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The photo from Mark Raistrick just goes to show
how the winter conditions on Ben Nevis can hang on into May.
This picture taken on the Eastern Traverse of Tower Ridge
is fairly amazing when you consider that a month ago this
was pretty well stripped out and I was not even bothering
with crampons and axe on this route. So, it's always best
to check and if you are not too sure, take an axe at least.
Thanks Mark.
 Stunning
weather just now and still some snow in the gullies. Last
week we had some teams out on No 3 Gully Buttress and lines
of ice are still clear in some of the easier places. Certainly
worth a visit for a late season romp.
Not just climbers on Ben Nevis recently, as
can be seen by the photo of skiers in the top of Tower Gully
before the latest heavy snowfall. Picture courtesy of Douglas
Spalding and Richard Harris (?). This morning the weather
is glorious and we had an overnight snow dusting in the back
garden. The weather over the weekend is looking less cold
and more unsettled, but freezing levels still below the summits.
 Never
say never! Winter is back again for a while
and the 'Lambing Snows' are with us. Plenty of fresh unconsolidated
snow around, but not much ice. Ridges will be good sport,
but rather difficult with the new snowfall. I suggest some
simple ridge traverses such as Ring of Steall will give good
days out. The lighting is fantastic at the moment, so don't
forget your camera!
We climbed the ridge bounding the south side
of Coire nan Lochan on Aonach Mor. This will always be a good
bet for a simple ascent and interest grows as you get higher,
with some simple grade II winter scrambling towards the top.
Some soft cornice collapse was noticed throughout
the afternoon as the wind was blowing from the south-east.
This may reduce as the direction changes to more northerly
over the next few days.
 Another
report below from before the latest snow last weekend:
We had a long but excellent day on Observatory Buttress on
Saturday. No Snow or ice to speak of. So damp rock climbing
in big boots was the order of the day. We also had friends
on Naismiths then North East Buttress, enjoying a damp 40ft
corner. An Aberdeen Mountaineering Club group of 4 had a fine
day going up Tower Ridge and back down Ledge Route. It's all
a bit easier when starting out of the CIC hut. Very few climbers
elsewhere on the crag.
The conditions probably put most off, harder routes would
have been challenging as most of the rock was damp or had
big weeps from melt water (e.g. Mourning Slab and the traverse
of the gods) .Even some dude skiing down Tower and Observatory
Gully.
Kind Regards Douglas
 What
a difference a week can make! We climbed Tower Ridge a week
ago when it was in fine form - see attached pic of the eastern
traverse taken from more-or-less the same spot yours was taken...
Thanks for the great site all winter Alan - inspired me to
get off my butt and get out there, including a splendid 7
hours on said Tower Ridge and a descent in the dark...
Cheers - Huw
Very wet and mild just now and a lot of snow
has been stripped. Early days yet to write off the winter!
It's certainly drier the farther east you go.
Very wet today and the thaw is well established. Steer clear
of any sort of gully just now in case of cornice collapse.
Thanks Stuart for the report below.
Great Site and of much use to someone who lives down in
Kent - a long way to travel so your info. is most useful before
we bust a gut to get the odd weekend in - so thanks! We traveled
up last weekend. Climbed Point Five on Saturday - bit worn
in places and the last 20 metres was really sugary - partner
Tim took a flyer off the cornice as he tried to cut through
directly above the gully. Then dropped back down 10 metres
and cut around to the right where a pleasantly cut slot through
the cornice awaited. So anyone on it in next few days may
prefer to cut around to the right at the junction 20 metres
below the top. Stuart
The forecast still suggests poor weather as
the week progresses. Today it is still fine with snow showers
on the hills. I would be interested to know if any of you
folk out there who use my site to report lost gear are having
any returns? Anyone under Smith's Route on Gardyloo Buttress
keep your eyes skinned for one of my own quick-draws!
From Tim:
I know what "Keith" (from your site) means about
bad snow conditions. We thought of doing Observatory Ridge
on Sunday but fortunately realised from below what we'd be
letting ourselves in for. So we did a route less than half
as long (Aphrodite IV, 4 *) and still finished the last pitch
in the dark. Some of the snow was good neve but a lot of it
was NOT nice--fragile crust over powder breaking away with
a boom under your feet the whole time, and careering off down
3 Gully Buttress with a suddenness that made it rather hard
at times not to follow it... Brr. Also loads of dodgy axe
placements in unpredictable icy crud, so at times we were
snookered hands and feet. And all the gear seemed to be about
3 miles underground... A bit of a heart-in-mouth day at times.
And Chad:
Climbed Poacher's Fall on Saturday in wild conditions after
a slog through powder to get to the route. Lots of excellent
ice on route though, nice steep steps and an excellent cave
belay. The descent down the Way Up Gully was like being in
a wind tunnel, but a great day all in all. Woke up to blue
skies on Sunday.
My partner "Numpty" lived up to her name and managed
to drop an ice screw (12cm BD express) and quickdraw from
the final pitch, I'd be very happy if anyone found it and
could return it:-
Chad
Tel:- 0131 659 7745 or 0785 451 0245
We abseiled of of Vanishing Gully after the
last hard pitch. The most convenient way down is via 1934
Route and all the abseil points are in place. With two sixty
metre ropes it is possible to get back to the start of Vanishing
Gully in two abseil's. Anyone wishing to continue up right
on to Tower Ridge will need to allow a fair amount of extra
time.
