ALPINE WEATHER & CONDITIONS ON SGOR RUADH - CENTRAL GULLY

Fantastic neve all the way up Sgor Ruadh's Central Gully

The eatern aspect of Sgor Ruadh looking toward Beinn Alligin

Beinn Liath Mhor from near the top of Central Gully

Upper Loch Torridon, Beinn Alligin, Liathach and Beinn Eigh from summit of Sgor Ruadh

Fuar Tholl from Sgur Ruadh

Looking down Central Gully

Central Gully & Academy Ridge on Sgor Ruadh's east face

Looking back into Central Gully from the top

Terrible vews on the way down

Torridon peaks

Maol Chaen-dearg and Loch Torridon

Stunning day in the NW Highlands, the best place to be in the UK for a few days, going by weather reports. It was  truly Alpine weather conditions on today. Warm sun and solid neve in Central Gully on Sgor Ruadh, Torridon. It was down to base layers, even in the shade on the east side of the mountain. There is an obvious gully that splits the face here, Central Gully. From bottom to top it was hard neve. Topping out into warm sun and wonderful views over to the big Torridon peaks. Only the easier graded gully lines in the area are holding snow. There was some thin ice on some of the crags and not much left on Fuar Tholl. I basked in the sun on the top. Lunch with not even a breeze. What a joy with no need for hat and gloves whilst having a butty. Strolling down has the sun went down on a beautiful day. More please :)

A TAD BREEZY ON BRAERIACH

The lower slopes of Braeriach from The Lairig Ghru

Looking down to Strathspey

The last few days the weather has been up and down like a yo yo. One day high winds and rain, the next sunny and calm. Today it was one of the former. After a cold and clear night it quickly warmed up with the southerly winds. It was good to get on the bike and a cycle up to the start of the Lairig Ghru. As soon as you came out of the forest it was a steady 50mph headwind. It was a bit grim above 800m on Braeriach, time to turn back! Looking good from tomorrow onwards though with very light winds and bags of sunshine in the NW tomorrow and settled for many days to come with this big Continental High Pressure due to sit on top of the UK.

CREAG MEAGAIDH, WINTER'S BACK!

looking into across to the Post Face, note the avalanche debris out of Raeburn's & Easy Gullies

Windy in the Inner Corrie

Looking up to 'The Window'

The guys descending down from The Window

The Inner Corrie

Creag Meagaidh and the Post Face

Looked good this morning!

Tom analizing the snow pit

Day two out with Scott, Tom & Neil and today we headed to Creag Meagaidh for a change of scenery and a new area for the guys. It was a colder day and bright, clear skies this morning so looking good! The temperatures had dropped and the forecast was for a freezing level of 600m. It was great to have no waterproofs on and no battling into a wind. Well that lasted until we got up to the locahan below the Post Face on Creag Meagaidh. The wind then hit us and it started snowing but it was wonderful to feel the cold again and feeling like winter. It was a full on blast of cold wind and spindrift at the Window and poor visibility. There was some breaks in the cloud today but unfortunately it cleared just as we headed down. Back in The Cairngorms and it looked like it had been a beautiful day. There were lots of flooded areas on the drive over, a lot of rain and snow melt in the west from yesterdays monsoons. Staying cold and afresh dump of snow to low levels tomorrow. A great weekend with the guys and despite the weather not playing ball at times,we crammed lots of winter fun into the two days.

WE WON'T LET THE WIND SPOIL OUR FUN!

Bracing against the wind!

Sunny skies

Tom tumbling in the sun

Let te digging begin

How big can we make this snowshelter guys?

Scott having fun making the bed

Braceing against te wind!

Descending deep, soft snow

Comfy snowhole

Tom enjoying it all

Another day of high winds but it was mostly a dry day  in The Cairngorms, unlike the west today which I think got a soaking. It was very mild but plenty of snow still and we even found some ice  in Coire an t-sneachda. Neil, Scott and Tom originally booked to go out on a snow hole weekend with me but with the temperatures well above freezing and gales on the summits our plans had to change. So instead we constructed a snow shelter but only had lunch in it, no overnighter. The guys gained the knowledge and experience to go off on their own at a later date an spend the night out, when the weather behaves itself. After we had dug ourselves our snow hole the guys soon observed how it melts and drips very quickly in the high temps. They would have had their own ensuite shower if we had stayed overnight. This was Tom's first time out in winter so earlier in the day we went through the basic winter skills with axe and boot work and a few slides which Tom was eager to do on as steep a slope as we could find. In the afternoon we ventured further into the corrie in search of some ice to get the crampons out and get Tom moving about on the ice. We found some! Still cold enough below the Fiacaill Buttress for the ice to hang on, though it was softening up and some water running under it. We pushed on half way up  Point Five gully which is looking nice with plenty of snow and well filled in. At this point we were bombarded with wind blown gravel and spindrift. Time to head down! Great fun and lots of skills packed into the day, we didn't let the winds spoil our fun in the snow! Another deserted Coire Cas carpark when we got back although there were a few hardy folk climbing in Sneachda but it was one of the quietest Saturdays I've ever experienced in the corrie!

