Cairngorm Views!

Looking south from Cairngorm

Day 2 of Hanna's winter skills course had us packing at the ski car park and heading up the Cas Fiacaill towards the Cas headwall. Again the neve was solid today and we had crampons on from about 100m from the car! We headed up the fiacaill chatting about various avalanche assessment ideas and indicators but not really expecting to see much as the snow was so stable. So I was please to find some windslab on the east facing aspect of the Cas Headwall and although it was stable it allowed us to look at hasty pits, hand sheers, trenching and assessing layers using our axe shaft.

We then had a look at some steep snow movement skills like front pointing and choking the axe before getting back onto the ridge and heading to spot height 1141m. From here the cloud started to lift and we did some navigation across Coire Raibeirt and up onto Cairngorm were got some stunning view south. From here we dropped down to Ciste Meredith were we could look at some more steep snow movement skills in both ascent and descent as well as having a look in some snow holes that had been slept in the night before.

Hanna then lead us on a few more navigation legs back down through the ski area and to the car. Another great day.

Winter Skills with Trail Magazine - 18th January

I was out today with Hanna and Tom from Trail magazine for Hanna's first day of winter skills. We parked at the Ciste car park and headed into Coire Laogh Mor. It was clear but a little breeze as we headed into the corries, however we were on hard neve from almost the car park level. On the way in we looked at kicking steps using our boots in ascent, decent and sideways. Once the terrain steepened up we introduced the ice axe and looked at cutting slice steps in ascent and decent as well as cutting master blaster steps in ascent. Using the steep slope to the side of the main corrie we then put crampons on and headed up to the plateau before heading across to spot height 1028 which gave us good views down into Strath Neathy and El Alamein Bothy.

The wind had picked up on the top as we headed back across towards Ciste Gully were we dropped down and found a nice east facing slope to look at some ice axe arrests before heading back to the car.

A great day out although no photos today, I was feeling a little camera self conscious with a pro photographer with us all day!

Winter ML Ropework

I was back in the Cairngorms today working for Pete Hill on a Winter Mountain Leader ropework day. The forecast was not great and as we headed into Sneachda we were being blown around a fair bit, I was hopeful that we could tuck in under the crags and get out of the SW winds. Thankfully the plan worked!

We looked at the main snow belays today bucket seats, horizontal axes, snow bollards, stompers and ways of improving them all plus of course testing them to destruction. We also spent some time discussing managing a group through steep ground and when you might have to use a rope. The to finish off the day we had a look at confidence roping.

The weather during the day was warm, windy with showers which could not make up there mind if they were snow or rain! Still plenty of snow in the corrie but really only the easier gully lines in condition. There were teams on Hidden Chimney, Aladdin's Colouir, Central Gully, The Runnel and I think a team heading towards Goat Track Gully. The cornices are still there and sagging a lot, I would not go anywhere near them until it all re freezes.

Day off tomorrow (have to get the van sorted, engine is making strange nosies!) then back to the Cairngorms for 3 days so will report back on conditions.

A black looking Aladdin's Buttress

Damp Cairngorms

Aladdin's and Trident Gullies areas



Red and Goat Track Gullies



I was at Glenmore Lodge today. The days was their winter induction day for instructors working for them over the winter. We spent an hour or so in the morning discussing various courses and resources in the centre before heading up the hill and into Coire an t-Sneachda. We spent some time discussing venues their pros and cons and some issues that have come up in the past plus some emergency procedures. We then had a look in the rescue box that was unfortunately full of water, so we emptied the kit bailed out the water, put the dry kit back in and took the wet kit back down the hill to be dried and sorted.

The coire was busy with people doing skills and some climbing. There were teams on Goat Track Gully, Mirror Direct (which is hanging in their but damp), Patey's Route (was looking thin) and Aladdin's Couloir. Everything was thawing but there has not been that much snow loss although that could all change tomorrow if the heavy rains that are forecast arrive. The buttress routes are black but if we get a re freeze soon the neve in the easier gullies will be excellent. Keep those fingers crossed!

Heuristic Avalanche Traps Video

An interesting and yet very sobering look at the Heuristic traps of avalanche assessment.

http://www.outdoorvancouver.ca/2008/11/a-dozen-more-turns/

It takes a while to buffer the video but is well worth the effort.