From a distance Vanishing Gully often looks
very thin and even discontinuous, but looks can be deceptive
and a closer inspection is advised. With sixty metre ropes
it is possible to gain the luxury of the cave beneath the
steep second pitch. In some winters this cave is completely
blocked off by ice. If this is the case a good set of (currently
five) pegs can be used on the left wall as an anchor!
The cave is a great place to rest and shelter
from the ice bombs cascading down from teams above you!
 Today
we climbed The Curtain via the Curtain Rail on the left. It
was fairly soft on the first pitch but quickly firmed up on
the top pitches. As the day progressed the temperature dropped
and in the afternoon we climbed the first couple of pitches
of Italian Climb, which was in stunning nick, before abseiling
down and heading home. Teams out on Hadrian's Wall today appeared
to be making good progress.
More cold weather on the way and conditions
are holding up well. Saturday looks windy, so the spindrift
could be a problem on some routes. Sunday looks a little better
and still cold. The forecast for the week ahead is cold to
begin with and then gradually getting milder.
More gear lost, see below:
Climbed Typhoon on Thursday 10th. Great route
with a really nice top pitch , but could do with more ice
, it would be easier in less lean conditions. All beginning
to feel a little wet and a cold spell would mean really great
climbing again. In the run off the hill for the last gondola
(which had closed due to high wind) I lost my charlet moser
M10 crampons-if anyone picks them up please contact me -mobile
number is 07764421023. Thanks Alistair
 An
overcast start to the day, but still loads of ice around as
seen on the picture taken an hour ago from the top car park
in the All a'Mhuillin. A short spell of unsettled weather,
followed by more very cold weather will further enhance the
climbing conditions. Good stuff!
 Red
Gully - Sgor na h-Ulaidh, Glen Coe, grade III is very good
and at the moment very quiet climbing. There are plenty of
other routes to climb on this face and the conditions are
superb, if a little soft and damp.
This isn't really our area but it would be worth
people being aware that the normal Inverleal/Glean Sguaib
approach to Beinn Dearg
(Emerald Gully etc) is completely blocked by fallen trees.
This is on the track shortly after you cross the river to
the north side and before you leave the forest (g.r. 208853).
The section is perhaps only 100 metres or so long but is very
awkward and time consuming to get round - dense trees, bogs
and fallen branches. It would be best to stay on the track
on the south side of the river till it doubles back (g.r.
213849). At this point cross the river (OK in normal conditions)
and regain the path on the north
side beyond the blockage. It would be useful to know when
the track is cleared. Thanks Steve for this report for folk
heading up N.W. to the Ullapool area.
 Picture
shows Red Gully - Sgor na h-Ulaidh, Glen Coe, grade III. Plenty
of good ice today in that area. Also teams out of Astral highway
and Orion Face with good ice to report..More good reports
from happy climbers who have enjoyed the best that Scotland
has to offer over the last week. Thanks to everyone who keeps
me posted on their own activities.
Some input from the so-called 'French climbers'
who did Good Friday Climb on March 7th, traveling through
scottish mountains over the week-end.
, in Glencoe Stob Coire
nan Lochan, Sc Gully & Dorsal Arete: ideal snow conditions.
Met many parties enjoying all routes despite light snowfalls
and huge gusts of wind.
,
Stob Coire nam Beith, Deep Cut Chimney: passable ice conditions
for the three first pitches, then rock climbing. Confirmed
by other parties getting out of Central gully who got ice
only in the first two pitches. Pretty dry conditions then.
:
move to Ben Nevis and climb of The Curtain. Bottom is starting
to be delicate, the Curtain rail seems to be a valuable option.
:
Good Friday Climb: ideal conditions, good & solid ice.
We really enjoyed the Glencoe & Ben Nevis range as well
as the many scottish parties we met in our trip. See you next
year and all the best for the last part of the winter season!
JF de Marneffe & chris Lehner, Belgium
Also, just to show how climbers
in Cumbria are enjoying life, the picture above from Tom in
Central Gully - Great End. Thanks.
A really superb day that started cold with a
sea-level frost and quickly warmed up. The conditions on Ben
Nevis must be just about as good as they can be. Teams out
on Point Five Gully reported good conditions, but the Curtain
is suffering in the sun! Crowberry Gully is very thin by all
accounts. The forecast suggests a big blast of cold air over
the weekend, so keep the tools sharp and head north. Another
report from Patrick below! Just goes to show what can be achieved
with early starts, so that your back in time for lunch.
Headed out to Creag Meagaidh today for a morning's solo of
The Pumpkin, a wonderful route with beautiful green ice architecture,
and in lovely condition at the moment. The Wand and Diadem
both look thin, and the entire Post Face is probably best
avoided for now along with the easier-angled slopes on the
lower grade climbs as the corrie has been plastered with snow
and is making some approaches and exits very delicate. There
are also some monstrous Damoclean cornices lurking over this
face, so be warned! Some milder weather may help to consolidate
things, which would open up some great
climbing as the foundations are all there. Made a change to
walk out of the corrie this morning under blue skies and with
the sun on my face!
