28-03-14, Neist Point, Skye - Scottish Rock Climbing

'Tourist Attraction', Bay 3.

 The past couple of days I have been rock climbing with Mehmet at Neist Point, westerly tip of Skye. As always Neist was fantastic, good value, long, quality single pitch dolerite routes, where the 1 * routes are actually very good! The easterly winds didn't affect us and the sun was out, fine climbing, fine surroundings.

'Side Step', Bay 3.

'The Old Warden', Cumhann Geodha.

'Bridging Interest', Financial Sector.

24-03-14, North West Highlands

Alternative view into the back of Beinn Eighe, Liathach, Beinn Dearg, Beinn Alligin.

Beinn Dearg and Sgurr Mor.

Sgurr Mor - 'The Resurrection'

Watch the road! An Teallach.

An Teallach.

An Teallach.

Gruinard Bay.

Beinn Eighe, Triple Buttresses, straight line view into 'Morrison's Gully' on the right.

23-03-14, Cairngorms - Winter Skills

Winter has returned and another weekend of winter skills in the Cairngorms. The last 2 days have given some new snow on the East highlands (not as much as reported in Lochaber though), along with freezing level down to 500-700m. Some new wind slab has been forming on lee slopes of the mountain, with a changeable wind direction over the past 48 hours, set to swing around again tonight. It is however quite obvious where these pockets of dangerous snow are at the moment.

'Advanced winter skills'!

Coire an Lochain.

Wind slab forming again.

19-03-14, West and East Highlands - Winter Mountaineering

 After only 3 days of fine weather, it has been back to the standard ming-fest for the past 6 days! Over the weekend I was working on a mountaineering course in the West Highlands, we managed to learn some skills and traverse Stob Coire nan Lochain, then ascend Ledge Route on Ben Nevis in super pea soup, though winds weren't as bad as forecast. A massive avalanche was reported; and we heard it, coming down Observatory gully. Some multi-pitch rock climbing in Polldubh was required on Monday to keep moral going! I have been over East side the past couple of days working on a Winter Mountaineering Skills course. The Highlands have been going through a thaw for awhile now, maybe two and a half weeks? A lot of snow has disappeared, but in the north and east facing corries there is still plenty of snow above 900m. Buttresses are very black, cornices are reducing in size, and falling down, along with loose rocks, the snow has lots of cracks. After wishing for a thaw most of the winter we could now do with the freezing level dropping and some new rime forming!

12-03-14, Ardmair and Stone Valley, North-West Highlands - Scottish Rock Climbing

Garry on Moondance, Ardmair.

High pressure, North-West glorious rock climbing. Garry and I have just had an awesome experience of 2 days cragging in the North-West Highlands in optimal conditions. Ardmair yesterday and Stone Valley today.

Terrace Crack, Ardmair.

The Dance Floor, Ardmair.

Open Secret, Stone Valley.

Touch and Go variant.

Stone Valley.

07-03-14, Cairngorms - Winter Climbing

 Another tough week in the highlands. Quite windy and now warm. Lots of snow starting to melt away, plus temperatures on the summits, there have been some avalanches and some cornice collapse but still some monsters hanging in up there. Some stable but warm weather forecast for this week. Possibly time to get the rock shoes out?!

Slides below Jacob's Ladder, Windy col.

Cummingston.

Glacial features below Lochain.

03-03-14, Coire an t-Sneachda, Cairngorms - Winter Climbing

 Today I was in Coire an t-Sneachda with James and Daniel who are on a week long learn to winter lead climb course at Glenmore Lodge. First day, so shake off the cobwebs and a refresher on all things climbing - safe approach, get ropes out, build belays, go upwards, place runners, build more belays. They have both done some trad rock climbing so it should be a quick winter-isation of other winter specific gear placements and art of skillful digging to find runners. We climbed a mixed line to the right of Fiaciall Buttress in 3 pitches, up to grade IV. There was some good chat about avalanche awareness and conditions of routes, mixed climbing techniques to ascend, some fundamental belay and anchor practice as well as some peg placements. The weather was fabulous today, hardly any wind, slightly warm, all in all very pleasant.

02-03-14, Coire an t-Sneachda, Cairngorms - Winter Climbing

Coire an t-Sneachda today, we climbed Invernookie, in good condition lots of snow ice some runners can be found but quite buried. There was some new snow over night blown in with a SW - S wind, the goat track looked very loaded as did the east side of the Fiaciall ridge, we managed to head up some scoured ground all the way to the base of Fiaciall Couloir, with a lot of wind slab to the left (directly below Stirling Bomber) and right (directly below The Seam). Many teams out on Alladdin's Buttress no one on Fluted Buttress way to buried, didn't see Mess of Pottage.

01-03-14, Stob Ban, Mamores - West Highlands

I have been in the West Highlands for a couple of days. It was wet and warm on Friday and dryer on Saturday, a lot of snow about though. On Friday we climbed the East Ridge on Stob Ban and Saturday went for a walk over Stob Coire nan Lochain. Very busy day on Saturday and way to much snow!

Some cornice bashing at the top of Crest Route.