Scotland Winter Conditions - Glen Coe

Today, while working for Jagged Globe, we ascended Broad Gully at the back of the Lochan. This is a snow grade 1 gully that provides a slightly steeper ascent than the main ridges. The was had neve below some slightly softer snow, with good tracks from people going up and down the route. The snow is nice and dry high up, it was nice to come down with dry gloves.

Scotland Winter Conditions - Glen Coe

I was working for Jagged Globe today, taking an intro group up into the White Corries - the ski area at the start of Glen Coe.
It was a beautiful day with the freezing level at the base of the mountain, no wind and fine views. Ice is readily forming, there is good neve in places with softer fresh snow occasionally found in sheltered hollows. We covered a range of techniques from sliding to boot work, crampons to step cutting and bagging a Munro.

Scotland Winter Conditions - Cairngorm Snow

For the second day snow has stopped play. The ski road has been closed again, after further snow fell last night. It is now up to knee deep at 300m and I would expect substantially deeper at higher levels. Much of last nights snow fell under calm conditions, so has not been moved around. The hills looked noticeably white with only a few people accessing them on skis.
We plan to wade into the corries tomorrow, hopefully the forecast northerly winds will help move a scour the corries (a little). With the slopes so loaded obvious avalanche hazards abound.

Scotland Winter Conditions - Cairngorms

Today I was out in the Northern Corries looking at short roping and safeguarding on grade 1 terrain.
There were strong winds and a lot of snow being blown about, quickly accumulating on lee slopes and in hollows.

Below this there is good neve and ice seems to be readily forming, so I expect good climbing conditions if you can safely find the routes.

Scotland Winter Conditions - Cairngorms

I was in the Cairngorms today reviewing a variety of winter ML skills at Glenmore Lodge. The old snow had all frozen hard, with fresh snow being put down all day. Initially it was falling as graupel, which wouldn't help the avalanche conditions giving a loose 'ball bearing' layer for snow to slide on. Strong winds and more snow tomorrow will make for further challenging conditions.

Scotland Winter Conditions - West Coast

Upon returning to Scotland I discovered that the thaw during the second half of last week has stripped a lot of snow, considering how much there was. All is not lost though as cold weather today has frozen the remaining snow nicely creating good gully climbing conditions and ice rapidly forming as low as 500m.
Today I was working for Alan Kimber and West Coast Guides. I took Mark and Aaron up onto Aonach Mor and looked at a variety of skills around the Nid ridge including sliding, kicking steps, crampons, snow belays and climbing ice and mixed routes. Blue skies all day and nice conditions once the strong wind died down in the afternoon.

Wales Winter Conditions - Cwm Idwal

I was working for Ogwen Cottage today, facilitating a GCSE mountain walking module. In the afternoon we ventured up into Cwm Idwal where there was a clear view of the snow from about 500m upwards. There also appeared to be a little avalanche debris at the back of Cwm Cneifion. No ice had formed but with the fluctuation in temperatures I guess the easier gullies will be forming.

Scotland Winter Conditions - Avalanches & Ben Lawers

Back on Friday I went out with Blair as he prepared the forecast for the SAIS (Scottish Avalanche Info Service). We dug a pit up on Aonach Mor and assessed the snow as we descended down to the base of the Nid. It was interesting to see the forecasting process and learn more about the complexities of snow.
On Saturday I went out to do some skills with my (slightly sick) partner Sarah along with Dave and Joe. We ventured onto the slopes of Ben Lawers where we found snow from around 400m, though much of it soft.

Scotland Winter Conditions - Cairngorms

Back into Sneachda today to avoid the rain/snow/wind in the West. I went up to climb with Lee (now driving a fiesta courtesy car) deciding to give Salvation (V, 7) a try. After Lee did a great job of pulling through steep overlap, on pitch 2, he discovered thin climbing and no protection and understandably decided to give it a miss. I decided I didn't want to face the same predicament either and so we went up Patey's Route instead. This route is given IV, 5 with icy conditions, but with no ice the steeper sections were a little more entertaining. We abseiled off after the hard climbing to avoid the still unstable snow slopes that are about.
The turf is now well frozen but the crags are hidden under soft snow and significant windslab is forming (it didn't quite rain at all levels last night).

Scotland Winter Conditions - Cairngorms

After playing van skating (and bumper cars with a wall) on the drive over, from Fort William to Aviemore, I eventually arrived at the Cairngorm ski car park. With Lee looking after his broken van I teamed up with Rocio and Dave and climbed Belhaven (V, 6) - which has a good 50m top pitch of sustained interest.
There wasn't as much snow as the west, and what we discovered was much more compact making for an easy approach. All the turf was well frozen, though most cracks were hidden beneath soft snow. It is due to warm a little overnight with freezing levels drop by mid-morning, which will only help to consolidate the snowpack.

