17-02-16, Aonach Eagach, Glen Coe - Winter Mountaineering

After a mini thaw, wet, stormy weather of yesterday, lush weather has resumed today in Glen Coe. Aonach Eagach was in a fine winter condition, some new snow, some old snow and ice surviving, gentle breeze, improving visibility. Leo and I had a great time on the traverse.

15-02-16, Buachaille, Glen Coe - Winter Mountaineering

Another excellent day in the west highlands today; cold, crisp, great visibility and sunshine. The boys from Bolton have done well. We split into two teams, I walked up the ridge to the right of Coire na Tulaich and ascended Stob Dearg and Stob na Doire, Adam took two of the more experienced lads up Curved Ridge, we met up for the walk down.

14-02-16, Glen Coe - Winter Mountaineering

Sunshine on Gear Aonach ridge.

The good current run of cold days has continued in the Scottish Highlands. I have spent the past couple of days working on winter skills with different groups, in Cairngorms and Glen Coe. The easterly winds have provided some interesting wind slab on different aspects from the usual. Today I ascended some icy Zig Zags on Gearr Aoanach with lads from Bolton Grammar School. The boys did well, seeing as most of them have never worn a harness. We had a good day yesterday working on essential movement skills with boot, axe and crampons around Stob Coire nam Beith.

Icy Zig Zags.

Screamach to Stob Coire nan Lochan.

Aonach Eagach looking in fine wintry condition.

View towards Rannoch Mor.

06-02-16, Ben Nevis - Winter Climbing

Some good ice still about on Ben Nevis, plenty of new windblown snow as well as avalanches in number 3 gully and observatory gully. We climbed Number 3 gully buttress which was nice with good snow/ice all over it. Poor visibility for most of the day, but frozen conditions looked good!

Final pitch of Number 3 Gully Buttress.

04-02-16, Stob Coire nan Lochan, Glen Coe - Winter Climbing

A warm day in Glen Coe, We climbed Raeburn's Route, slightly slushy snow, but climbable as always. Plenty of teams on Dorsal Arete. Freezing level was well above the summits.

03-02-16, Buachaille, Glen Coe - Winter Climbing

High up on Curved Ridge, Buachaille, Glen Coe.

Lovely weather today in West Highlands. light winds, cold great views of snowy mountains. Plenty of soft snow about, made Curved Ridge slightly arduous, but it was still good. Some wind slab about on NE aspects, tops mixed, verglassed rocks, dry rocks, hard neve, hard wind slab. The descent down Coire na Tulloch was hard neve, but low down the soft snow hid the boulders and holes in the gully!

Rannoch Wall.

27-01-16, Ben Nevis - Winter Climbing

 A day with freezing level forecast below the summit for a change! We walked into Ben Nevis up high to find something. BMC international meet this week, many had the same idea. Queues on Gargolye Wall, Sioux Wall, Hobgoblin, some people attempting routes on Trident Buttress, gave up and a cheeky French team climbing a black Cornucopia/Secret. Green Gully looked possibly climbable, Number 3 Gully Buttress looked good. We climbed something unknown higher than Winter Chimney at about grade III. To summarise nothing was frozen!

Kondor, new route?!? some short nonsense high on left of number 3 gully.

French team on Cornucopia/Secret.

23-01-16, Ben Nevis - Winter Mountaineering

Top of Number 3 Gully.

 The thaw has continued. As to be expected the snow line has risen and is heavily saturated at all levels, ice has melted, buttresses are very black. Rich and I walked up to Coire na Ciste on Ben Nevis up Number 3 Gully. We passed some unclimbable drippy ice on The Curtain, there had been some avalanches near Garadh Gully, Number 2 Gully and under Trident buttress. A team looking to head up Green Gully! Several teams climbing Number 3 Gully Buttress and a team un successful on an out of condition Thompson's Route. It was dry and breezy, but warm.

Avalanche debris Trident Buttress.

West side of Tower Ridge.

Ciste, looking black, Central and South Gully looking thin.

Number 3 Gully Buttress.

19-01-16, Glen Shiel, West Highlands - Ski Touring

 Another claggy day, saturated snow at most levels. Bastien and I hoped for some fine munro bagging and ski touring in Glen Shiel on the mountains north of Loch Cluanie, however very poor visibility meant we decided to finish earlier than planned. We skinned up Coire nan Clach to Carn Ghluasaid and skied down.

No views but still smiling!

Survival skiing!