UKC

Conditions in Coire an Lochain today

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 Andy Nisbet 10 Jan 2013
Conditions were unusual. No fresh snow, only rime high up so everything looked bare. But when you got there, a complete layer of verglas on everything, even on the rock walking up. Must have been freezing mist. So not great on balance. I did Milky Way and Y-Gully Right Branch so easy routes fine. But Hookers Corner looked particularly icy. A team was on Savage Slit so maybe not as bad as I thought.
 jhw 10 Jan 2013
Chapeau, thanks for this.
 James Smith 10 Jan 2013
In reply to Andy Nisbet:

i was one of the guys on savage slit, was nicely rimed up...the main corner especially was nice and white. as you say though a lot of verglas about which made protecting it quite hard at times but wasnt too bad. all in all a great first climb of the season!

 andybrown114 11 Jan 2013
In reply to Andy Nisbet: We had a great day in Lochain today. Savage slit was awesome and nicely rimed - I even got an ice screw belay in! Ewen Buttress was ok and climbable on frozen turf and bullet hard neve in places. Direct start was desperate and verglassed though. Weather calm cold and vis great. Wonderful day out.
 DaveHK 11 Jan 2013
In reply to andybrown114:
> (In reply to Andy Nisbet) Direct start was desperate and verglassed though.

It often seems to be.
OP Andy Nisbet 11 Jan 2013
In reply to andybrown114:
> (In reply to Andy Nisbet) We had a great day in Lochain today. Savage slit was awesome and nicely rimed - I even got an ice screw belay in! Ewen Buttress was ok and climbable on frozen turf and bullet hard neve in places. Direct start was desperate and verglassed though. Weather calm cold and vis great. Wonderful day out.

Glad you enjoyed it. I don't like verglas so went to Garbh Choire Mor, Braeriach. I had a good day out too.

 scottie390 12 Jan 2013
In reply to BenJammin': I find your comments, although not involving me, offensive and out of line and have reported this as abuse. please show some decency and delete the comment, you're way outa line.
 Robert Durran 12 Jan 2013
In reply to BenJammin':

Good effort getting to Lochain and Braeriach on the same day.
 Roberttaylor 12 Jan 2013
In reply to Andy Nisbet: I was in Sneachda, while some stuff was rimed up (Fingers ridge, loads on the Fiachaill buttress) there were a few parties climbing stuff that looked ready for a summer ascent (the more sheltered bits I suppose).

 andybrown114 12 Jan 2013
In reply to BenJammin': Thanks for your opinions, idiot!
 andybrown114 12 Jan 2013
In reply to Andy Nisbet: Hoarmaster (VI.6) today which was superb but thin. We also saw teams on Overseer Direct (V.6), Deep Throat (V.6), Grumbling Grooves (VI.6) and Y Bullet R Branch (II). The higher you go the thicker the rime and the snowpack is bullet hard. Practically a staircase for descent in the Couloir though whoever first kicked the steps has long legs! Great fun to be had in Lochain if you choose your route.
 JCurrie 12 Jan 2013
In reply to BenJammin':

http://www.scottishwinter.com

Time do the decent thing, I reckon.

Jase

 James Smith 12 Jan 2013
In reply to BenJammin':

I'll reply to this once but I'm not going to let you draw me into an argument, based on your original message, you're not worth it.

On the day we went up with open minds to see if anything looked in, most of the buttresses only had very thin rime and a coating of verglas but in that bay around the 'y' gullies things were rimed up much better. Obviously you weren't there as you're basing your accusations on a picture. I stand by our decision to get on it.

James
 Roberttaylor 13 Jan 2013
In reply to JCurrie: Wow, wish I'd been in to Braeriach!
OP Andy Nisbet 13 Jan 2013
In reply to Roberttaylor:

Not such a nice day today. We binned it after 10 minutes walk (softies), but you could have climbed if keen.
 andybrown114 13 Jan 2013
In reply to Andy Nisbet: We had the same thoughts as we saw the snow falling in Aviemore first thing so had a poke around on a recce to Creagan Cha-no. What a hidden gem! We'll definitely be back to climb some stuff when conditions are better.
OP Andy Nisbet 13 Jan 2013
In reply to andybrown114:

We were heading up to Creagan a' Cha-no but the cold wind put us off. It was probably too bare.
 Lone Rider 13 Jan 2013
In reply to Andy Nisbet: Who are you calling a softy. It was you who said if it was for work I would go but for pleasure I'll not bother. Only joking!!:oP
 andybrown114 13 Jan 2013
In reply to Andy Nisbet: There were a couple of other teams up there and it was pretty bare with no rime but there was fresh powder on the rock and snowing hard. We did Anvil Gully which was well frozen and turfy with some really enjoyable rocky chimney/corners.
OP Andy Nisbet 13 Jan 2013
In reply to Lone Rider:

It was you who said we were softies. And I agreed!
OP Andy Nisbet 13 Jan 2013
In reply to andybrown114:

That's what I expected for conditions. We'd have climbed something if we'd gone on.
 James Smith 13 Jan 2013
In reply to andybrown114: we did hookers corner today which was excellent. not really any useable ice in the corner but enough to make good gear a bit harder to find on the first half of the pitch. weather cleared up and turned into a really nice day!

saw teams on savage slit, fallout corner and y gullies (left deemed not in by party trying it, and it did indeed look a lot harder than 3 today!), they did right instead). also friends did auricle which they said was in good condition.
 PAJames 13 Jan 2013
In reply to James S: Conditions improving, everything is frozen, rime forming - http://pjmountains.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/13-01-13-coire-lochain-cairngorms...
Paul035 13 Jan 2013
We were in Caenlochan Glen over Little Glenshee today; snowed all day and windy. Some bomber neve where wind scoured but a lot of slab forming on sheltered slopes... surprised to see Monday's avalanche forecast for Southern Cairngorms is only moderate, unless the snow showers were very localised today??
 Banned User 77 13 Jan 2013
In reply to Paul035: I was out in the cairngorms yesterday and there was far more snow down in aboyne than there was actually on the summit of derry cairngorm.

Neve was bomber, had to use crampons for almost any snow slopes..
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