Stay safe! Patrick
Dear Alan,
We are four german climbers, who climbed last week (27.02.
to 04.03) Buachaille Etive Mor and Ben Nevis. At Sun 27.02.
we climbed Crowberry Ridgeat Buachaille Etive Mor. We had
some parties ahead, two english/scottish parties below. Conditions
have been pretty delicate (thin ice), progress of
parties ahead pretty slow. In the afternoon we decided to
support the party following us by rope and left them and the
last party our last two belays to give them a chance to top
out before darkness. However, the last party did not follow
and has been rescued later by helicopter. As we know, all
parties are well back, but we lost some climbing gear including
one Metolius mini-friend size 3, two Petzl Spirit runners,
one DMM Belay Master biner, one BD rock No.9, and some slings.
If one of the parties climbing Crowberry Ridge at Sun 27.02
or anyone else found the material, we would very appreciate
to get it back. Please contact
Martin Neumann
Rennesstr. 19
91054 Erlangen
Germany
Phone 0049/9131/502828
neumannkm@web.de
However, the days after we found Green Gully and Point Five
Gully in good/best condition and enjoyed
climbing on the Ben very much. Could you please insert the
include the above part of the mail in your winter conditions
page so possibly we can get an answer.
Thank you for your help and best regards
Martin
---------------
Thanks,
 Today
we climbed N.E.Buttress on Ben Nevis. The weather turned a
good deal milder as the moist air from the Atlantic 'High'
swung in from the north-west. Still plenty to go for on Ben
Nevis. Vanishing Gully saw a fair bit of traffic today as
did 'Smith's Route' on Gardyloo Buttress. The ice is very
good in the current milder conditions. On our route the conditions
were mostly very good with the odd bit of crusty snow. We
by-passed the 'Mantrap' on the right by a rimed up slab and
the 'Forty-foot corner' was in great shape . The picture shows
the long traverse required to get on to the 'First Platform'
from Coire Leis. The runners and belays on this traverse were
pretty good today fortunately, as this part of the climb is
very exposed and serious, although not very difficult.
And from Patrick:
Hi Alan!
Just thought I'd send the latest from the Ben today although
I understand you may be holed up at the hut this week and
responsible for my pangs of jealousy as I arrived outside
the hut at 6am this morning to see warm lights and hear the
sound of mugs of tea being knocked about!! Not the best after
a 4.30am slog in the dark!
Still, the early start allowed me to get up to Hadrian's
Wall Direct for a quiet solo. The route is in great condition,
solid placements throughout, which allowed the crux to be
easily dealt with. I got completely smothered by spindrift
in the chimney however, but it's not a difficult part of the
route so passed easily enough. The upper part of Observatory
Ridge is under a lot of loose powder and will provide a time-consuming
passage for anyone contemplating the ridge (better bypassing
it using Zero).
Headed down Tower Gully and met a couple of French climbers
nipping off to do Good Friday Climb, whilst I soloed Indicator
Wall. Again, bomb-proof placements, very plastic ice, nowhere
steep, no cornice, a lovely little route!
Would let you know what else was going on but it was a total
whiteout during the morning so I couldn't really see further
than my hand! One bit of advice for anyone heading to the
Ben just now, don't forget your anti-balling plates on your
crampons as you'll have a lot of tapping free of snow if you
do! A lot of approaches are hard-going due to the recent snow-fall,
and I had to break trail all the way up Observatory Gully.
Bye for now.
 More
of the same and similar to come. Plenty of action all over
the place, so just head off and start climbing. We abseiled
into Morwind today, but loads of folk also waded down Easy
Gully without too many problems. The route was in good shape
with plenty of good ice and snow in all the right places.
Abseiling in is my usual method if I am concerned about the
likelihood of avalanche. The only problem is if parties are
beneath you, and already set up on the route from below. Morwind
is not too bad in this respect as there are options for going
left and right to avoid parties below you. The route is a
good grade IV with ample belays and a few good runners and
in-situ gear.
The weekend looks good and so does the week
ahead of that. The forecast suggests slightly milder weather,
but nothing too warm. This all means that the current excellent
spell of good climbing conditions is set to continue. I still
have one space at the CIC hut if anyone is interested.
....."In like a Lamb".... and long
may it stay that way for March! Wall to wall sunshine, plenty
of good snow and ice on the hills and the birds are singing
away in my back-yard. It snowed a wee bit last night, but
not enough to make much difference. All the routes mentioned
in previous reports are still in good shape. Today, teams
out on The Shield - Route 1/11- Gemini - Orion Direct - Point
Five - Hadrian's. Not sure of conditions on these routes but
it's looking good. Also today the spindrift was pretty dire
on Ben Nevis by all accounts. Due to various client movements
I now have one place left on each CIC Hut course 6/11th &
20/25th March. Check out the following links for e week or
two ahead on the weather front . They are not live so just
copy and paste into the search engine task bar. Looks like
settled weather with a gradual rise in temperature, but okay
for climbing.
...."Hod's of ice"....in Lagangarbh
Corrie today. All over the hills we have interesting icefalls
forming in unlikely places and no doubt the new climbs section
of the next SMC Journal will be showing plenty of virgin territory
discovered in the next edition! Lagangarbh Corrie is certainly
worth a visit if you wish a short approach and a good amount
of ice climbing. The buttress up on the right of the inner
corrie has plenty of exciting stuff to climb without recourse
to a long walk-in. Similar conditions on the icefalls on the
West Face of Aonach Mor, before you get to Golden Oldy. Plenty
of grade III+ in this area, but don't take a guidebook, just
follow your nose and if you get into poor snow higher up,
just head out left or right onto the easier buttresses. The
good thing about this area that the higher you get the easier
it gets and given enough lung-power you land up in the ski
area and an easy descent.
