UKC

Hello all, just wondering if any locals/veterans of point five can give me any idea of what the exit slopes are like (aspect and avalanche potential?)as we were contemplating having a very flexible looksee tomorow. Dont fancy getting dumped on with anything larger than spindrift though!!! So please tell me if i am being wayyy to optimistic here. The theory was that from what i can see the faces above the gully look ok avalanche wise and should have firmed up by the time we reach them. The summit will be blustery but been up many times before and very happy getting down. Any clues will be handy cheers!

In reply to James91: Dont go. good luck.

In reply to James91:

id be very suprised if it was in a climbable condition at the minute to be honest. i dont head up north till next week so this isnt based on a first hand look mind but i really cant see it being in condition based on forecasts/having kept a rough eye on how things have been shaping up over the last week.

In reply to James91:

I haven't done it but my told me of it for future reference: Don't ever do it if anything is blowing down from the upper slopes as it all collects down and the spindrift avalanches themselves just from the wind can be powerful enough to knock you right off before you even get to the exit slopes.

In reply to James S: I was up poking around today and there is a lot of ice around so i would be surprised if it wasn't in but i could be wrong! Definitely ice on hadrians wall direct, and ice on the lower routes too. Although the curtain is missing the bottom but it is a fair bit lower. I dunno.. just uncertain on whether to bother starting out on it which as the first reply says is probably a non starter.

In reply to James91: better left til later in the season, or so I've been told.

In reply to Milesy: ah, thats the end of that then cheers!

In reply to James91: notorious funnel at the top of the rogue pitch is a nightmare when you get to it if dumping snow from higher. Why not go and see with a back up planb close by ?

In reply to James91:

fair enough, as i say, thats just a best guess. i did it last year early on in pretty thin conditions, rogue pitch was pretty hard to protect though in that condition. definitely full value for the grade in lean conditions.

In reply to higherclimbingwales: point 5 faces NE, and has exits facing NW through N to E. Any loose snow on the plateau is blown in to the top of the funnel on any winds from south to west. It put down a lot of snow last night, and the weather is coming from the SW. I'd leave it for more settled conditions.

In reply to cannichoutdoors: thats exactly what i needed to know/hear many thanks

In reply to James S: i'll second that...

In reply to James91:

Ah what a shame, according to the logs it was climbed by a party in great conditions on 01/01/13! What a difference a day makes?

In reply to morpcat: Unfortunately, Point Five Gully has not survived the current thaw. There's a picture here from today - http://www.abacusmountaineering.com/currentconditions.html - showing big gaps in the first pitches.

Early days yet though, it is most likely to form again.

Mike