I'm always confused with this route. I think you do this climb by doing Table Direct first and then the arete proper. I can never remember which bit is the arete and which bit the table.

Anyway four of us, Steve Tree, Frank, Chris Flint and I drove up on Friday evening and bivvied at the car park on the N. side. Had a nice little fire going.

Woke up the next morning at 6:30, cooked breakfast and headed upward. It was hot... even that early. We all sweated buckets. We took the path to the bottom of the climb and as a consequence had to clamber over even more loose scree than we should have done. Arrived at the bottom of the climb feeling a little over-heated!

In the Paul Williams' guidebook, it says that the climb is "traditionally done in big boots as a prelude to an alpine season".

Hah! We thought lets be rebels. So we put on our rock-shoes.

Some idiot had scratched in the rock, "not this table", followed by an arrow pointing down. This was obviously another traditionalist upset at so many people starting the climb in the wrong place and missing out the first pitch. So... we started in the wrong place and missed out the first pitch.

I was desperate for some other traditionalists to come along and get irate with us just so I could tell them to, "sod off".

It was hot. Did I mention that? It was too hot to spend any time on The Table and we scrambled off the side and sat in the shade offered by the notch in the ridge. A cool breeze wafted over us. Heaven!

The rest of the climb went very smoothly although at one of the belay stances some traditionalist had taken a dump and the stench was quite appalling. Poor Frank couldn't stand it and wretched uncontrollably.

"Hey, don't puke on my new rope", I said.

In fact Frank was in such a poor state that I had to offer him the next lead and he scampered upward hardly bothering to place protection.

Walked off and scree-ran down to the lake. It was wonderfully cool and refreshing.

Even walking downhill to the car was quite tiring. The heat was energy sapping.

No photographs I'm afraid but here are some photos from a trip two years ago.

Drove back. Arrived about 21:45.

It was a good day out!