Skye

West is best just now and has been for the last 2/3 weeks, apart from the midges! Saturday was spent looking after Stirling Outdoor Activities group on the Inn Pinn and Sgurr Mic Connich.  I made 3 ascents taking 7 of the team up top, some of the group nearly finishing their round of the Munros and some on their 2nd and 3rd rounds, very impressive! I was surprised how quiet it was, we didnt have to queue.

Summer? ML Refresher

Some photos from the Cairngorms over the weekend. I was working for Glenmore Lodge on a Summer ML refresher. Saturday was spent in the Chalamain Gap looking at steep ground group management and ropework and on Sunday we navigated into and around Coire an Lochain. There is still good cover of firm snow around which looked better than what we had through the main winter months, the ski touring looked amazing.

Ben Nevis

I just spent an enjoyable weekend climbing on the Ben with returning client Colin.

Saturday - No3 Gully Buttress, after a wet and windy walkin we were surprised with the wintery look of coire na ciste. Although the bottom part of the route was still in condition the top half was thin and rocky with alot of loose blocks. The traverse was half complete with neve so we opted for a direct finish.

Sunday - Overnight heavy showers gave a dusting of snow down to 600m. Alot more folks around making for queues on what was left. We opted for Tower Ridge which was hard work with 2 to 3 inches of fresh snow covering rock with the odd few patchs of neve left. There were further heavy snow and hail showers during the day. Routes getting climbed - NE Buttress, Smiths, Indictator Wall, Tower Scoop, Tower Ridge, Cascade, and all the easy gullies, Slab Route. Hopefully winter will conitnue and having walked up on both days from the NF carpark..... im now resting my Easy Coast legs, until the weekend!

Winter ML Refresher

Working at Glenmore Lodge over the weekend on a ML refresher. Saturday was drizzly and damp with low cloud coming and going, we focused on navigation, teaching movement skills and self arrest. Sunday was spent on steep ground looking at group management, snow anchors and scenarios, the 2 days couldnt have been more different with colder temperatures and an overnight dusting of snow tranforming the northern corries. More snow please.... anything will do!

Shitpipe Sesh

Today has been penciled in my diary since the start of the winter as a day for getting a big route in preferrably away from the Cairngorms. Sods law, Scotland this week has been one of the warmist places in Europe and todays hill forecast was pants along with current conditions.

Plan B, i ended up in Thurso at midday and had a cold but enjoyable afternoon on the Shitpipe wave. Magicseaweed had forecast waves breaking at overhead height with 3 stars today so i was relieved to see waves at half that height when i arrived. Still not got the bottle to get onto Thurso East. I suppose Magicseaweed are a bit like MWIS, sometimes its right and sometimes its wrong.

4 days Winter Skills

Some photos from in and around Cairngorm after a winter skills course. A real mix of conditions which is always great for the learning process. We re still very thin on snow which is a bit concerning, fingers crossed for February.

MCofS Climbing Weekend

Ive been working at Glenmore Lodge over the weekend on 2 one day workshops for MCofS taking students from Dundee University through the "process" of winter climbing without actually climbing. Lots of talking and chatting through whats involved with kit, weather forecasts, avalanche awareness, route selection...... a very long list but hopefully the students went away with some top tips and a better understanding of winter climbing. As you can see from the photos its lucky we were'nt actually climbing! More snow please.