Essential Planning…
Welcome to The White Spider, this website has been created as a free resource to help hillwalkers and climbers plan trips to Britain’s national parks and other upland areas. The site brings together detailed mapping, localised weather information, mountain webcams, photo galleries and related info.
Naming of The White Spider…
The site name and logo design are a reference to the famous hanging ice-field on the ‘classic route’ of the North Wall of the Eiger. It’s snow filled cracks radiating out in the shape of a spider became synonymous with mountaineering when Heinrich Harrer took its name for his landmark book detailing the first successful ascent in 1938 (by Heckmair, Vörg, Harrer and Kasparek). The unique challenge of the Eiger’s Nordwand, combined with the history and drama that grew alongside the many ill-fated ascent attempts, inspired a new generation of British climbers in the 1950s and 60s (eg. Chris Bonington/Ian Clough – first British ascent) to make the journey to tackle the treacherous route, often after honing their skills in the very fells and mountains featured on this site, particularly in Snowdonia and the Lake District.
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Cairngorm Plateau, Jan 2012