HEAVY GOING

Cintia and I were on day two of her winter skills course, concentrating on avalanche awareness/assessment and some more steep ground and route finding today. We headed over from Glen Nevis to some nice crags North of Castle Ridge. It was heavy going at all levels through the fresh snow this morning  as we ploughed up to Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe, which was covered in ice, and dropped down to The North side of Ben Nevis. There was ice forming even on the lower butresses at 700m and windslab was forming at this altitude too. It was another cold day with snow showers in the afternoon after a dry spell mid morning.

ALL WHITE NOW

A lot of snow fell to low levels today here in The Highlands and it was a wildish day on Aonach Mor with a strong and very cold NW. Cintia is out with me for the next four days on a winter skills course. Cintia has come over from Brazil  and this is the very first time she has seen snow, never mind walking in the stuff! She coped well with the cold conditions, average winter temperature where she lives is plus 26 degrees centigrdae! Today we covered core winter skills, moveing on snow and ice, axe arrests and walking on some steeper ground. We where up on The Nid area, taking advantage of half price gondola fares today has it's Nevis Ranges' 20th Birthday, unfortunately all the free cake on offer had been gobbled up by the time we got back to the gondola this afternoon. Excellent mix of water ice, frozen snow and windslab today, perfect winter skills terrain. Much more snow is forecast over the next few days with constant snow showers to low levels, low temperatures and high winds. Brilliant!

LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW. LET IT SNOW

Had a lazy start today, didn't roll out (literally- on the bike) the house till 9.30am and up Gle Nevis. No plan today but wandered up to Steall meadows then onto Aonach Beag. Before the summit plateau I spotted a nice shallow grade 1 gully on the South side of Stob Coire Bhealaich. On the approach there was a half hour snow shower but this eased off up the gully. The snow was excellent and with new deposits plus some rime ice on the crags it felt more Scottish than last weekends Alpine weather. The summit of Aonach Beag had poor visanbility, this is a great hill to hone your naviagtion skills. I descended down the excellent SW ridge when the clouds started to lift and great views down Glen Nevis and across to The Ben and CMD arete. Beautiful cloud formations, sun waining and superb snow underfoot, what more could you ask for? A bike ride in the dark down the glen, silent part from the odd owl.

MAMORES ON THE WAY HOME

Yet another stunning day in The Highlands. Freezing at all levels overnight and snow conditions still the same-everything white frozen. It looked like a bank of high level cloud was going to spoil the light today but by early afternoon the cloud disappeared and beautiful sun light again with no wind. Some great conditions on the Mamores, most snow on Southern aspects as gone but everywhere else the snow is superb. I traversed from Kinlochleven over Stob Coire Chairn, Am Bodach and Sgorr an Iubhair and home to The Fort. Could be some fresh snow to lower levels tomorrow then a nice day again on Tuesday as the high pressure dominates through most of the week it seems.

ANOTHER ALPINE DAY

Another fantasticly clear day on The West coast again. Yvonne and I were in Glencoe and went up Broad Gully in Coire an Lochan. Snow conditions in this Grade 1 gully were superb, in fact they couldn't be much better. The sun shone all day and hardly a breeze on the tops. After sub zero temperatures overnight everything that was snow was frozen solid. We went up to Bidean and across to Stob Coire nan Beith. Unbelievably we counted at least 10 people in the fisrt hour walking up Coire an Lochan who were wearing bendy boots and carrying no axes/crampons-totally oblivious to  the conditions they were heading into. Unfortunately when we got back to the carpark the mountain rescue were in action and tragically one person died in a accident  today. Take care out there folks.

ALPINE DAYS AND ITS ONLY DECEMBER

It has been a fantastic day here in The Highlands. Clear skies above foggy glens. The overnight sub zero temperatures froze the snow pack at all levels and eas wonderful cramponing all day. I went up No. 4 Gully on Ben Nevis today, excellent covering of hard snow in Ciste Corrie and ice on the buttresses. The cornice is only small at the moment. Only a few climbers about so had the summit to myself. Very clear air and great views across to Cairngorms and Perthshire hills. Amazed to see a couple of folk wandering up the pony track on the descent. One guy at 800m at 1.40pm still wandering up carrying only a jacket in one hand and a fleece in the other! Looks like cold and clear days ahead for some time. So here's the question: Alpine peaks piercing blue skies for days or would you rather be Christmas shopping? Check out today's movies on YOUTUBE:

COLD & CLEAR DAYS AHAED

It was a dry, cold day with some high cloud as well as a layer of fog in the glens today. A big continental High pressure is edging over the country bringing cold and clear conditions for some days to come. The top of The Ben was in cloud today but the Mamores were clear of cloud and still holding snow high up. The next few days should firm up the snow pack nicely with day time freezing levels gradually dropping. Gully lines should provide some good fun.

