Winter Conditions

I have just spent the last two days with the Falkirk High Tops Team. On monday we climbed Raeburns Route in Stob Coire Nan Lochain. The first pitch is becoming very thin but above this the route is in excellent condition. The route would be best started at the moment via NC Gully as long as the cornices above the gully are stable.

Today some of us climbed Pateys Route on Aladdins Buttress in the Northern Corries. The route was in good condition. The rest of the team climbed Doctors Choice. The first pitch of this route is in poor condition but the groove above does currently have enough ice. The corries were quiet today. A numbe rof routes from grade I to V 6 look in good condition at the moment.

Out on a snow holing expedition with Adventure Edinburgh overnight on Saturday. We used the moraines area in Coire an t’Sneachda to give a short approach as it was a first time overnighting in a snow hole for all of these teenagers. The group did excellently and learnt a lot about the effort and organisation required to have a comfortable night.

The snow was firm to dig in to with an interesting ice layer at depth. Walking conditions were OK, with a crust and foot penetration varying between a few inches and a foot or so when breaking through.

It snowed lightly at the 900m level during the evening and night on a fresh north west wind, giving enough drifting to require doorways to be dug out. Rain at 450m level as we drove back over Drummochter on Sunday.

On thursday Ian, Steve and i climbed West Chimney in Stob Coire Nan Beith (Glencoe). The route was in excellent condition. However, it was raining at all levels. Other teams were seen approaching No.6 Gully and Deep Cut Chimney.

We headed to the Gorms today in hope of better weather and climbed Fluted Buttress Direct. The route was in good condition apart from crucially the first ten metres at the start of the crux pitch. This gave bold climbing with insecure placements e.g. very little ice. The new Scottish Winter Climbs suggests in these conditions it can be V 5 and this felt about right. One other team was spotted on Fingers Ridge.

Relatively easy day on Ben Udlaidh with Pamela today. We climbed West Gully with Pamela leading the left hand variation at the top at a solid grade IV.

We then nipped back around and did White Caterpillar, which was in very solid condition.

Other parties on The Smirk (which looked a bit hollow), Organ Pipe Wall and Doctor’s Dilemma. There appeared to be footprints in to and off the top of Peter Pan and Green Eyes, although we didn’t see anyone on them. Quartzvein Scoop still has a large cornice. Routes east of Central Gully are now catching the sun relatively early in the day and still have some drooping cornices. Light winds, no precipitation, below freezing in the shade, but warm in the sun.

Nettle and I were up in Glen Coe today. We went up the Zig Zags followed by Boomerang Arete. Other parties on Boomerang Gully, Dorsal Arete, Twisting Gully and Central Grooves.

Snow patches from road level. Only the odd snowy patch on the Zig Zags. Raining low down early in the day, but falling as snow above circa 900m. Turf still frozen to low levels. The snow pack was pretty wet to about 1000m, above this level it was below freezing. There’s some good snow ice about, but also some pretty big cornices over many lines in Stob Coire nan Lochan. Clearing as we left, so likely there’ll be a frost tonight.

I headed into the Northern Corries today with some of the Falkirk High Tops Team and climbed Alladins Mirror Direct. The crux ice bulge is currently very short. A number of the harder mixed climbs are now looking in better condition. The rest of the team ascended Cairn Gorm.

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The whole Falkirik High Tops team headed out to An Teallach and completed the traverse. Exposed turf is frozen above 500m. The quality of the snow improved throughout the day as clear sky’s allowed the temperature to come down and the snow to refreeze. Conditions on the mixed routes should improve over the weekend.

I am currently in the North West Highlands with the Falkirk High Tops Team with the aim of scrambling, winter climbing and munro bagging.

The weather today has been poor with the freezing level well above the summits, strong winds and heavy rain.

Myself and half the team completed a rock climb called Anyways on Stac Pollaidh today which prooved to be very ‘interesting’ in the current conditions. The other half of the team completed Am Faochagach near the Aultguish which gave a long slushy walk. A serious refreeze is needed to bring the winter routes back into condition. We will probably head to An Teallach tomorrow to do the traverse if the weather improves slightly.

Out with Patryck and Bruce at Beinn Udlaidh today. We climbed Organ Pipe Wall V,5**, splitting it in to three short pitches to give everyone a lead. The route was in very good condition, although dinner plating a lot on the lower sections after a very cold night.

Organ Pipe Wall

Bruce leading off

Lots of other parties out on routes from Doctor’s Dilemma around west. East of Doctor’s Dilemma the routes have some pretty scarey looking cornices/soft snow above.

Looking across to Quartzvein Scoop, Peter Pan etc.

Light winds and below freezing all day in the shade. Sounds like a change in the weather for tomorrow.

I was out today on the Brack with Pamela, Kenny and Andrew for a staff training day looking at parallel roping with two clients. The top two pitches and the first pitch of the route were in excellent condition. The second pitch required the front crawl technique of climbing. A slight variation on the first pitch was taken to make use of exposed turf ledges.

Lots of routes to do on the Brack at the moment. The Cobbler is mostly black so a poor choice.