UKC

Afternoon all.

Having had a week in the cairngorms booked for 6 months now and even have a free pass from the missus has anyone been on the tops recently. I have been keeping up to date on mwis and sais but would also like some feedback from folk who have been out in it.

cheers in advance

In reply to chris murnin:

Was at lurchers crag yesterday. Good conditions top to bottom with no avalanch risk accross the crag (baring a massive thaw). walk back was wind scoured and very icey.

In reply to chris murnin:

Cheers, was beginning to believe the scaremongering, glad to hear folk are still venturing out

In reply to Webster:

No avalanche risk? Good ain

In reply to drunken monkey:

no cornices and firm neve, and the snow is only a foot or so deep in the heart of central gully

In reply to chris murnin:

Anyone know what Oui Oui is like on Creag Dubh? Is it usually in this time of year?

In reply to Anhibian:

Havent been across that way, but I'd be fairly confident that it has not been nearly cold enough yet.

In reply to Anhibian:

Oui Oui isn't ever usually in, it comes in to condition during particularly sustained cold periods (to sea level!) only.

In reply to Anhibian:
It's not cold enough. Tons and tons of snow, but until the other day it was all up high. It's not really very cold at all; I've been watching Glen Shee's ski reports pretty carefully, and a lot of the time the FL is 700m+.

In reply to chris murnin:
Absolutely loaded! Just been to count climbers and no-one in Sneachda, despite good access (road and underfoot) and good weather.
Mess of Pottage partly banked out, Patey's route like an interesting grade 2, Aladdin's Mirror has disappeared and the Direct shows only a few feet of free ice. Huge cornices all along the top, particularly above Opening Break, Jacob's Ladder, Forty Thieves, Central, Crotched Gullies, direct finish to Spiral Gully and Red/Goat Track Gully.

During the week a few have reported a fairly scary time on Invernookie and better on Short Circuit and Seam, but the smart guys are abbing in from above rather than plodding all the way up.

Have a look at photies on my album page (RangerNic)

Best,

Nic.

In reply to Anhibian:

It's barely been freezing at that height for a day this winter!

In reply to chris murnin:
The flanks and tops have 100 percent cover. Lochnagar was solid snow.
There were hundreds and hundreds of cars at glen shee slopes.
the tops are only a few degrees below zero but gale force winds.