 A
good day out on Beinn Udlaidh today. Very busy and the car
parking is working well in this quiet glen. Definitely worth
a vista if the cold weather continues, with plenty of routes
to go for. Ice routes in Glen Coe look reasonable and The
Screen look okay from a distance.
 We
climbed Ice Crew today left of Quartzvein Scoop and this proved
okay and was well sheltered from the 'bombs' coming off the
rest of the crag.The route has a number of options at the
top, including some fine icy pillars, all of which are okay
at the moment. Another of our party ascended South Gully of
Black Wall and had a great time.
The weather looks set to give some snow again
tomorrow and during the first part of the week, but not much
change to the good conditions we have been getting for a while.
The weather coming through tomorrow could give a little melt
to the snowpack and that would not be a bad thing. Later on
it looks like colder weather will return to keep the winter
going well towards Easter, although the forecast does not
extend that far. Still one place left on the CIC Hut course
6/11th March.
And thanks to Patrick for the following:
Hi Alan,
Lack of climbing partners forced me back out onto the Ben
by myself today for a 42 minute solo of Zero Gully, which
is in superb condition at the
moment due to the hard cold we've been having lately.
To keep you up to date with what else was happening on the
mountain - folk on Slingsby's Chimney, Tower Scoop, Lost The
Place and Central Gully, as well as the usual action, including
screams being clearly audible from a terrified second being
guided up The Curtain!
The Orion Face is very thin at the moment and a lot of lines
are needing more rain to fall and ice to form to make them
enjoyable and, more importantly, safe eg. Thompson's Route
and Harrison's Climb Direct to name a couple. That's all for
now! Patrick
Plenty of action on Ben Nevis and the ice is
getting thicker on The Curtain. Mega Route X, Vanishing Gully,
Cascade, Comb, Green, Point Five and a whole bunch more were
seeing traffic. At present there is no rain forecast up to
and including 12th March. One space still on the CIC Hut course
for 6/11th March.
 Good
report below from Patrick, thanks.
Early start on the walk-in at 4.30am in mild blizzard conditions
and on an extremely icy path! The winds eased and the snowfall
ceased (temporarily at least!) as I reached the Hut at just
after 6am.
Soloed Point Five, which is in good condition, taking 49
minutes despite
being swamped by a huge spindrift avalanche whilst on the
bulge of the Rogue
Pitch! The exit from this pitch is a little delicate with
quite a bit of
loose snow.
Headed down Tower Gully which is perfect for descending just
now as has
practically no cornice, and soloed Smith's Route. The icicle
is in good shape and makes the swing out onto the ramp fairly
easy. Again, no cornice problems here.
Down No.4 Gully next and finished with a solo of Central
Gully Right Hand, which was really enjoyable and thoroughly
deserving of its 3 star status. No cornice problems on this
part of the mountain either. All in all, a great
morning on the hill! Saw teams out on Green Gully, Jubilation,
The Curtain and Waterfall Gully.
Hadrian's Wall might go, but the likes of Sickle and Galactic
Hitchhiker won't. Mega Route X looked a little thin and The
Shroud is a long way off forming.
 Crowberry
Gully (see pictures) is looking okay. The team who tried the
Left Fork finish 'sounded' like they were having tremendous
fun(?). Teams out on West Face of Aonach Beag reported plenty
of good ice. Also the North Face of Aonach Beag.
The good weather looks set to head well into next weekend
and beyond if the medium-term forecast is anything to go by.
Space on all courses next week, but the accommodation is filling
up quickly.
Pictures courtesy of Mr Andy Turner. Thanks Andy.
'Top Tips' on the Tower. On Tower Gap, the best way to negotiate
at the moment is to use the in-situ rope which has kindly
been left in place. This makes the whole manouvre much more
straightforward and safe. Facing across the gap look down
left on the down-hill side and clip the in-situ gear, before
moving down on the Observatory Gully side and swinging into
the gap. Judicious use of the gear is entirely up to you!..."Too
cold for ethics"...Was it Haston or McIntyre? Either
way it helps!. In thaw conditions the blocks in the gap are
potentially very loose, so the rope will possibly become a
permanent feature in future. Don't tell the BMC/MCofS or they
will be up here with their sharp knives.
 The
Eastern Traverse is currently in really good shape, with a
fine little icy path and plenty of good protection. Away from
the popular routes the snow looks pretty 'cruddy' and if the
weather stays dry and cold, consolidation is unlikely. Teams
out on the West Face of Aonach Mor found really good conditions,
but they had to 'pitch' from a long way down, as the approach
slopes are now very icy and serious. Many of the icy gully
lines lower down the Allt Daim on the approach towards the
central sector must be worth a look. Also, experience suggests
that Great Gully on Buachaille Etive Mor might be worth a
look for some sport close to the road.
Great to see such good weather and it looks
set to continue all week and into next weekend. Tonight a
big moon rising and the hills are crystal clear. A new battery
in your Petzl and a rare mid-night ascent for the brave and
hardy! I'm off to bed. Still space on the March 6/11th CIC
Hut course.
Another very good day on Aonach Mor once all
the crowds at the top of Easy Gully sorted themselves out.
We slotted into The Split IV.4 ** between all of the mayhem
in Left Twin and Forgotten Twin!! When the place is so busy
it really helps to have a flexible head on, for which route
you choose.
