Posted by Euan @ 5:26 pm on 20/02/12
Gayle scrambling on the North East Ridge of Angels Peak.
- The team outside Corrour Bothy.
Tam, Gayle and Ann walking from Angels Peak to Cairn Toul.
On Saturday Tam, Ann, Morag, Gayle, Paul, John and I headed into the Corrour Bothy from the Linn of Dee. Light snow and strong winds accompanied our walk in.
We got up early on Sunday and ascended the North East Ridge of Angels Peak to the summit, Cairn Toul and the Devils Elbow. There is still large amounts of snow in this area of the plateau. The high corries of the Cairngorms (such as An Garbh Coire) have large amounts of snow in them and on Sunday the buttresses were white. The descent to the Bothy from the plateau had some avalanche danger.
Today I have been in Glencoe teaching winter skills near the ski centre. It has been very wet. Torrential rain and high winds have affected Glencoe all day. A number of the rivers will now be difficult to cross.
Posted by Wilf @ 11:04 pm on 18/02/12
Out with Lorna, Arlene, Rachel, Lisa-Jane, Sabine and Neil from the Glasgow Hillwalking and Mountaineering Club today doing a Winter Skills course.
Sabine, Lorna, Neil and Arlene in NE Coire of Ben Ledi
We headed in to the north-east coire of Ben Ledi and were rewarded with plenty of old snow and neve to practice on. There was a dusting of fresh snow from overnight and there was a graupel shower as we headed up in the morning.
Neil, Arlene and Lisa-Jane on steeper ground towards the end of the day
The coire was relaively sheltered from the west/north-west winds, but did catch some strong gusts; these usually accompanying the snow showers, which passed through throughout the day. Pockets of wind slab were developing in sheltered locations and cross loading was occuring. The wind slab was showing easy shears, but wasn’t deep enough in the coire to be of concern today. Freezing down to road level by the time we returned to the cars.
Rachel taking a break from front pointing/daggering
Posted by Euan @ 10:30 pm on 16/02/12
Linda descending Y Gully with Hells Lum behind.
Brian at the top of Diagonal Gully with Loch Avon behind.
I have been out in the Cairngorms today with Brian, Linda, Tam, Graham and John from the Falkirk High Tops Team. We headed over to Stag Rocks and descended Y Gully before climbing back out via Diagonal Gully.
Conditions in the Cairngorms are currently very very lean. The turf was not frozen at any level today.
Posted by Wilf @ 9:06 pm on 15/02/12
Out with Tony, Steve, Curt & Bob from Falkirk today on Meall nan Tarmachan doing a Winter Navigation course. Patches of old snow from about 650m on north through east to south facing aspects.
Tony, Bob and Steve on Mell nan Tarmachan
The major gully lines on Cam Chreag were still just about complete. The snow pack was saturated at all heights and some patches of ice were still present. Above freezing all day with no precipitaion during the day and the strong wind varying from west through to north.
Cam Chreag
Posted by Wilf @ 11:09 am on 10/02/12
Out in the Cairngorms and Ben Nevis over the last four days. Earlier in the week the southerly and south-westerly winds were loading the lee slopes with wind slab and building cornices and avalanche activity was observed on Creagan Cha-no (above Strath Nethy) on Monday and Number 3 Gully on Ben Nevis on Tuesday. Green Gully, Wendigo, Central Right Hand, White Line, Glover’s Chimney and Number 2 Gully Buttress were all climbed on Tuesday, but conditions will have changed considerably since then.
There was a big thaw in the Cairngorms overnight Wednesday and through Thursday with buttresses largely stripping back to bare rock and even some of the thicker ice turning very soggy.
Posted by Wilf @ 9:30 pm on 4/02/12
I was out with John and Paul, Graham and Doug from the Falkirk Team today. After a false start involving deciding not to leave the mini-bus where we may not have been able to get it out later in the day due to steadily falling snow we were left with limited time, so chose to head to Newtyle. It was a first time dry tooling for the guys and they all seemed to have fun and technique improved massively through the day and will transfer well to future mixed climbing.
Sleet/snow throughout the day at Birnham and the ground remained largely frozen.
Unfortunately, I forgot the camera today, but can’t resist putting up a few more photos from yesterday on Route Major.
Euan having pulled out of the "tapered chimney"
Steve in the "tapered chimney"
Ian belaying below the chimney
Posted by Euan @ 9:13 am on
Steve at the top of Route Major.
Sharon climbing on Route Major with Hells Lum behind.
Ian looking towards Carn Etchachan and the Shelter Stone.
The belay below the exit chimney of Route Major.
Ian and Sharon walking across a frozen Loch Avon.
Today was a beautiful day in the Cairngorms. Ian, Sharon, Steve, Martin and I went over to Carn Etchachan and climbed Route Major. The approach was fairly quick due to the ground and Loch Avon being frozen.
The route itself, was in excellent condition. We chatted to another team who climbed Scorpion and Pamela and Nic climbed Deep Cut Chimney on Hells Lum.
During the day I could hear large bangs. I think it was ice falling off Stag Rocks but could not be sure of the exact location.
Posted by Euan @ 8:01 pm on 2/02/12
Scrambling on Emel Ridge.
Glenn and Pamela on Emel Ridge.
I have been out today with the EICA Ratho staff team on Beinn an Dothaidh. We climbed Emel Ridge which was in excellent condition. All the buttresses are currently white and some ice is begining to form.
The exits of the gully lines are currently heavily loaded with windslab.
Posted by Euan @ 9:06 pm on 1/02/12
I have been out in the Trossachs today. The turf was frozen from around 400m upwards. There is still a good covering of snow on the peaks. With the current weather, the mixed routes on Cam Chreag may be in good condition. Just remember those Warthogs!
Posted by Wilf @ 10:45 pm on 31/01/12
The last two days Euan and I have been out with Linda, Gayle, Graham and Tom from the Falkirk High Tops Team. On Monday we visited Ben an Dothaidh and climbed Stairway to Heaven.
NE Coire of Ben an Dothaidh with West Gully in the Centre and Stairway to Heaven on it's right
The route was in excellent condition with turf well frozen and some ice forming. No snow during the day, but wind transportation of snow on a fresh southerly with areas of wind slab forming in West and Central Gullies.
Gayle and Graham above the difficulties on Stairway to Heaven
Today we climbed the East Ridge of Stob Ban in the Mamores, which gave a very good route to the main ridge of Stob Ban. We then went over the summit of Stob Ban and dropped down past Lochan Coire nam Miseach before traversing The Devil’s Ridge and Sgurr a’Mhaim.
Looking down The East Ridge with Tom and Linda in the foreground and Martin, Graham and Gayle below
Linda and Tom on The East Ridge of Stob Ban
This gave an excellent mountaineering horseshoe of Coire Mhusgain with plenty of interest and stunning views.
Graham and Gayle on The East Ridge of Stob Ban
Turf well frozen above 200m, easy walk ins with limited snow cover below 600m. A few snow flurries during the day with, again, wind transport of snow on a southerly wind leading to areas of winslab forming on lee slopes.
Martin, Graham and Gayle on The Devil's Ridge
Graham with Stob Ban in the background
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