Wednesday 14 January 2009

Scotland Winter Conditions - Caving in the Mountains




Today Paul and I made the steep 2 hour walk into Church Door Buttress, Glencoe. We climbed the interesting Crypt route. It takes a few excursions into the cliff itself over the first 3 pitches, requiring the ability to crawl through tight squeezes and wriggle up chimneys. The last two pitches, above an impressive arch, follow Raeburns Chimney - originally climbed in socks to loud cheers when completed back in the day.
The ground was much more frozen today after a slight frost, with the turf providing much better placements than yesterday. On the descent windslab had formed on Northerly aspects but with good neve below.
Unfortunately with the wet and warm weather tomorrow much of the fresh snow, which had dropped to 500m by the evening, may dissappear. Winter Mountaineering Courses

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