UKC

Considering heading up to Brown Cove crags tomorrow to see what some of the easy gullies are like for a taste of winter before flying to Thailand.

Looks like today could have brought on some ice given the temps but have a feeling that isn't going to last into tomorrow based on weatherline forecast. Any thoughts welcome anyway.

Jonny

In reply to Jonny Nick:

Personally judging off what I saw today on pinnacle ridge no chance but heard off others on here that thing were much better on helvellyn than they was on St Sunday crag.

In reply to Jonny Nick: could be something to do with aspect maybe East and North facing crags may hold better snow. Ice and turf nearly there though.

In reply to Jonny Nick:

https://twitter.com/LakesWeather

In reply to Jonny Nick:

Nah. They were soft today and not in condition. Some sport to be had on the buttresses though where the turf has been exposed to the wind, but I would think Browncove would be too low to get anything done on there tomorrow. Sounds like Red Tarn could be avalanchey too.

NMM

In reply to Northern Mountain Monkey:

Cheers! May just head out for a bit of a mooch about around Helvellyn and take my axes just in case.

In reply to Wesley Orvis:

Cheers. Thinking will head up around Helvellyn and carry my axes just in case

In reply to Northern Mountain Monkey:

Hi fella - what did you get Done?

In reply to Exile:

Now then! Just had a snowy scramble up that Stepped ridge and then pootled up the grade II line on the main buttress. Turf generally reasonable, although there were a couple of soft patches in the usual places. Had some nice ice on it too, don't think I've seen that much ice on Browncove. Fingers crossed it gets a good re-freeze before Wednesdays turbo thaw

You been out yet?

NMM

In reply to Northern Mountain Monkey:

I'm going up tomorrow, so i'll put an update on here tomorrow evening.

In reply to Northern Mountain Monkey:

Good one. We did a route called Professor on Cambridge Crags yesterday, went for a poke about up there and was surprised by how good things were. Give me a shout if you're up and looking for a partner - have you still got my mobile number?

In reply to Exile:

How was that route? Looks like a decent line but no stars in the book?

Climbed on stepped ridge yesterday and it was decent, exposed turf was frozen. However I would e amazed if it hadn't gone today as it was so warm. Snow seemed completely stripped off all summits. Was 8c in Grassmere. This English weather is so fickle!

In reply to Exile:

Good work. Suprising. I was wondering if the W Lakes had been cold enough. Guess there'd been enough of a N in the winds. Yes I have and yes I certainly will. Currently doing an MSc, so should have plenty of time for getting out...

In reply to Jonny Nick:
Bowfell this am - 5C now in valley
https://www.facebook.com/NTLakescampsites?ref=hl#!/NTLakescampsites/photos/...

In reply to John Kelly:

Great info. Thanks. Let's hope it freezes down well before the turbo thaw kicks in!

In reply to John Kelly:

Unsurprisingly it's lost a lot of snow since Saturday.

In reply to LakesWinter:

Definitely worth doing. - the line is good and the whole first pitch is absorbing climbing with nothing less than tech 4/5 on it. The second pitch is less defined but you can still do sections of 4 on that if you pick the direct rather than easiest line. The crux is straight off the floor which some won't like and I'd say in Scotland overall it would get V 6, with a couple of the lower moves stiff for that.

In reply to Northern Mountain Monkey:

I think the head of Langdale often gets more snow than Gable or Scafell as it's dumped on the crag having been blown over the Bowfell ridge. Also the routes are generally steeper than the Helvellyn ones so the turf isn't insulated as much. There are also a number of crag aspects from North facing through to almost South East, so often something has come in whatever direction the weather has come from. And it's also, (for the lakes,) pretty high.

I've had a number of 'we'll go and have a look' trips up there over the last few years,(this one included,) and come away with some good routes climbed.

In reply to Exile:

Good points. Doesn't get the warmer air blowing up the valleys from the W straight off the Irish sea either... Cheers

In reply to Jonny Nick:

Was at Brown Cove Crags today and nothing was in. Too warm although Helvellyn was frozen in the last 100ft or so. We did the parallel gullies ridge as a "summer" scramble and it was somewhat treacherous without spikes of any type.

In reply to Jonny Nick:
Went round to Red tarn to check out the snow, all a bit soft around the tarn but improved slightly with height, the last few meters below the summit were solid. Snowing hard at 3pm on the summit so hope yet.
a few images at

http://paulhorsmanphotographer.blogspot.co.uk

In reply to LakesWinter:

Short write up and pics of the route on my mates blog::

http://adriannelhams.blogspot.co.uk/

In reply to Exile:

that looks really good, what was the gear like?

In reply to Exile:

Thanks, that looks great!

In reply to John Kelly:
Pretty good - the hard moves off the floor were well protected by a couple of wires and three friends, there was then a bit more of a run out section which was easier but would have resulted in a ground fall, (there may be gear but I didn't find it,) to a camalot 3 placement. After that it was pretty steady with wires.

You can see all the lower gear in the second route photo - think I'm at the point where I placed / have just placed the camalot.

In reply to Exile:
that answers my question thanks