January 07 Conditions

Sunday 28th January 2007

Today Andy took Ally up North Buttress on Buchaille Etive Mor. It was very wet, windy and warm. There were only a few patchs of snow left. This route has some good short technical sections broken by easier ground. Andy and Ally then looked at how to do a multi-pitch abseil descent.

Saturday 27th January 2007

Today Jamie, Andrew and Neil did their first winter route. We had a great time on Jacob's Ladder in Coire an t-Sneachda. All the guys had a go at leading and learnt more about gear placements and setting up belays. There was a strong Westerly blowing but the temperature didn't go up as much as was forecast. Fluted Buttress and the Trident Gullies were very busy but we had Jacob's Ladder to ourselves. There was some great neve in the gully and no cornice at the top.

In the West it was alot warmer, but Ally still had a great day out on the hill with Andy. Andy took him up Dorsal Arete in Stob Coire nan Lochan in Glencoe. It was Ally's first winter climb.

Friday 26th January 2007

I took Jamie, Andrew and Neil into Coire an t-Sneachda to have an Intro to Winter Climbing. We looked at bucket seats, buried ice axe belays, placing ice screws and snow bollards. The guys all led a pitch up 0.5 Gully, to the left of Fiacaill Buttress. We glimpsed a few views of the buttresses early in the day before the NW wind strengthened and the cloud dropped. There were many parties out climbing on the very plastered buttresses.

Thursday 25th January 2007

Steve and I headed into Beinn Dearg today. This mountain North of the Fannichs is well known for the classic gully lines; Emerald Gully and Penguin Gully. There was snow in the gullies but not loads. There was ice beginning to form in places. The turf was frozen and the buttresses were well rimed. We had a great climb on The Tower of Babel which is at the far left end of the Gleann Squaib Cliff just before West Buttress.

By early afternoon the weak warm front arrived and shrouded the cliffs in mist and drizzle.

Wednesday 24th January 2007

Lee and I headed into the Fannichs today. With knee deep snow from 600m it was hard going. We were rewarded with a great day on Sellar's Tower on Sgurr Nan Clach Geala. This V,6 weaves it's way up Sellar's Buttress on the main crag. The SE facing gullies between the buttresses were filled with fresh windslab. We noted 2 weak layers in the snow pack.

I've updated the website with a new
Equipment Page where you can find a comprehensive Winter Kit List.

Monday 22nd January 2007

There was snow lying down to 50m from Ben Wyvis in the East to North of Ullapool in the West. I took Ruth and Debbie for a great winter day out on Stac Pollaidh. This 612m high sandstone hill in the Inverpolly Natural Nature Reserve has a spectacular castellated summit ridge. We ascended the North Face in heavy snow showers to enjoy fantastic views towards Suilven in the North and the Fiddlers Nose to the South.

Reports from Oban in the SW show the snow to be at low altitudes down there too. Skiiers also had good snow on Cairgorm ski hill.

Sunday 21st January 2007

Mike was out again today with the Glasgow University Mountaineering Club teaching advanced winter skills. They headed up onto Glas Maol, East of the Glen Shee ski hill. There were only a few snow showers but alot of snow was getting moved around on the strong Northly wind.

Saturday 20th January 2007

It was very cold and very windy in the Northern Corries today. There has been a dusting of fresh snow over the last couple of days which is now getting blown around on the very strong Westerly. I was out with Ruth, Debbie and Amy teaching some winter skills in Corie an T-Sneachda.

Mike was out with the Glasgow University Mountaineering Club teaching winter skills in Glen Shee. Here too, there was only a small amount of fresh snow.

Reports from teams climbing on the Mess of Pottage were good. Any turf was very well frozen. The Trident Gullies looked thin but were still attracting plenty of traffic.

Report just in from Glencoe: Loads of snow and very busy in Stob Coire nan Lochan. A very windy start to the day with many folk battling into the buttresses through waist deep snow.

Wednesday 17th January 2007

Today in the West there was a return to stormy weather but alot colder too with snow falling down to 100m for a time. Reports from folk on the Ben yesterday were very positive about ice high up. Danny went up Gardyloo Gully and down Tower Gully and saw plenty of ice on Indicator Wall, Smith's Route and Point Five.

Tuesday 16th January 2007

Today was a fantastic weather window and many folk were out enjoying the cold still conditions. There were parties on Right Twin, Typhoon and Morwind on the East Face of Aonach Mor.

Sunday 14th January 2007

There was snow lying down to 700m in Stob Coire nan Lochan, Glencoe, from last night. By midday however is was raining at all levels. There is plenty of snow in the gully's compared to this time last year.

Saturday 13th January 2007

It was a wild windy wet warm day in the North West today. There was a dusting of snow down to 600m on Beinn Eighe last night, but it didn't last long as the warm wet weather arrived this morning. Lee, Mark and myself changed our plans and went for a walk rather than a climb today.

Friday 12th January 2007

After a stormy day yesterday. Today is a little milder with the winds forecast not to be quite so wild. Lets hope so for the opening event of Highland 2007. This year Scotland celebrates highland culture, which includes arts, environment, heritage, language, science and sport. There will be a street party on the riverside in Inverness tonight from 7pm to 10pm.

Wednesday 10th January 2007

It snowed in the North West last night and today was a beautiful cold blue sky day. Andy and I went into the Triple Buttresses of Beinn Eighe. We had a great day out on Ordinary Route on the East Buttress. We traversed in on the Broad Terrace above the Sandstone Tier. Above the Broad Terrace the route is wholely on Quartzite which provides excellent axe placements and good gear. Ordinary Route follows the line of a summer rock climb graded Diff. There are various different lines up the crest which go at between grade III and IV.

Tuesday 9th January 2007

Last night the freezing level went above the tops in the West. This morning it was blowing SW 80mph at the top of the Gondola at Nevis Range on Aonach Mor. It looks like the temperature is due to drop again tonight with snow showers forecast.

Saturday 6th January 2007

The forecasters were right about the freezing level in the West today. The freezing level dropped to 900m very briefly on the Ben and there were snow showers brought in on a strong South Westerly.

Alpha Mountaineering and Abacus Mountaineering had a date on Ben Nevis today. There was alot of snow above 800m but none below. We found avalanche debris below Number 4 Gully and Number 3 Gully. Throughout the day we heard very large releases going off in those areas. We avoided the gullies by climbing on South Trident Buttress. Mike and Donald did Slab Route, while Mike and I did a probable second winter ascent of Sidewinder. This is a summer HVS which Simon Richardson and Iain Small first did in 2005 and graded VII,8.

Wednesday 3rd January 2007

It was a very warm windy day today in the Northern Corries. Nicky and John were out with me having an introduction to winter climbing. We spent time looking at moving with two axes and snow belays like, the bucket seat and buried ice axe.

The buttresses lost alot of their snow last night and the snow that's left in the gullies has consolidated well. Although a party ascended Jacob's Ladder today, neither that nor Aladdins Couloir were complete with snow.

Tuesday 2nd January 2007

After the last couple of days of snow the Northern Corries are looking alot more wintery.

Today I took Nicky and John on a day of winter skills. We had a great day out and the cloud gradually lifted through the day giving us views as the moon rose. We looked at kicking and cutting steps and navigating. We also learnt about avalanche awareness, cramponing for the first time and how to do an ice axe brake.