Skiing at Cairngorm

Looking towards Lochan

I was meant to be skiing with Andy today but he decided the weather did not look great and stayed on the west. So I went for a slide at Cairngorm on my own. The snow cover at present is excellent and the although the vis at the start of the day was poor it soon cleared up to leave great views, light winds and minus 5 at 900m. Most of the runs are in really good shape at present and the slopes were quiet. I would recommend a ski tomorrow before it looks like a big thaw is on the way.

The video footage below is of a run down the M2 from the top to almost the car park, before my hand got too cold! It was not as windy as it sounds!

Winter Skills Weekend

On the top of Cairngorm

I spent the weekend with Mark, Hannah and Stuart on a winter skills course in the Cairngorms. With the aim of making them self reliant winter walkers by the end of the weekend we had much to cover.

On Saturday we headed into Coire an t' Sneachda and did a loop around the corrie looking at boots skills, ice axe arrests, crampons skills and snow analysis. On Sunday the plan was to go for a longer journey to practice these new skills plus look at more avalanche assessment and some navigation. We headed out to spot height 1141 stopping a few times to look at snow profiles on the Cas headwall area which was filling in quickly. We then headed up and over Cairngorm in zero visibility and navigated our was down to Ciste Mhearad. Here we looked at some more movement skills on steeper snow plus some more avalanche assessment. We then navigated our way back down An t-Aonach to the car park.

All in all a great weekend with good conditions and great company.

The ski centre was not as busy as I was expecting for the weekend but Sneachda was very busy. Good conditions in the gullies with all the regulars being done. Fiacaill Buttress was quiet (due to the approach slopes) but all the other crags were busy. Patches of windslad seemed to be on all aspects and we saw the odd small avalanche. All change today with more snow coming in and strong winds moving it around the SAIS forecast makes for sobering reading!

Hopefully out tomorrow on the planks with Andy.

Mountaineering Council of Scotland Avalanche Courses

Snow Pack evaluation

I was working across on the west last weekend for the Mountaineering Council of Scotland. There were two 1 day Avalanche Assessment courses based out of the Nevis Range open to both members and non members at £35 per person and run on a 1:4 ratio these are great value.

The snow pack was fairly solid having re-frozen after the post Christmas thaw but there were still plenty of layers to assess on both days. On both days I took my teams around the Nid area were there is plenty of different aspects, little bowls, terrain traps and different angles. We spent the days looking at assessment techniques, safe route choice as well as throwing in some winter skills along the way.

A great few days and a nice way to see the New Year in! I am in the Cairngorms this weekend and next week doing a mixture of winter skills and climbing. The skiing is good at present with another 10cm last night. Great start to the year.

Busy Cairngorms

It was busy at the Ski Centre yesterday, Peter and I arrived at 9.15am and were half way down the Ciste Car Park so after grabbing the shuttle bus (and leaving Laura and in a very long ski pass que) we were slightly late leaving for the hill at around 10.10am. Not to matter as the weather was great with light winds and cloud above the summits. Although not the cold the pass was well compacted so the walk into Sneachda was easy.

We headed half way in and then cut on to the Fiacaill just before the twin ribs. Peter is keen to get out to the alps climbing so the aim for today was to take in some technical ground as well and having a look at rope techniques he could use in the alps. We worked our way up onto and along the ridge looking at short roping, moving together and short pitches. Just as we headed up on the the ridge there was small patch of unstable snow but with safe travel techniques we avoided it. Once at the steepening near the end of the ridge we changed to normal pitched climbing and I lead Peter up the most direct variation. Normally a grade II pitch it actually felt a little harder yesterday as by this time everything was melting quickly so the rock was just covered by wet slushy snow!

Once on the top we headed around the corrie to 1141 and then down to the ski centre were Laura had kindly brought the van up to. It was great day and thank you to Peter for his great company for the last 3 days. I am off to the west for the 1st and 2nd to work on some Avalanche Assessment course at the Nevis Range.

Sneachda was busy yesterday and thankfully no one was caught in and sliding snow, the warm weather is slowly consolidating it. However the climbing conditions were not great, people were reporting a lot of verglass on the rocks form Tuesdays rain and all the cracks chocked with ice. Many of the cornices seemed to be slumping and I imagine if the thaw continues many will collapse.

Fingers crossed for the re freeze at the weekend.

