Don't look down

I know exactly where this section is that you are referring to GriffBaker, and like you  found it the most scary part of the Bell Traverse - especially with a full pack!  After this experience I was not looking forward to the  dodgy section behind the Mitre, but didn't find that too bad in the end. I guess everyone has their own level of what they find comfortable!

Thanks for the comments. 

Yup, everyone has their own personal level of dodgy classification. The guys I was with thought nothing of the section I'm referring to, but to me a wrong move there would mean...

Not sure if I would have the same issue going up. 

The reason I thought maybe you could bypass directly below Twins is that from the saddle after the dodgy section(the one I'm referring to at least) you do drop down quite a bit before you begin contouring around the Mitre. Maybe I will get a chance to check it out this weekend.

I'll agree with the others and say you can't really bypass it. Marco did take it fairly cautiously, and the first time I did it , I also found that section really scary.

The dodgy section on the other side of Mitre must have had a recent rock fall, as the key move is covered in sand is is very slippery. The dodgy bit near Bell Cave is also currently iced up - which isn't particularly fun.

You can bypass that section between the Mitre and Twins by just continuing on the lower level path around the Mitre and ascending the gully directly in front of Twins Cave, if approaching Twins Cave, or the reverse if descending. Much like Smurf's sketch using the lower red line, which is the height of the path around the Mitre anyway, and then the vertical red line of the gully in front of the cave.

I'm curious where you were going when you took that photo Smurfatefrog?

GriffBaker, I don't recognise that section in the slightest. Looks like you are quite high up, but every time we did it we came in from lower down. So yes you can bypass it, but then you are in for quite a steep but fortunately short climb back up to Twins. Looking at Smurfs pic I think we came in sort of on the level between the two red lines from the right (i.e. Mitre side) under the rockface, and then we climbed up to the yellow line. Difficult to explain precisely, but we were definitely not as high as you, and we definitely didn't encounter any dangerous/exposed  sections after the chessmen right up to Twins cave.

This weekend we went up the Camel, slept in Rolands Cave, traversed to Twins then descended via the Bell Traverse. The weather was clear and dry with small patches of ice on the Bell Traverse between the Bell and Bugger Gulley.

My opinion with regards to the exposure on the three(Camel, Rolands, Bell Traverse) is as follows:

The Camel route is beautiful with no serious sections in fine weather. The one rock slab you have to traverse I'm sure is tricky in wet or iced up conditions but in dry weather, like we had, it is a simple walk across. Windy Gap is a fun little scramble.

Roland's cave is lovely. You really can just walk in. Again, caution needed in wind and wet but the rock is wide enough that you simply walk. We carried a rope but did not use it.

Bell Traverse. I have done the Traverse once before in wet weather with only a trail running pack. That time I found the twins/mitre saddle sketchy(which is why I asked about the bypass in the above post) and the dodgy back of mitre traverse not so dodgy. 

This time I took the section at the twins/mitre saddle slowly with a heavy pack and it was manageable and alright but you definitely need to take care here. 

The sketchy traverse on the mitre. This time I dropped below and crossed on the grassy bank. The possibility of falling here is very real. Perhaps it is worse now(Ghaznavid referenced that perhaps a recent rockfall had happened). Of the three of us, only one crossed here. Again last time I had a light pack, this time a heavy pack. Last time it was misty( so I could not feel the exposure as much), this time it was bright and sunny. So much to do with the uniqueness of the situation. and current headspace.  I would not lead people over that section as I saw it yesterday and would always choose the lower drop-down.

The rest of the BT was fine. All the other obstacles have easier bypasses, which seem to be the favoured routes now anyway. I do experience some vertigo the entire route...but just enough for it to be exciting. The Cathedral side of Bugger Gulley is super eroded.

So for anyone interested, that is the opinion of a man who considers himself extremely heights averse.

*My opinion may also be entirely different if I were to do the route in reverse.

heyyyy how is this decent at Cathedral peak