 Local
knowledge also helps of course. The Split is a good route
with an 'interesting' crux chimney pitch and an awkward left
exit at the top of the chimney. Protection does not feature
very much unless you carry the biggest 'cam' in the box and
use it on the right wall of the chimney pitch, low down. After
doing The Split it is possible to abseil down Siamese Twin,
assuming no other parties are on it and climb back up it's
superb crux pitch. The combination can be used either way,
with Siamese Twin first and abseil back down it to the foot
of the crux pitch, then step around the corner into The Split
chimney. This provides a varied set of climbing without the
need to 'top-out' and go down Easy Gully again.
 Very
very busy on Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor today. Golden Oldy was
likened to the Cosmiques Arete for crowds today, but mostly
populated by folk from England-shire. The Curtain is being
climbed, by all accounts, but no news of how good the ice
is. Teams seen on Vanishing Gully, but not sure of success
rate. Plenty to go for, but if you want to avoid the crowds
an extremely early start is advised. Conditions for the week
ahead look positively fantastic with light winds from the
east and that means sun in the west. Plenty of space on mountaineering
courses this week and maybe the odd ice climbing day. Plenty
of space at the accommodation also, for the coming week. Forget
work and head north!
 Plenty
of action yesterday when the snow was very soft. It looks
like a big freeze is on the way, so conditions are set to
improve dramatically. Today a report from North Face of Aonach
Beag suggested good climbing on Stand and Deliver, plus '
possibilities ' for Royal Pardon and Kings Ransom, but not
certain. The week ahead looks set for a good 'un.
 And
from Sean earlier in the week......"Just come off the
Ben, thought I would give you a quick update on routes today.
My Partner & I climbed the Cascade, but it was not in
very good condition, very thin with a crust of snow ice which
had to be cleared before reaching good ice! This made it very
hard work for the grade & protection was not forthcoming;
think it needs a bit of freeze thaw to improve it.
 Teams
were also seen on number Two Gully Buttress & Green Gully
& seemed to be making good progress. The approach slope
to Number Two Gully & Cascade is very hard work with deep
snow & will be very dodgy if there is a thaw! Some friends
of mine also climbed North East Buttress yesterday 14th, which
they reported as being in good condition, even if they did
cheat by getting a lift to the top car park with you!".......Always
glad to oblige, maybe I'll start charging for lifts up the
hill, so bring your card along next time. Pictures from last
weeks courses, courtesy of Paul Parkes...Thanks Paul. Must
get the Nikon D70 soon!
A very fine day today and plenty of snow and
sunshine. We had a good dose of wind (!) over the weekend,
which was accompanied by lots of snow on the tops. Significant
amounts of snow down to 600 metres and the week ahead looks
okay. Some mild and some cold weather in the next few days
should help consolidate the snow, which currently has a significant
avalanche risk, so keep off big open slopes or gullies. Another
client dropped a green Sprayway jacket this time on the same
descent from Stob Coire nan Lochan today, so if anyone picks
it up please call on 01397 700451. Thanks.
I still have some space on courses for the CIC
Hut in March (6/11th & 20/25th) if anyone is interested.
Plenty more snow falling on the hills and the
avalanche hazard is serious (4). Thanks to Andy for the report
below. Conditions have changed since, and loadsa snow now
in the gullies.
Cold weather on the cards for the week ahead.
Some unsettled, but generally wintry weather. Fort William
is the place to be for the 3rd Fort William Mountain Film
Festival over 12/20th February.
Check out
Mountain
Film Festival
All life starts here for climbers, hillwalkers
and outdoor folk? Be here or be square. Plenty of snow and
ice for all levels. My bunkhouse is already full apart from
one bed (female) on 14th & 16/17th and a couple for 17th
also! Check out the the following hostel link. Be quick or
bring a tent.
Scottish
Independent Hostels
Loads of new snow on the Scottish mountains,
both west and east. We climbed Central Buttress Ordinary Route
on Stob Coire nan Lochan yesterday with plenty of moisture
and wet snow all the way. Thanks to the kind gentleman (Mr
Grimble ?) who retrieved my rope from the descent path after
my client (nameless from Bradford!!) dropped it. Groups out
on Curved Ridge had a good day today.
 Climbed
No 2 Gully and Raeburn's Easy Route on the Ben yesterday (6th)
-
superb neve on both, and a lovely view from the plateau. Thought
you might like some pictures... cheers - Huw.Thanks Huw!
Today (7th) I climbed Comb Gully in thin but
good conditions with plenty of spindrift! Cascade is okay
and the No 2 Gully Buttress routes were very busy. Point Five
Gully released an avalanche today, as did the area above The
Shroud. Conditions in many places are 'thin' and Orion Face
and Zero are not worth thinking about. Hadrian's looks very
thin, but higher up Observatory Gully the conditions improve.
The start of Glover's Chimney looked steep but possible and
the top sections will all be possible I would think. Very
windy today and more to come. Wednesday looks like a poor
sort of day on the forecast.
Cheers for the info. Just a note to maybe put
on the web site. I was climbing on NC Gully in Stob Coire
nan Lochan last weekend and unfortunately dislodged a rather
large
rock from the gully wall, luckily we were able to drop the
rock into the snow and dig it a good way in, but I'm concerned
that in a good thaw it is going to make its way to the base
of the climb. Its rather big like I said and will flatten
anyone below it when it does go. So don't climb NC in a thaw!
