West Coast Mountaineering

A great 4 days with returning group Walkers with Altitude. Based in and around Fort William we had a challenging time both with the weather and the high avalanche forecasts. Day 1 was spent traversing the Buachaille Etive Beag which had an alpine snow arete on the south ridge, a damp day. Day 2s forecast was worse, so we headed to the Ice Factor where we spent the day looking at climbing steeper stuff on rock and ice. Day 3, was named ballistic day but turned out to be the opposite and we had a great afternoon hit on Creag Meagaidh;s north ridge taking in Sron Coire A Chriochairein and the edge of Cairn Liath. Yesterday, plan A was to ascend the east ridge of Carn Mor Dearg from the Nevis Range gondola but we found the connecting glen too hard going with soft deep snow so we ascended a safe west face rib bringing us out level with the quad chair, great wee route on mountaineering ground.

    

 

  

Winter in Full Swing

Its been a busy 3 weeks since New Year mostly working for Glenmore Lodge, Learn to Lead, Winter Mountaineering, Winter Skills and a hill and safety course with Arqiva who look after the TV and Radio masts countrywide.

Conditions up on the Cairngorms are in full swing with an amazing cover above 750m very similar to what we had back in 2010, even although its not been very cold low down, the continuous low pressure systems have been packing the snow in.

It was snowing heavy this afternoon above 900m with still strong SE winds. The climbing routes in the corries were buried at the start of the week so id say there may be even less rock showing now, maybe everything will become grade I.

A few photos below of today and the last few weeks.

Fantastic Weekend....

Fantastic weekend with Arran and David. Arran looking to get on the sharp end and David on an intro to winter climbing, a good pairing. Saturday was windy, gusty, snowy with a freezing level of around 1000m. We spent most of the day on and around the twin ribs of the fiacaill ridge with a final ascent up and onto the ridge before escaping back to the car park.

Today, Sunday, we made our way into Sneachda and an already busy Mess of Pottage. We decided to climb Jacobs Left Edge I/II based on the fact that no one else was on it and it tied in nicely with Arran and David's game plan. We topped out in fantastic light and no wind. The mountain now has a great base for climbing, skiing, walking but there is still alot of deep windblown snow on gully exits.                                              

Continuing that serious note, if you see an instructor/guide soloing alongside 2 clients and climbing in front of you, possibly on "your" route, please stay clear! You can try and overtake, i cant stop you (ill try), but if you then play knitting with our rope and gear and into the bargain your practice is very poor, be prepared for a volley of abuse. A bit of patience or earlier start keeps everybody safe. Duty of care, client safety comes first!

Stormy

I think the pictures say enough, the main skill today was........ survival. The storm cycle continues.
Merry Christmas.

Hidden Chimney

We sometimes says that you have to rub your nose on routes/venues before you can make that final decision, that sometimes involves a long journey with nothing in return or a good day out. Arran, a returning client made the long drive yesterday morning from Edinburgh with the possibility of a days guided winter climbing on a dubious forecast. Strong winds, fluctuating freezing levels and rain, sleet and snow forecast. After a wet start from the ski carpark we eventually entered the corrie to find gusty conditions and still dampish snow. We eventually found not bad conditions on the Mess of Pottage and climbed Hidden Chimney, it was -3 at the top of the crag by the end of the day.

  

Imperial College London

An annual visit from Imperial College London Mountaineering club, for the first time in 4 years we didnt manage to get up the hill on day 1 due to hurricane force winds. We retreated to a dry Cummingston where we covered setting up anchors, retreating from routes, multi pitch climbing and moving together, its amazing what you can cover at a single pitch venue when you know it well. Day 2, we walked into Coire Sneachda to find thin snow cover so we eventually had our winter skills/mountaineering session on the plateau in Coire Domhain. Its great to work with a group of young mountaineers so enthused in what they are doing and climbing very well.

Winter 2013/14

Its been a cold week with a continual freeze thaw cycles and some new snow. I had a wander around the Northern Corries today which were very wintery but still thin, the turf was frozen and there was lots and lots of rime.... everywhere, icy in places. The Mess of Pottage had the most traffic with lots of routes getting done. Other routes getting climbed, The Lamp, Spiral gully, Hoarmaster, Savage Slit, Fallout Corner, Oesophagus. Under foot there was an icy cruddy top surface layer which although hard going in places will help with the consolidation, as the fresh stuff underneath wont get blown away. Pygmy Ridge looked in great nic, nobody on it.