At last we had a cold, dry day with some sunshine. I was out on Ledge Route today which was windy but very well filled in with snow which was mostly hard frozen.
Where the wind has scoured the slopes, the snow is quite firm. This is the case on Ledge Route, under the Trident Buttresses, Little Brenva Face and will be the same on NE Buttress. Anywhere sheltered, where the snow has been collecting, now has deep, dense windslab on it making travel hard work and a bit hazardous. Big avalanches left sizable crown walls under Vanishing Gully and Garadh Gully a few days ago. These slopes are very similar to those on the left side of Observatory Gully under Orion face etc.
From what I saw today Route One on Carn Dearg Buttress was climbed, NE Buttress, Tower Ridge, Gutless and SW Ridge of Douglas Boulder. Green Hollow Route was climbed and a good team found the ice ran out on Newbiggin's Route Far Right Variation.
In general, major ridges are very well snowed up and good fun. Big snow gullies have many metres depth of wind blown snow in them. Ice gullies high up and most classic grade V's are soft or just snow still. Mixed climbs are rimed but protection is hard to find. The best ice is around the mid-level. As an example, The Shroud is now complete.
Looks like strong winds at the weekend and even more snow.
Happy climbing.
Mike Pescod
http://www.flickr.com/photos/abacusmountaineering/sets/Post edited at 22:25