A very good day today, sunny and cold. The weather
looks set to be stormy and wintry over the following week
as a series of Atlantic 'fronts' move over. Tomorrow early,
looks like the best weather. Let's hope it all helps Ellen
MacArthur over the finish line. Plenty of action on Ben Nevis
today with a wide variety of routes climbed from Gardyloo
Buttress; Indicator Wall; Good Friday Climb; Tower Scoop;
Point Five (bit thin) plus tower Ridge and others. Gales later
tomorrow so start early.
 I
have copied a note about big holes to avoid on Aonach Mor
as a lesson to us all. Who needs the Alps when we have Aonach
Mor....Hi Alan, Firstly thanks for your informative web site.
Last weekend I was climbing on Aonach Mor and was involved
in two rescues. I don't know if your site is the appropriate
place to post a warning but here's a summary in case you want
to mention it.
On Saturday the 29th we did Tunnel Vision (III). The main
pitch was in good condition but the last 30 feet which had
been in the sun was soft and required care. Another party
behind us followed the right hand exit and the leader fell
off the even softer snow 15 foot below the cornice. As his
top runner had fallen out a second or two before, he slipped
and fell some 70 feet, luckily escaping with one sprained
ankle. With the assembled throng at the top we were able to
winch him up and send him off in the pisteur shortly after.
On Sunday the 29th we went to do Hidden Gully (II). On the
way I came across what looked like a small crack running across
the snow like a mini bergschrund Assuming it would be a foot
or two high I stepped down to the lower lip. To my surprise
I fell through the overhung lower lip about 12 foot onto rocks
breaking my right leg in the process. I'll spare you the shaggy
dog story of the rescue but suffice the moral of the story
is: beware of soft snow exits on sunny crags, and yes there
are crevasses in Scotland! Cheers, Andy
Thanks for that Andy. Keep em coming folks. We can all learn
from other folks unfortunate mishaps.
Winter is back with blue skies, cold temps and
ice building. The week ahead looks okay for more snow, gales,
blizzards and all those lovely weather conditions which make
for great climbing conditions. Cannot guarantee no rain, but
who cares, so long as the snow and ice stays! Pictures to
follow later today hopefully, from Mr Megapixel. He never
showed!!
Not a lot happening today. A few teams moving
roped up no 4 gully (ML training?). We did North Gully (Followed
by another rope of 3). Wet snow, like plodding uphill through
soup, but a nice water ice problem at the top of the first
pitch still in condition, just, provided some interest!
Looks good into next week after a cold weekend,
so the ice conditions high on Nevis and Aonach's should kick
in again. We have a twin room free on Friday, but only one
bed on Saturday at the bunkhouse!
 Another
mild day today. Looks like lots of cold good weather is due
from Friday into next week. Picture donated by Chad of Hadrian's
on Saturday last. Thanks Chad. Teams out on Comb Gully today
reported wet but solid ice. Head north and west this weekend.
Our place is full.
Still freezing near the top of Ben Nevis. Smith's
on Gardyloo is looking okay. Plenty of snow and cold weather
to come by the weekend and Manu goals:-) Poor old Arsenal.
Mild and damp just now, but a real change is
expected later in the week and into the weekend, with a return
to sub-freezing conditions throughout Britain.
A spell of warmer weather will be followed by
cold later in the week.
North Face of Aonach Beag (Royal Pardon &
Camilla amongst others) was busy today, with half decent ice.
Report below from yesterday.
A good day on the Ben but plan A not possible. (29th January).
Raeburn's Buttress too thin to do (though Harrison's Climb/Direct
looked good) and Slab Climb black and in Summer condition
as was Tower Face of the Comb..
Did Cascade which was excellent and tried Winter Chimney but
should have taken heed of guide "a good end of season
route", needed good ice which was lacking. Party on Gargoyle
Wall making good progress and the usual suspects of Comb,
Point 5, Smith's, Green getting ascents. South gully on Creag
Coire Na Ciste looked good. Mega Route X looked doable by
a bold party.
Most routes currently in condition should remain so for the
next couple of days at least. Thanks Tony. The party on Gargoyle
Wall found plenty (too much at times) ice in the cracks.
Lots of fun and games on Ben Nevis in the last
24 hours as shown by the following report!
Sure that you are probably aware of current conditions on
the Ben, so I will keep this brief! We rather foolishly decided
to climb the Curtain Friday night, thinking the ice would
be in better nick than during the day & also quieter.
So we started to climb at around 01:00 Saturday morning, the
first pitch was not too bad but was much too thin for screws.
Pitch two was pretty good but was still dripping wet, but
the real problem was the last pitch which at the top was a
real nightmare with thin ice peeling off the slab at the top!
Having said that it was a fantastic & atmospheric night
especially after being at work all day!
Had a good view of the Cascade which looked fat, all the
high gullies looked to be in good condition too, with many
parties heading for the popular routes.
Apart from that the North Face car park (we need a bigger
one) was full of overnight campers as were some routes high
on the mountain. Smith's and Point Five had queues. Hadrian's
had at least three ascents probably quite thin. Indicator
Wall was fairly sociable, along with a lot of other stuff
above 1,000 metres. All good fun and no helicopters out just
yet, so most folk are alive and well with plenty to talk about
in the bars of Fort William.
 Another
very fine day today. Frost in the valley this morning and
clear sunny weather all day. Conditions on the mountains have
not changed much. It does appear that slightly milder weather
may encroach as the high pressure slips south, however overnight
frost should keep the ice in reasonable shape high on Ben
Nevis and Aonach Mor.
