EASY GULLY, CREAG MEAGAIDH

Jim enjoying the sun and views in Coire Ardair

The Post Face and Easy Gully

Last Post from Easy Gully

Half way up and Jim loving it

Fab ice

On the plateau and more views

Heading down, Loch Laggan in the distance. Superb snow  right down to 450m

Return client Jim is out with me again for a couple of adventurous days in the mountains. We looked at the weather and avalanche forecasts and decided on heading away from the Cairngorms and further west to Creag Meagaidh. We hit it spot on as we enjoyed terrific sunshine virtually all day, just the very brief snow shower in the afternoon. The walk into Coire Ardair is always a delight and the views of The Post Face on Meagaidh are superb from the lochan. Easy Gully was our route today and the first winter climb for him and what a day to do it. Easy Gully goes up through some amazing scenery, left of the Post Face. This long 450m route is always full of interest. The conditions were superb, excellent refrozen hard snow with some  light dusting of fresh snow on the surface but perfectly fine. We came out onto the plateau into the fabulous sunshine and then a very brief snow shower. We headed around the corries and ridges and back down to Aberader with hard snow all the way down to 450m or so. Jim loved the climb and can't wait for his next, he wants to change the name of Easy Gully to something more spectacular for his friends! On a route like this rightly so!

AVALANCHE AWARENESS DAY

Hasty pit and windslab

Ian climbing on well scoured craggy areas

Plenty of good frozen ground

Graupel in some areas

We found a layer of ice between two soft windslab layers

....which sheared very easily

Ian was out with me today on a one day avalanche awareness course. There has been some interesting snow and weather recently so an ideal period for it today. We headed first into Coire an t-sneachda and up toward Windy Col. Much of the day was looking around the hills, watching what we were walking on, talking about previous days and finally digging a variety of snow pits to analyse the various layers of snow and ice. In one area we found  plenty of graupel lying about. We had a look around the corrie then after assessing the various slopes we went up The Goat Track which was perfectly safe having been well scoured and all the old frozen snow was exposed. Poor vis much of the day with the cloud right down. We headed over the summit of Cairn Lochan to have a look at the cornices and tops of gullies but couldn't see a lot. Down in Coire an Lochan we found quite a different story, in one area there was a thin icy layer trapped between two wind slab layers which sheared very easily. There are many areas of well exposed and scoured snow and equally some areas of fresh, soft wind slab. There were snow showers through out the day and a strong northerly across the plateau.

FABULOUS WINTER CONDITIONS

Jen & Harry emerging from our snowhole. A lot of drifting overnight

New rime ice and fresh windslab on the plateau

A well rimed Fiacaill Buttress

Harry enjoying the views

Jen enjoying the views!

Fingers Ridge

Coire An t-sneachda

We emerged from our snow hole this morning into beautiful deep blue skies, sunshine and a severe windchill. Jen & Harry were keen to get moving in the cold conditions after our snug snow hole in Coire Domhain last night. The plateau had been transformed into a world of rime ice, wind slab and arctic conditions. We were so lucky to have the small blue skies weather window for just an hour or so, enough time for loads of photos before heading back down the Fiacaill Coire Cas and 'civilization'.  Brother & Sister team were well chuffed and left with glowing faces on their long train journey back down south.

SNOWHOLE AND WILDER WEATHER

Poor vis and a cold, strong wind. Fresh windslab deposits. Harry sporting some antique gear!

Let the digging begin

Jen shoveling

Our kitchen

A complete change of weather conditions recently, after the fabulous, long spell of glorious settled conditions we are now back into truly Scottish winter weather again. The strong easterlies didn't deter brother and sister team of Jen & Harry who are out with me for an overnight snow hole trip this weekend. WE headed over to Lurchers and onto Cairn Lochan. Fresh windslab deposits building up and soon we were into poor vis and at times white out spells. The wind was pretty chilly so not much hanging around. Our snow hole location over at Coire Domhain needed some compass work. Some hard digging was required soon after getting through the fresh wind slab. Our snow hole was an elongated variety with excellent separated room, a kitchen and  'lounge'. During the early hours the wind picked up again and some fresh snowfall which meant for a bit of early morning digging to keep our entrance and ventilation open

COLD WINDS AND SUNSHINE

The morning after outside one of our igloos

Matt, Jim and Mike enjoying more 'typical' weather

Heading back to 'civilisation from our ice homes

The locals on the hills

The team's final day and after our luxurious overnight igloo we headed out onto the Fiacaill Ridge for a final brush up on axe and crampon technique. The guys experienced more of a Scottish winter day than the previous two days, this morning we had a strong, cold wind and cloud to contend with. There was new rime ice starting to form above 900m. We returned to our igloos after lunch and picked up our overnight gear, just as the sun started to break through the cloud. The reindeer herd we out on the hill enjoying the sun and snow as we headed back to civilisation. We got away with 3 dry days and excellent snow conditions. The teams first taste of winter and an overnight sleeping experience on the hill in snow. Very different from their home town of Boston, Linconshire - one of the flattest areas in the UK.