Have a look at the new formated reports from

 Scottish Avalanche Information Service; which comes into action again on the 17th December

WRONG PLACE

Seems like I missed a cracker of a day last Friday with excellent snow cover and blue skies in the Cairngorms. I was down in The lake District still on the BAIML AGM weekend http://www.baiml.org/ and CPD workshops. The workshops I attended were IML rope work day and a day on wilderness mountain medicine. Now back in the Highlands and the snow is still on the higher tops with a wild day tomorrow then cold and dry forecast for a week! Should be good, get out there! The pic is on Red Screes just above Ambleside, a quick run up in the snow last Thursday.

NEVE IN THE LAKES?

Overnight sub zero temperatures in The Cumbrian Fells gave a clear bright start but the cloud soon crept in from the SW. The snow was getting well consolidated above 700m on Blencathra with lovely crisp snow underfoot. Not quite cramponing conditions but getting there. Another day of bitterly cold and strong Northerly winds. Good day to test out the winter clothing.

THE NORTH WIND DO BLOW....

A bitterly cold morning on the fells today with a strong Northerly wind blowing. Superb cloud formations in the morning and by afternnon a clear sky. Saw no one on the way up to Skiddaw, who said the Lakes was crowded?

ENGLISH SNOW

Winter as certainly hit the hills this weekend, even down in the Lake District. There was a light dusting of snow down to 700m. Looks like a cold, snowy few days to come in the Highlands too.

WINTER

Winter is definately here, with snow on the tops and some strong winds over the last few days. Sumit teperatures have dropped so safe to say winter is here.

I'm away from technology for the next few days but can be contacted via the mobile: 077 2000 1326.

Winter bookings are filling up with February getting busy.

FRESH SNOW

There had been a drop in temperature overnight and a fresh covering of snow down to 700m this morning. The rain/snow didn't arrive until afternoon and with the cloud quite high it looked a good day to be on the hills. Down in the Lake District next week. Places still free for navigation courses based in the North Lakes. Then it's off to BAIML AGM and CPD workshops at the beginning of December. Bookings have been coming in for Christmas winter skills/guided walking recently. Lets hope the weather cools down again after this tropical spell.

ALMOST THERE

A quiet day on Ben Nevis today. John was over from Australia and in between watching rugby matches he wanted to get up The Ben. Unfortunately his leg was playing up so we never managed to get to the summit. There was a break in the weather today and a dry, pleasant spell in the morning to early afternoon. Relatively mild weather as depleted the snow on the upper slopes.

LAZY HILL DAY

A very pleasant day again on the west coast with some sunshine by mid day. I had a lazy start and cycled up to Lundavra then walked up onto a very nice wee hill above Loch Leven - Tom Meadhoin. At only 621m its a shortish hill day and a good jaunt on days when the cloud is down on the higher hills, like it was today. Like all these smaller hills you are guaranteed not to see a soul, especially as I didn't go up the logical, shorter route from Loch Leven. Looks like a wild and wet day on Saturday then a much better day for Sunday. More snow above 1000m forecast so the highest summits will all have a covering of snow.

FOUR PLAY ON BEN NEVIS

It was another calm, quiet day here in the West Highlands with another cold night. I was getting the most of the snow on Ben Nevis and went up No. 4 Gully on the North face. This is a straightforward grade 1 winter climb and is usually well trodden but today I saw was no one in the Ciste Coire nor in the gully. It was a bit Bouldery lower in the corrie with patchy snow from 950m but half way up the gully there was excellent amounts of snow. There is ice forming on the buttresses but no ice in the gully as the freezing level was around 1100m today. A lot of snow now on the plateau and the pony track is, in places, banked with drifted snow. Poor visibility at 1000m but it was sunny below this altitude and a very pleasant descent. The path is icy in places after being well trodden. There was folk still ascending the pony track in all kinds of attire, the usual 'no rucksack brigade' being the most popular way up and someone sporting a nice pair of multi coloured wellies.