Friday, 24 February 2017

WADING, RIDGES, NAVIGATION. WINDLESS, SNOWY

The guys on the Fiacaill Ridge

Snowy and fun

Fresh snow

Snowy ridge

Sunny spells in short supply

Sneachda

Loch Avon

Hells Lum

Navigation, testing conditions and deep snow

Fiacaill fun

Full snow cover on plateau
A dry and bright day in prospect with sub zero temperatures and a full cover of snow, no wind. All sounded great!  Today I was joined by Mike, Steve, Craig for a day of mountain fun and some navigation instruction. We headed  or should I say ploughed up to the Fiacaill Ridge. Lots of folk out enjoying the conditions but it was hard work trudging through the drifts. The snow on the Fiacaill was all unconsolidated, no ice apart from rime rocks,  crampons weren't really necessary . Busy up here so we escaped the crowds when we reached the top and headed across the plateau to the Feithe Buidhe and Hells Lum area. Full snow cover across the plateau, great for ski touring but more hard work ploughing if you were on foot. The guys were after some navigation training, they got it with plenty of near white out and poor visibility all the way down to Coire an Lochain. Here we endured more snow ploughing, just as the snow fell from the skies once again and the winds picked up. Fun, full day out and a great overall body and leg work out. top day!

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