Nice picture opposite thanks to Dave Almond
who recently had a great few days in Glen Coe with Mark Thomas
as reported in the following:
Another late report (last weeks) .Hi Alan, Did
Central Buttress VII,7 on Stob Coire Nan Lochan last sat,
thin, good turf, top pitch well iced up. Un Poco Loco VII,7
on Church Door Butt. on Sunday, again, thin with verglas in
the cracks - difficult to protect. Savage VI, 8 on Lost valley
Butt. Awesome route, Should be 3 stars, and possibly VII as
it had good coating of verglas too, crux was just fantastic,
real battle!! Deep Cut Chimney on Tuesday IV,4, on the thaw,
ice falling down the lower section and the Left route from
the snowy bay thin on ice. Aquafresh on Aonach Mor on weds,
thawing in the sun but still good ice, cornices not too bad
most have been cut through on the 3 star routes. A truly awesome
5 days, Mark.
Don't feel shy folks if you want your great
pics on this website. always a pleasure to put them up.
 Good
conditions high on Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor. A lot of ice
low down, but it is pretty rotten! The Curtain, Mega Route
X and Vanishing Gully are struggling to stay and definitely
not worth too much attention unless we get a good freeze.
Boomer's is the same. Point Five Gully was climbed today and
Glover's Chimney is in good shape. Minus Two looks as if it
could go if we get a good freeze. Hadrian's Direct would be
the same, very thin and rotten in the current conditions.
Tower Scoop looked good through the gloom from Tower Ridge
today and the ridge was in fine fettle, but plastered in thick
verglas all the way to the top of the Little Tower. so in
general terms, stay high on Nevis and Aonach Mor and you should
have some fun. The forecast looks similar into next week
Stunning weather today and plenty of snow on
the hills. Overnight frost (just) last night at my home. Green
Gully was okay yesterday, but the first pitch was 'narrow'.
Similar to yesterday but a little overcast.
The week ahead looks good according to the 'Farmers' forecast.
Some small snow showers and cloud, but probably cold enough
to build and keep the ice and snow in good shape, high up.
The reason for this type of weather is a 'High' pressure system
centred just west of us. This weather situation will not be
bitterly cold. However, it should not bring gales and rain,
so head north folks. Point Five Gully is in good shape and
Smith's on Gardyloo Buttress is okay but a wee bit 'thin'.
Stringfellow was climbed along with quite a few more routes
on Ben Nevis.
Tower Ridge yesterday was almost as good as
it gets. It was cold (minus2 on top of the Great Tower, and
clear, still (except for the MRT helicopter), sunny, and very
busy-- at least three other pairs on the Ridge, and two more
coming out of Glover's Chimney. Quite thin for neve and a
lot of verglas or rimed
rock to climb, We also found some good fat ice-falls forming.
The Curtain was in, and Point Five and Zero looked magnificent,
but we didn't see anyone on any of these routes, though NE
Buttress was busy and almost everything in Coire na Ciste
seemed to be in use. The cornices were tiny and
although there was a bit of powder and windslab around, there
just wasn't enough snow for any real risk, even in the obvious
hotspots like the top of Observatory Gully and the bottom
of Castle Gully. We neither saw nor heard any sign of avalanche
activity, and we saw loads of people using the main gullies
without looking at all troubled or hesitant.
Thanks Tim, especially for the little quote below which I
shall apply rigorously to my view on waymarks on Ben Nevis!
....."Whenever a view is held to be absolute anathema
by one's contemporaries, that is the time to look at it seriously"......
(Colin McGinn)
Stob Coire nam Beith yesterday. Little snow on any buttresses,
but quite a bit in the gullies – although certainly
not enough to bank out caves etc. Summit Gully I/II climbed
with a couple of other parties, and the lack of snow was telling
in the number of pitches on the route – more like II/III
in the conditions. Some excellent neve on the pitches, otherwise
snow conditions were mixed (but certainly not bad). Very little
windslab on this particular route, but choose carefully to
get a NW facing route
Report from Saturday 22/1/05:
Superb conditions on Aonach Mor (why is the sky that funny
colour? It's sort of... blue!) Climbed Left Twin in perfect
nick, hugely enjoyable.
Sunday 23/1/05:
Patchy cloud & windy in Stob Coire Nan Lochan, occasional
flurries. Climbed NC Gully in soft powdery snow - perfect
for practicing those 'buried axe belays'. Slithery descent
down Broad Gully, almost wading down!
And from the misty Isle.....Cuillin holding
good neve & ice in N facing corries. Comparatively thin
but a lot of stuff climbable. Ridge clear with small amount
of powder left after the storms.
Superb weather and plenty of snow/ice on the
hills around Fort William. A report in from the North-West
also shows good conditions on Beinn Eighe - Central Buttress.
Freezing level is low and the turf is well frozen. In Glen
Coe, West Chimney Route was 'thin' today. On Ben Nevis Gargoyle
Wall was also 'thin'. Aonach Mor was very good on the East
side. Also teams out sniffing around Stob Ban today reported
difficult climbing on unconsolidated turf and heather! They
must have been made of sterner stuff in 1904! Teams out in
Stob Coire nan Lochan, climbed twisting gully on reasonably
well consolidated snow, frozen turf and occasional ice. Plenty
other groups out climbing Dorsal Arete, Moonshadow, Ordinary
Route, and most other routes as well. Wall to wall sunshine
and not a breath of wind, could do with plenty more days like
this, (Thanks Bob).
