UKC

Yet another cracking day out in Glencoe, wall to wall sunshine after a cloudy start. Up the Lairig Eilde and across the tops to Bidian then down Broad Gully and back to the road.

Word of warning - the SCNL path is atrocious at the moment - compressed snow on top of water ice pretty much from the road to the snowline proper (sitting at about 700m).

Plenty teams out in SCNL, with a big group on NE ridge of SCNL, Boomerang Face route, Ordinary Route, Scabbard Chimney, Spectre, Langsam, Pearly Gates, Broad Gully (including a couple of ski descents!), several teams on Dorsal, Forked Gully, Chimney Route, and Central Grooves/Buttress.

Wind picked up from south during the day, lots of spindrift coming in after midday, guys on Chimney Route seemed to be having the brunt of it!!

Some general crag shots here, though depending on what forecast comes true tomorrow things may strip back pretty quick, as most of the new snow is still very dry and will likely melt back fast:

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152840491045865.1073741889.7386...

Cheers,
Gordon

In reply to peebles boy:

Thanks! Some really good photos there.

In reply to Sophie G.:

Between cameras at the moment, so making do with the one on the phone....what an amazing few days to not have a decent camera!!!!

In reply to peebles boy:

And he's back! It's officially winter now

In reply to peebles boy:

Second that, the path was dire today!

we went up from the Zig Zags onto Gearr Aonach, introducing N's sister to Scottish Winter. Hate to say but she didn't get a very honest introduction, far too pleasant. Zig Zags in surprisingly pleasant nick, used crampons for the fiddly bits on icey slabs, definitely falling down though as the temperature increased in the sun today.

Saw lots of folk out!

In reply to tallpaulselfridge:

Ha, cheers for that Paul, tho reports will be more sporadic this year, have moved back to the Borders rather than living in Oban, so not as easy to justify the 3hr drive as much as the 45 minutes of last winter.!

In reply to 65m moderate millington:

Ill 3rd that bloody Treacherous In many years of being up Scnl I've never came across it like this! And the Bridge almost done me in slid from one end to the other harder than any climbing I did 2day! Not to mention the Grade V mid Section Ramp on the walk in!