WINDY, ICY, SUNNY

Caroline & David enjoying the ice

Step cutting 

Quiet so far in the coire

Blue skies, icy wind

Good sliding terrain

Up

...and down

Late February afternoon light

Frozen lochain

Never mind the approaching ' Beast from the East', today in the Cairngorms we experienced 'The brute from doon Sooth'. We experienced stronger winds than what was forecasted, gusting to 60mph in the coire. Caroline and David were out with me for a 1 day 'winter taster'. This was Caroline 's Chrimbo pressie from David. We have substantial frozen, icy terrain at the moment. Great conditions for crampons.  We headed into Coire an Lochain which was quiet when we arrived but got busy when we left. Some great spots to gain essential skills above the Lochain, just to the west of the main climbing area. It was still windy but slightly calmer with the mountainside giving us protection from the winds. Climbers were descending from the cliffs,  reports of a fracture around the Great Slab area. Indeed we noticed some windslab towards the rime of the coire. Heavy drifting  over last couple of days. It was a glorious blue skies day by late morning.  A good windburn blast again.