13-01-14, Coire an Lochain, Cairngorms - Winter Climbing

Cairn Lochain

A slight raise in temperature last night and some new snow. Paths very icy and there is now some soft slab around too. The approach up great slab in Coire an Lochain had some patches of spicy new snow, in general avoidable. Everything still buried only a couple of other teams in the coire and didn't seem to climb anything.

Milkyway

Coire an Lochain.

11-01-14, Coire an Lochain, Cairngorms - Winter Climbing

Back to Scotland, straight to the Northern Corries. Snowpack quite stable, hard icy neve crag approach slopes, tiny pockets of fresh snow. The buttress are buried under some very unhelpful sugary rubbish. Many routes massively banked out with vertical just off vertical rock having the sugar. Much digging and boldness is required for most routes, unless they have seen plenty of traffic or easier under such conditions.

Ewan Buttress Direct start.

Buried Number 4 Buttress.

Milkyway.

Coire an Lochain

13-01-13, Coire an Lochain, Cairngorms - Winter Climbing

Pitch 2 of Central Crack Route.

It is winter again in the northern corries. Rime forming all over the Lochain, a fresh dusting of new snow last night is drifting in places. Plenty of people out today some teams on Savage Slit, The Crack and The Couloir.  Matt and I climbed Central Crack Route - good steep cheeky first pitch, then more steps on the second pitch. Conditions are good for mixed climbing, the great slab had plenty of patches of old snow to weave up to the base of the routes, but if more snow arrives it will be all buried and probably dangerous. We noticed plenty of wind slab forming in the hollows.

Winter is back! Rime up high, frozen ground everywhere.

Number 4 buttress.

07-02-12, Coire an Lochain, Cairngorms - Winter Climbing

Coire an Lochain

Second day of winter climbing for Avy today. We climbed Y Gully RH (II) in Coire an Lochain. In general the Corie is quite dry on some parts and well rimed on others, especially on the top 50m or so. Bomber neve nearly everywhere. Quite windy today, still sunny. Avalanche activity has been spotted over the back of the plateau, so even though there isn't full snow coverage, there is still some large amounts of slab about.

The Hoarmaster, (hoared/rimed enough!?)



Top out of Y Gully Right Hand.



13-02-11, Cairngorms - Winter Skills

I have been working on a Weekend Winter Skills course at Glenmore Lodge the last couple of days. The conditions were varied and ideal for learning and experiencing the different skills required to stay safe in the winter. The weekend showed everyone what makes the winter mountain environment so potentially hostile but equally if not more rewarding than in the summer. Saturday we headed over to Coire an Lochain, under blue skies and light winds. The team went through cutting steps, use of crampons, some navigation and ice axe arresting. There was some new snow about getting blown onto Northerly aspects. Several avalanches were reported in neighbouring Corie an t-Sneachda, some people were injured but not fatal. A couple of teams were climbing in Lochain and some were getting away with walking across the great slab area! Today was a very different but equally Scottish day! snowing, wet and windy. It was a googlies day as we headed into Coire an t-Sneachda to do some navigation, looked at emergency shelters at the moraines and tried to find some evidence of yesterdays avalanche activity. The Goat track debris was still present, but getting re buried quickly by the new snow. I would say that the north facing corries are not the place to be going winter climbing at the moment!

Photo - the team starting to do battle with the ice axe arrest under a snowy Coire an Lochain.

24-01-11, Coire an Lochain, Cairngorms - Winter Climbing

Drizzle and rising freezing temperature today. Today Matt and I headed to Coire an Lohcain and climbed the classic Savage Slit V,6 and Western Route IV,6. We weren't sure how low the freezing level was but were very pleased it was about at the lochan, the buttress was well rimed and the existing snow was very hard and icy. A few other teams out, climbing Procrastination and Oesophagus. The weather did deteriorate and warm up, it felt like we were chasing the freezing level up on Western Route. At each belay, good rime and ice were found but by the time we left it was dripping and falling off around us. Looks like a similar day tomorrow, but Wednesday onwards looks to be ace, freezing level down to 600m. This will firm up the already hard snow/ice, should be worth a look over the back again soon. Photos - Above, Me on Savage Slit Pitch 1, Right - Matt on Pitch 2.

04-01-11, Coire an Lochain, Cairngorms - Winter Climbing

Plenty of snow in the Eastern Highlands, I went to visit the the northern corries with Kath and found (as suspected) thick rime ice choked buttress and cracks. There was a thaw over new year, which stripped the rocks but it the re froze and snow as wel, making climbing the mixed routes, slightly easier but very bold or laborious tying to find and dig out gear and belay placements. We walked into Coire an Lochan and climbed The Milky Way, III. Over the 100m distance e placed about 6 bit of gear, including belays!

Number 1 buttress with Meall a Bhuachaille in the background.