IGLOO BUILDING

Lifting blocks

Building blocks, while some give advice

The entrance cut

How many men (and women) does it take to build a hole/house?

Health and safety at work, bend those knees guys

Day two for James, Issie, Matt and Mike's winter skills course and we had a whole day of Igloo construction. The forecast for tomorrow was high winds on the plateau so we opted to stay lower down the mountain and build some igloos.  Great snow conditions for it. Another dry and cold night made for hard snow. We got 3 Igloos built only 20 minutes from The Cas car park.  Looking windy for tomorrow.

STUNNING WEATHER AND SNOW CONDITIONS AGAIN

The team at Coire an Lochan

Crampons all the way today

Movement on steeper terrain

Climbers enjoying the excellent conditions

The fine clear and sunny weather conditions were back again in The Cairngorms today. With light winds and a lower freezing level the snow was once more fantastic. Issie, James, Matt & Mike are out with me for three days of winter skills. We headed up to Coire an Lochan and spent much of the day honing crampon and ice axe technique. We also did some axe arresting which once again was fast and bumpy! Looking like a dry, cold and clear skies day again in the Cairngorms tomorrow.

WINTER SKILLS, GLENCOE, DAY 2

Plenty of excellent ice still for crampon technique

Michelle on steeper terrain

Snow becoming softer in the warm sun

Hard snow in the morning, great for axe arressing on easy angles

For Michelle's second day of her course we headed to the Glencoe Ski Centre and found some quiet areas to go through some ice axe arresting in the morning before heading higher and below the summit area of Meall a Bhuiridh for some techniques on steeper terrain. The snow was softening up quickly in the warm sun but we had a good runway earlier in the day for the sliding. The fantastic settled spell of weather continued and we got some lovely sunny spells, the forecast of drizzle later in the day never came, in fact the weather just improved by late afternoon. There was a chilly breeze higher up with the wind changing. Still looking settled and mostly dry with light winds through to next week.

BUACHAILLE ETIVE MOR- MORE SUNSHINE AND BLUE SKIES!

Michelle & Barrie on excellent ice in Coire an Tullach

Out of the shade and into warm sun on the ridge

Bidean in the distance, fab views all round

Ice axe, crampons and sunglasses the essentials!

The fantastic weather continues! Another day of blue skies, unbroken sunshine, light breeze and fantastic snow. Michelle is on a two day winter skills course and we headed to Buachaille Etive Mor for our first day. Hard snow all the way up Coire an Tullaich from only half an hour walk in. Barrie was also out with us helping and assisting with our pick up on the descent into Glen Etive. A great day to be out, maybe the last blue skies day for a wee while?

SNOWDON: SNOW, SUN & SILLYNESS

Crampons on at 700m

Jack enjoying the views

The 'non crampon' folk repulsed on this section!

The summit ridge of Snowdon

The guy's third and final summit

And so the guys Winter Three Peaks Challenge arrived at Snowdon. There had been a fresh fall of light snow down to Pen - Y - Pass level as well as old, frozen snow above 700m or so. The sun was out and clouds high. Right from the start we were passing or in the company of some very poorly equipped folk out that weren't even dressed and shod for a summer days hill walk. At one point I was concerned that a group of trainer clad lads were going to slide on top of my group. It was to no surprise that we saw the Sea King chopper fly in and out of the hill on. at least 4 occasions. Well done to all the guys for their big achievement, their first taste of winter hillwalking. We had full winter conditions on each of the mountains and used crampons and axes every day. Jack, Steve, Dave, John, Oase, Mike, Al and Les were all raising money for Cancer Research this weekend. Big thanks to Carl for all the driving and support. A great weekend with fab humor and craic all the way. This is the best way to do The Three Peaks Challenge. Winter and over three days.