UKC

I'm heading up to the Ben on 25th Jan.
I've led up to III and AD.

Can anyone recommend routes around II or III which will be in fairly good condition around the time?

Potentially things like Gardyloo Gully, No.2 Gully, Ledge Route, Raeburn's Easy Route, Good Friday Climb, Castle Ridge etc.

Cheers,
BR

In reply to blackreaver:
You want... a nine-day forecast??

[sucks teeth, looks dubious]

Might be a better idea to pack the guidebook and see how it looks when you get up there, who's on the routes that interest you, etc. (Prima facie, your own list looks pretty good to me.)

I will risk one prediction, even at this range: Gardyloo will have a monster cornice, unless it's just avalanched, and will be better left till April when things have tidied up a bit. This prediction is usually fairly safe...

Oh, and another: unless it's covered in unhelpful powder, which seems unlikely with all the wind and freeze-thaw we've been getting, Tower Ridge (IV, 3) is normally quite a safe bet. It's also quite a roomy route--little danger of people in front of you dropping stuff on you, and plenty of space on it for more than one party. At least, till you get to the Gap.

In reply to blackreaver:

I really enjoyed The Castle (III) but access to it is sketchy if there is an avalanche risk.

In reply to Tim Chappell:






which just shows my luck, that when we went to do it (as my firsts winter route other than one piece of piss snow plod in the lakes) it was covered in immense amounts of unhelpful powder!