying this mainly because one of my first days winter climbing I went up that direction late in the season. I was well out my depth and ended up having to gingerly climb all the way back down from near the top. 

All in, Ledge Route just has better views anyway!

Post edited at 22:05
OP Spready 17 Mar 2022
In reply to Martin McKenna - Rockfax:

Thanks Martin - very sensible advice... Thank you for taking the time to respond.. 
 

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