UKC

Hello folks,

First entry to what may be a winter long thread...? Have moved back to the Borders now and as such, Moffatdale is nearest climbing area when wintry. If it seems like there's interest I'll update as and when I get down that way.

Went to Swatte Fell to do Coomb Crag Ridge today, a nice winter scramble, but with the added interest of a direct start on the bottom buttress which goes at about Grade II, particularly interesting at the moment with lots of unconsolidated snow and decidedly mobile blocks...all good fun though! Cracking walk in before the sun came up, starry skies, big bright moon and some shooting stars. Crapped out about 1000 with low cloud and snow moving in.

Road from Peebles is passable, road from Moffat was looking better, seems like D&G council are better at gritting that SBC... Low down there was lots of hard snow and water ice, but as expected, with height this became loose and unconsolidated with the snow insulating the turf and the water so quite nervous conditions. Plenty windblown snow on Easterly aspects, some quite big (for Southern Uplands!) cornices forming, and evidence of recent avalanche in Upper Nether Coomb (crown wall about 2ft?)

Some photos here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152803681845865.1073741885.7386...

Cheers,
Gordon

In reply to peebles boy:

Thanks for the pics, gives me hope for this winter, having also just moved to the area.

In reply to peebles boy:

Hi Gordon, updated swatte fell access, hoping for some routes up there myself this winter. Hopefully the tail will come in!! Did you happen to see how broken cleuch is? I still need to finish the top pitch.

In reply to rnotman67:

Ryan,

Managed a glimpse of it as I drove home - nothing happening I'm afraid. As above, the snow is doing a good job of insulating everything at the moment, think we could've done with a few days of cold weather before it came down...maybe a couple of freeze/thaws would sort things out a bit, but forecast doesn't look hopeful this far south from Tuesday onwards

In reply to peebles boy and Alex Riley:

By the way, you both might be interested in the Galloway Climbers Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/189847150690/ (if you are not aware of it already).

In reply to Stephen Reid - Needle Sports:

I found that a while ago, I've not been very active the last few weeks however.