February 08 Conditions

Thursday 28th February 2008

I've just got back from an excellent snow holing expedition in the Cairngorms.

Kirsteen, Dave, Mark, Tim and I built a snowhole in Coire Domhain along with a few other teams. There were strong Westerly winds and it was -1°C at 1000m.

Today we climbed Ben Macdui and Cairngorm. I was working for Martin Moran today.

Sunday 24th Febuary 2008

I was out in Glen Shiel today with Kirsteen, Dave, Mark and Tim. They are all on a winter skills and Munros course.

We did some basic skills on the way up onto the South Cluanie Ridge. We then summited the Munro Maol Chinn-Dearg.

There was a strong westerly wind and grouple showers throughout the day. I was working for Martin Moran today.

Thursday 22nd Febuary 2008

With windspeeds of over 160mph recorded at the weather station on top of Cairngorm today we were glad to be sheltering in Coire na Ciste.

I was out with Steve today looking at general mountaineering skills. We did some ice axe arresting, bucket seat belays, buried ice axe belays and snow bollards.

We also practised abseiling with a prussic and how to do retrievable multi-pitch abseils.

Wednesday 20th February 2008

I was out with Steve today in Coire an t-Sneachda in the Northern Cairngorms.

We climbed some excellent grade 1 ground to the right of Jacob's Ladder. The neve was solid, the ice thick and the turf well frozen.

The SW wind got stronger through the day and there were snow showers in the afternoon. The freezing level was at 1050m.

Tuesday 19th February 2008

After a cold frosty night it was yet another beautiful sunny day in the Highlands.

I was on Ben Nevis today with Raymond and Kaj. They led their first winter route together.

We were on Ledge Route looking at a variety of techniques including pitching and moving together.

Monday 18th February 2008

I was out with Raymond and Kaj today on Ben Nevis. To avoid the crowds heading up Observatory Gully we went round to the Little Brenva Face.

We had a fantastic time on Moonwalk. This grade IV route has a real alpine feel with icefalls joining snow fields up this 300m face.

We had sunshine and the face to ourselves with a great moon rise on the summit.

Saturday 16th February 2008

With cloud forecast to push in from the West coast Rich and I headed to the North East sea cliffs at Latheronwheel.

These solid sandstone cliffs on the Caithness coastline were in the sun all day.

Although it was only 7°C it was sheltered and warm.

Thursday 14th February 2008

Another warm sunny day in the Highlands. I was out with Tom and Bala who are on a Glenmore Lodge course.

Although conditions are very lean in the Northern Corries of the Cairngorms we were able to find some ice today to look at placing ice screws, building belays and creating Abalakov threads.

We topped out once again into a very still, warm and sunny afternoon. Must remember my suncream tomorrow.

Monday 11th February 2008

Today it was a warm sunny day in the Cairngorms. It was 6°C at 1000m and there is a lot of loose rock around after the thaw.

I was out with Tom and Bala on an Intro to Winter Climbing and we climbed Aladdins Couloir.

I was working for Glenmore Lodge today.

Sunday 10th February 2008

We had a great day on Ben Nevis today. We teamed up with Owen and Simon and went up Ledge Route.

Robin, Simon, Don and David led the route and looked at the skills of moving together safely.

It was warm and very misty to start but then higher up the route the cloud dropped and we had fantastic views across the top of a cloud inversion.

Saturday 9th February 2008

It was another mild day in the Central Highlands. Don, David, Robin and I went into Creag Meagaidh. We looked at ropework, stance management and retrievable abseils below Raeburn's Gully Buttress.

There was a lot of avalanche debris below all the major gullies and the Post Face had some good waterfalls on it.

Over in the Cairngorms Ian and Danny were out with an Alpha Mountaineering team from Newcastle University Mountaineering Club. They were looking at winter skills up in Coire Laogh Mor.

Friday 8th February 2008

It started off a wild, windy, wet, warm day in the Northern Corries.

However once we were into Coire an t-Sneachda the rain stopped and we had a great day climbing The Runnel.

It was still windy and warm but the main gully lines were complete with soggy snow and there were no cornices on our route.

Tuesday 5th February 2008

Today Caroline and John enjoyed their first winter climb. We were on the Twin Ribs in Coire an t-Sneachda.

It started off very still with a freezing level at 1000m. Later in the day there was light snow on a north easterly breeze. There was a lot of wind slab on an easterly aspect.

Monday 4th Febuary 2008

I was out with Caroline and John today in the Cairngorms. We were looking at winter skills like cramponing, avalanche awareness and ice axe arrest.

It was 0°C at 700m with a very strong Southerly wind. There was very little precipitation through the day but a lot of snow was getting shifted onto Northerly aspects in the wind.

Sunday 3rd February 2008

Yesterday I was out with Mike, Nigel and Peter on Ben Nevis. We went up into Coire Leis and looked at snow belays, basic roped climbing in winter and abseiling using a snow bollard.

The freezing level was 700m and there were frequent snow showers on a blustery south westerly wind.

Over in the Cairngorms Kev was out with an Alpha Mountaineering team from Leeds Mountaineering Club. They were looking at winter skills up in Coire Cas.

Yesterday certainly seemed to be a busy day across the highlands.

On the Ben a team were spotted on Centurion. Down in Glencoe Eric and Dave had a great time on Central Grooves.

Over in the Southern Cairngorms Allan and Gary were wading into a very snowy Lochnagar. Thanks for the photo Allan.

Friday 1st Febuary 2008

We had a great day today up on Aonach Mor. I was out with Nigel, Mike and Peter on there first day of a winter mountaineering course. We were looking at basic mountaineering skills on the Nid.

There was a strong North West breeze with a lot of snow showers throughout the day.