WARM AND WINDY COIRE AN T-SNEACHDA

Finding shelter from the gales on the side of the Fiacaill Ridge

It was actually a dry and pleasant afternoon, apart from the 80mph winds

A spot of navigation today

We managed to find some ice, but melting rapidly

Bit more shelter at the moraines

Self belay

Fiacaill Buttress still with plenty of snow

The warmth arrived yesterday and today with freezing levels above the summits by afternoon. SW gales and it was hard going getting anywhere today. Nicola was out with me on a one day intro to winter. We covered lots of skills as well as standing upright. We headed into sneachda while many others were heading out! So a very quiet afternoon and well done to Nicola for braving the gales. We were getting knocked around a bit up by the moraines but managed to stumble back down to a deserted Coire Cas carpark. Windy, warm and a bit wetter tomorrow but plenty of snow so this blip will not last too long as Sunday is due to be colder.

SGOR RUADH, TORRIDON

The spectacular East face of Sgor Ruadh

Looking back down Coire Lair, great ice at the bealach

Summit views from Sgor ruadh looking over to Liathach

Fuar Tholl from the summit

Maol Chean-dearg & Ben Damph from the summit

Fuar Tholl

Beinn Liath Mhor

The fine very fine Academy Ridge on Sgor Ruadh

Weather forecasts were looking very good today with light winds and sunshine in most areas of The Highlands. I headed for my usual (at least once a month) visit to the Torridon area and the fabulous hills surrounding Coire Lair. After departing the train at Achnashellach  station you enter another world of soaring sandstone peaks and are spoiled for choice of routes out from here. There were fresh, soft drifts in Coire Lair which made it hard going but compensated by the fabulous views of Sgor Ruadh's East face all the way up the easy angled glen. In summer this is a fantastic stalkers path and great walking underfoot. This morning it was another plough as no one had been up here, but only shin deep drifts. The going became better up toward the bealach and from here there was wind scoured hard frozen snow and fab iced up rocks that leads steeply onto the north ridge of Sgor Ruadh. A short, sharp snow shower came in as I tackled the ridge and it looked like the day was going downhill with regards to blue skies. The last 100m or so was wonderful rimed up rocks and turf. Five minutes sat on the summit and then first a broken spectre and then the skies cleared once again to reveal that wonderful view over to Torridon and Liathach. Hard to tear yourself away when the views and cloud formations are like this. Good snow all the way down the south side of the hill and not a single footprint encountered on the stalkers path down. Another ankle/shin workout but all those winter wading days paid off as it was a doddle. No one seen all day on such a beautiful day to be on the hills. Another stunning mountain  day to remember in this, the most wonderful area of the Highlands - go! Warming up and winds back for a wee while unfortunately but the cold will return you can bet your bottom dollar!

MORE SNOWFALL TO LOW LEVELS

The Cairngorms from a snowy Aviemore golf course

Many Yellowhammers in our garden this winter

Another day with snowfall down to Aviemore level, quite heavy showers at times and a fair amount of drifting on the Cairngorm mountains. Looking good for Wednesday with some sunshine and lighter winds.

THE BURMA ROAD, IN WINTER

Where's the road gone?

Big drifts after the wee bridge

Sunny skies on the summit

Geal-charn Mor from The Burma Road

Cornices even at low altitude hills

Cairngorm plateau like

The Cairngorms from near the top

Another dumping of snow overnight  with another coating of fresh white stuff  down to lower levels. Colder temperatures again today and another windy day on the high tops. I was thinking of getting the bike out and having some fun on a winter ride over The Burma Road, on second thoughts after looking up to the hills I changed my mind! There is still big drifts from the wee bridge on The Burma Road all the way to the top. Fab weather with lots of blue skies and the winds not too strong. Above 600m the snow cover is complete and it was looking like a miniature Cairngorm plateau today. I carried on from the top of the road to the Corbett summit of Geal-charn Mor. I was just descending when another snow shower blew in from the west and it was almost white out time. Where else can you walk from your house and within a couple of hours be walking in drifts, neve and a near white out? What's all this talk of 'Spring time' being bounded about on tv and the media? We are only just over 2/3 the way through winter folks so lots more winter fun to come :)

FRESH SNOWFALL & ANOTHER STRONG WIND DAY IN THE CAIRNGORMS

Coire Loaigh Mor & Ciste Corrie, Cairn Gorm

Snow moveing on Cairn Gorm toady

Fleeting glimpses of the sun in the Northern Corries

Fresh snow down to 750m on Meall a' Bhuachaille

Spring like in Glenmore - at times

It may well be the first day of the meteorological Spring today but there has been fresh snowfall overnight down to 750m and through out the day we  had snow showers down to Glenmore. There was a fresh sprinkling of snow on the higher areas of Meall a' Bhuachaille and it was a tad windy on the summit slopes up here so I would imagine The Cairngorms would have been hard going and chilly today. Karen and I had a leisurely stroll up Meall a' Bhuachaille and probably had more sun here than any of the bigger hills. Just the odd fleeting glimpse of the Northern Corries in sunshine this afternoon. Don't forget March is still very much winter! I have just one weekend free still in March if you fancy some great snow and long days and maybe even strolling around in a pair of shades!