Anyone else out their with a report please
text or email to me and I'll post it. Email preferred. The
weather looks okay until at least Wednesday.
 Finally
a day with some decent views and conditions. The second good
day this year, so things are looking up! We abseiled into
Left Twin ahead of the Leicester City supporters club and
the Irish 'coach trip' who tested Easy Gully en masse and
traversed over to follow on Left Twin without incident. Today
at least their were no avalanches on the eastern side of Aonach
Mor.
We climbed Left Twin in perfect ice conditions
and then Morwind in good mixed set-up. A great day out and
more to come if the weather forecast is to be believed. Tonight
we have a big moon and stars, plus a light North-Westerly
breeze. By all accounts the west coast is much better than
the Northern Corries, nothing changes!
A slightly milder day today, but that's not
a bad thing as it will bed in the snow-pack. Colder weather
tomorrow and into the weekend should bring good climbing conditions.
The winter is looking good just now with plenty of snow and
ice forming in the west. By all accounts the 'Gorms' have
not had as much as us. Saturday and Sunday are still looking
good, although the high pressure which is building will be
based over the Atlantic and as such will not be super-cold
unless it slips over a continental mass. Whatever happens
it will be much better than of late for a wee while.
Full-on winter has returned to the Scottish
hills and looks set to stay for the week and into the weekend.
It will be accompanied by unsettled weather most of the time.
Best options will be buttress and ridge climbs, keeping clear
of the gullies unless you fancy being caught in an avalanche!
Bring your snow-shoes for the approaches and a pair of goggles
to stop eye-ball abrasion.
A better cooler day today. Yesterday was very
wet and some ice was falling off the routes, along with a
climber or two, especially in Comb Gully on Ben Nevis. both
Comb and Green Gullies were climbed last week. Also, Tower
Ridge and a good few routes left of No 2 Gully in the N0 2
Gully Buttress area. A return to colder wintry weather is
forecast for the coming week. Late reports off of Ben Nevis
today say that the first pitch of Green Gully has gone for
the time being. Central Gully on Creag Coire na Ciste is complete
but fragile. North Gully is broken at the narrows. Snow down
to the lochan and plenty of snow in the big easy gullies.
Good climbing conditions yesterday with a fair
amount of ice forming in all the right places. The weekend
looks mild, but a return to colder weather next week will
further solidify the conditions, so long as we get some settled
spells. More to come soon. My PC has been on the blink recently,
so reports have been sparse.
Storming overnight, but slackened off today
to just a gale! Plenty of snow on the hills and good weather
coming through tomorrow.
Not a bad day today and some blue sky. Thursday
is looking good on the weather charts when a ridge of high
pressure and more settled weather crosses over the area. Still
plenty of snow in the high corries and cold weather will bring
the conditions back in again very quickly. No real sign of
a long settled spell for the time being though.
Still wet and windy but plenty of snow in the
corries. If only it would stop storming, the conditions could
be quite good. Colder and more settled weather is suggested
for later in the week.
Very wet and windy today. The forecast suggests
colder weather at the weekend. Not seen the top of a hill
for a while, so cannot say for sure what is in condition!
 Another
24 hours of excess snow about to flush down the drain on the
lip of the approaching milder air. Today we had plenty of
new snow on high ground and last night down in the High St
of Fort William. Conditions on Beinn a' Chaorainn today were
thigh deep in places. The East Ridge looked like good sport
so long as you had a mob of strong folk to share trail-blazing.
A day or two of milder weather is needed to consolidate the
snow, but not much more. Winter looks like it's heading north
for a few days.
Watch out for soft drippy cornices and make
sure you take heed of the avalanche hazard forecast.
A day of torrential rain today. Tomorrow we
have a forecast of blizzards and strong winds. The large fluctuations
of cold and mild are continuing, but some areas are hanging
in okay, mostly high on Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor. In the next
week it will largely depend on the timing for low pressure
systems. Generally 24 hours in between is needed to bring
back climbing conditions after a depression passes through.
The big problem is making a good route choice as the weather
patterns at present are definitely adding to the avalanche
hazard. Keep clear of corniced gullies during or soon after
the bad weather passes over. Try and pick ridges or buttress
routes to steer clear of gully problems and also be careful
if taking on long Nevis ridge routes with lots of new unconsolidated
snow and limited daylight hours. It's better to have a short
and easy successful day than a very long and potentially serious
epic on a harder route.
Here you will find an archive of other years
winter climbing conditions.
Back to top
Back to top |
May
6th
8th April
The
big easy grade I routes on Nevis are still okay and seeing
a lot of traffic from those folk who prefer the easy ground.The
rock routes on the First Platform of N.E. Buttress and also
around Central Route on the Minus Face were looking pretty
dry. Also teams out on Rannoch Wall reported very good rock
climbing conditions. I am never one to try and 'second-guess'
Scottish winter conditions, but at this stage it looks as
though we may have seen the last of the ice for winter 2005.
What a difference a mild week can make.
For winter mountaineering and easy winter climbing, there
are still plenty of big snow-fields and easy gullies to sample,
but hard winter routes are down the drain at present. My courses
are now climbing on the long Nevis ridges and also visiting
The Isle of Skye for trips up Pinnacle Ridge and such-like.
We can always find something to keep us interested. With Easter
only a few days away, I would recommend bringing rock boots
and chalk bags to sample the superb rock climbing which this
area has to offer.
Friday
March 4th
