First ice route of the season

....For both John and I.  Unfortunately it was only indoors but was still great fun.  Great to get the tools and crampons out after sitting dormant since the Alps.  So after a good Latte, we spent a good 3 hours in the ice wall refining technique, trying new challenges and finding ways of being more stable and relaxed on the ice.  John was showing massive improvement from his classic bloke 'all arms' technique to a more elegant and thoughtful ice master...!  After plenty of laps we moved out to the cafe for another Latte and a well filled Panini, just what we needed for an afternoon of bouldering so we could work on John's rock climbing technique.  With plenty of lactic acid in the arms we called it a day and headed back to a wet Fort William.  Tomorrow will be spent out cragging putting John's new found technique into practice.  Although I worked at the Ice Factor for 4 and a half years, I forgot how good it is as a training facility to get ready for some steep winter climbing or even to test out your new kit, worth going!  Good vibe down there as Alan was in working his magic as well.