UKC

I'm heading up to Glencoe at the weekend and thinking of doing the Aonach Eagach and Bidean nan Bian.

I don't intend to take crampons and an axe and so the question is whether either or both are now in summer condition and doable without technical gear.

Thanks

I

In reply to indigo:

No idea, but it was 21ºC in Fort William today. It's to turn colder again before the weekend however.

In reply to indigo:
Up Bidean on Saturday. The short ridge up to Bidean from SCNL was well covered with old hardish snow and I was pretty glad to have an axe in a couple of places. Lots of snow still in some places in the corries so similiarly for the descent from Bealach Dearg down to lost valley there was a headwall of steep, hardish snow. Even stuffed crampons on for that, though if I hadn't had them with me reckon it would have probably been ok, but again happy to have an axe.

AE looked totally stripped from across the valley.

In reply to indigo:

On Friday the Bidean - SCNL connecting ridge was still very snowy in parts. It was too cloudy to see anything more of the mountain, or over to AE. Soft mush in the recent daytime temps, I was glad of an axe briefly but didn't take crampons out of the bag. There's a lot of snow left in places, but very patchy now. I'd be surprised if there was anything much left on AE though.

In reply to indigo:

I did the AE on April the 15th and it was in summer condition - dry rock all the way!

In reply to indigo:

We did AE on Saturday, no snow on the route at all.

In reply to indigo:

Thanks for the replies guys