Wild Wild Wild

It was fairly wild in the ski car park this morning when Peter and I arrived. The wind seemed to by around 40 - 50 mph from the south and it was sleeting/raining. Mmmm a nice day ahead! It was clear that we were not going to get on to any too technical ground today which had been the original plan but we still headed part way into Sneachda. We used some of the snow patches on the way into Sneachda to look at some more avalanche assessment and a few other snow belays before heading back to the van. After a quick bite to eat in the van we headed down to the Ciste car park which was much more sheltered. We then headed into the ciste crag to look at gear placements including pegs and ice screws (there was the odd blob of melting ice). From there we headed for a scramble up there the crag and back down the ridge to the van. A good day was had even if we did not get the route in that we had planned.

The wind dropped around midday and the freezing level seemed to be around 900m. Laura and James reported great skiing on the piste after the wind had dropped!

Out with Peter tomorrow again for his last day, the forecast looks a little more settled with light southerly winds but it is warming up with freezing levels above the summits. This should slowly stabilise the snow pack (although probably not tomorrow) and as long as it goes cold again bring in some great neve for New Year. Keep those fingers crossed.

Nice neve!

I have been out in the Cairngorms with Peter today. The wind was forecast to be strong from the south but the freezing level low. He headed up towards the Cas headwall were there were areas of hard unstable windslab and areas of scoured hard neve.

We spent the day looking at Avalanche Assessment, boot, crampon and axe skills then did a few pitches up the steep scoured area of the headwall before coming back down the ridge to look at some snow anchors and some more avalanche assessment. The wind picked up around midday but we seemed to be relatively sheltered from it. A great day out and the Cas area was quiet.

The skiing look fairly good on piste but the off piste snow seemed a little wind affected. Sounds like there was some avalanche activity in Sneachda with 2 people being in a slide up thankfully walking away from it.

Looks like more of the same tomorrow.

Powder hunting!



On the way home!

Well I was meant to be taking Laura off on a surprise birthday treat, however as we were flying via Heathrow our flights were cancelled! The treat will have to wait.

It did mean that we could head out skiing today. We headed out to the Lecht area and skinned up through the resort and out west. This is a great spot for touring as you start high and very quickly leave everything behind. We did not see a soul all day after we dropped off the first summit and we found some brilliant powder on the lee slopes, some so good we had to do laps as can be seen in the video below. A great day to be out on the planks.

Cold Camping

Night Nav - Just about to start!

I was working across on the west at the start of this week for West Highland College. This time it was a backpacking trip to assess their navigation skills as well as general hill skills. With the snow falling fairly heavily on Sunday night we decided to stay low and keep close to the coast, this had us heading to the Ardnish Peninsula and the Peanmeanach Bothy.

I spent Monday navigating with my group of 6 out over various points on the peninsula arriving at the bothy around 8pm after a good 3 hours of night nav across some fairly difficult terrain, well done to the group for coping with that! It was cold over night and most of us stayed in the bothy, however two tent groups decided to stay out for the night and test the warmth of their sleeping bags! On Tuesday we headed back to the bus looking at some more navigation and emergency procedures.

The peninsula is a cracking are for navigation although I imagine when it is not frozen the ground would be wet and boggy under foot.

Oui Oui is a No

Approaching Oui Oui



I headed over to Oui Oui yesterday morning in the hope to get a route in before the AMI meeting in Aviemore that evening. We had heard rumours of it having been climbed and from the car it looked OK. However when we got to the base of the route it was running with water and looked very think in places. We spent the rest of the morning playing on the ice below the main route (about 10 meters of easy angled ice) and then hunting the rest of the crag for possible climbs, there were non. After that we retreated to Aviemore for lunch and some Christmas shopping!

The Cairngorms are still very much buried and will not be any good for climbing for a while, reports of it even being slow getting into the Ciste crag with snow shoes on! Ben Nevis has good conditions on the harder mixed routes but many of the easier routes have not had enough freeze thaw to create any solid ice or neve. One group reported poor conditions on Glovers Chimney. The best climbing at present seems to be in Glen Coe were many of the lower ice lines are coming into condition.

First turns of the winter

My plan today was to head out to the Lecht for a short tour but on arriving at the last little steep bit up to the ski centre there were cars coming backwards down the road! So a quick change of plan had me drive along the A939 looking for somewhere to park the car. I found somewhere just west of Bridge of Brown and headed into the Cromdales for a short tour.

The snow is still lovely and soft, there has clearly been little wind transportation, however there is no base to it at all so can be a little challenging at times. The video below was taken from Carn na Sroine (510m).

The roads in the area are still fairly bad although passable.