Scotland Winter Conditions - Glen Coe

Today I battled up to the Lochan with Kenny and Lee, wading through knee deep snow at times. We eventually made it to the foot of Central Buttress to climb Central Grooves. This is a classic VII, 7 route but hard especially with the snowy, icy conditions (difficult to find gear and axe placements). Lee lead the first pitch, Kenny the second and then we decided that was enough for one day, otherwise we wouldn't finish until after dark. Both pitches were steep and pumpy.
On the way down the snow was a lot wetter and it felt that the freezing level had risen to 800/900m. Tomorrow it is set to drop to 600m with a frost overnight - hopefully helping to consolidate the existing soft snow.

Scotland Winter Conditions - Ben Nevis

Yesterday I went up the North West Face Route on the Douglas Boulder, Ben Nevis with Ian. We chose this route due to ease of access, avoiding any avalanche prone slopes as it was category 4. By the time we reached the top of 'the boulder' it was close to 300m of climbing, we some hard moves on the main 50m chimney pitch - mainly due to little ice, soft snow and unhelpful rock.
On the descent we decided to abseil down the grade 1 gully as it was loaded with a lot of snow.

Scotland Winter Conditions - Snow!

Unfortunately I couldn't get out today as I had a meeting, though it would of been hard going as a lot of snow fell last night - almost down to Fort William. The Nevis ski range was open today and Tom and Julie reported lots of powder drifts in between older frozen snow. A healthy wind blew all day creating windslab and a category 4 has been issued, so careful route choice is vital.

Scotland Winter Conditions - Glencoe

Today I went up into the Lochan with Lee, just up from Wales. The overnight precipitation (falling as snow high up) fortunately stopped as we arrived in the car park, producing a mainly calm day.
We jumped on Tilt (VI, 7), which has a lot of good climbing on. Snow had plastered the whole crag and the turf on the top half of the route was frozen. Unfortunately I discovered it wasn't quite so well frozen lower down as my axes unexpectedly ripped and I found myself 15ft lower.
We were just finishing the last pitch when the storm arrived firing snow pellets into our faces and blowing us around at will. By the time we made it back to the car park we were drenched through and struggling against the wind even in the car park.
With all the snow falling, loading the slopes, all the gullies were releasing lots of slough avalanches. I also heard of avalanches releasing on Aonach Mor and the Ben, so keep clear of them gullies.

Scotland Winter Conditions - Ben Nevis

I went up to Ben Nevis today to shadow Mike from Abacus Mountaineering. We climbed up on No. 3 Gully Buttress, finding good neve in places and climable ice. In the afternoon the wind and spindrift increased making for an unpleasant but exhilarating exit onto the plateau.
A frozen crust had formed over the the wet snow from yesterday, stabilising the pack. However with the fresh snow being blown onto Northerly aspects, and more being forecast, the SAIS have forecast considerable avalanche risk at category 3.

Scotland River Levels - Roy Gorge

With a turn in the weather, to wet and wild, I took the opportunity to go paddling. We kayaked the Roy Gorge, a classic grade 3/4 section, at medium to high levels. It was the first time I had been on the river since the grade 5, headbanger, had disappeared. There used to be a large section of cliff overhanging above the water, requiring the paddler to duck to avoid hitting their head.
Sorry about the quality of pictures they all turned out to be a little hazy today.

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

Scotland Winter Conditions - Winter Reforms

Yesterday I went with Alan Kimber and clients up No. 3 gully and down No. 4 on the Ben. The crags were wet but the freezing level was slowly dropping throughout the day. A steady wet snow fell through most of the day.
Today Kath and I went up to the Lochan in Glencoe to climb Scabbard Chimney (V, 6). We discovered that the wet snow had frozen but so had the wet crags, choking the cracks with ice and hampering the placement of protection. As we left it started to snow down to 600m.
Paul, Tom and Julie (with whom I'm living with outside Fort William for the season) climbed Green Gully on the Ben. Apparently it was a bit like slush puppy until the last 50 to 100m. A good freeze tonight and cold temperatures will sort that out.

Welsh Winter - Idwal Ice

I took my Dad and partner Sarah up into Cwm Idwal today to sample the ice and swing some tools. We ventured over to variety of frozen rivers between Devils Kitchen and Y Garn, which provided a mixture of pitches from grade II to a couple of short pitches at III/IV. Fun was had by all!
Unfortunatly rivers had started to form down the ice falls by the afternoon, and with warmer temperatures tomorrow I fear everything is going to be a little slushy. Not all is bad though as Scotland looks like it will get a good dump of snow tomorrow and falling temperatures on Monday, so if your interested in winter mountaineering up North email me - info@sea2summit.net
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Welsh Winter - New Route on Clogwyn Ddu

Mark on the crux pitch of The Rutt VI-7, new route on Clogwyn Ddu

Another cold day meant another day walking up to Cwm Cneifion to make the most of the conditions. I was climbing with Mark again, sharing pitches up the (now classic) El Mancho VII 7 - which proved to be worth the hype.
In the afternoon we added two pitches above Clogwyn Central, keeping to the arete instead of returning to the gully. My pitch went at about grade 5 and another of 7. The final hard pitch was thin for both feet and axes but Mark pulled it off, somehow.