UKC

Is there much snow on the hills around Arrachar, Crianlarich or Loch Tay?

A couple of us are taking a friend who hasn't done much walking and doesn't have crampons out for the day. He'll have an ice axe though.

In reply to Donnie:
Hi Donnie,

You can hire a pair of crampons from Tiso for around a tenner for the day. Its probably worth doing so.

Ice axe probably won't be much help as by the time you end up needing it, 9 time out of 10, its likely you should have crampons on.

Martin

In reply to Donnie:

http://www.benmorewebcam.co.uk/

Ben More, Crianlarich.

In reply to Martin McKenna:

Thanks Martin, will have a think. Main point of the trip is to test his new summer boots so we're hoping to find a non crampon route. We can always turn back if it's sketchy!

In reply to Donnie:

Hi Donnie,
I was up on Stuchd an Lochain in Glen Lyon on Saturday. We carried crampons but didn't need them - and were never close to needing them. An axe was useful. Tarmachan Ridge and Ben Lawers group did look a bit snowier and more likely candidates from crampons (with the wee road between west Glen Lyon and Killin shut by snow) Things will have changed since then, but I'd guess from the forecasts that there's likely to be less - not more - snow about. Hope that helps.
Enjoy,
Danny.

Has anyone seen Ben Lui recently, Is central gully in condition?

In reply to Peter Kirkwood:

it all looked very white on the drive up to the ben today, tons of snow still hanging round in the are on northerly and easterly aspects, westerly are stripped

In reply to Webster:

Many Thanks

In reply to Donnie:

On Saturday the upper 150m of the standard route up north ridge of the Loch Earn Ben Vorlich had complete snow cover and was very icy - good cramponing terrain. Not for the first time we met several people who had tried to get up it in such conditions without crampons or axe. Most of them unsurprisingly retreated, but we did meet one bloke who - remarkably - had made it both up and down without any metalware. He did however seem a bit shaken by the experience. It doesn't seem to cross people's minds that although it's a standard summer path it faces north and is pretty steep and bare on the upper 100m.

There wasn't anywhere near as much snow below 800m, and also less by aspect - we came down the more gentle NW ridge which was patchy (although still had plenty of good crampony snow to use). That was a couple of days ago, anyway - things will have changed a bit since then, as ever.

In reply to Donnie:

Anyone got an idea how much snow cover is left on the north side of the Crianlarich hills?

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Drove past yesterday, still a fair bit of snow on north slopes.

In reply to GrantM:

Thanks

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

http://www.benmorewebcam.co.uk/

In reply to Simon Caldwell:

Thanks Simon. Maybe not so great then

In reply to Donnie:

Dave Hewitt's report from Vorlich, and sad fatalities & rescues on Cruach Ardran & Ben Lomond, strongly suggest that conditions are just at that deceiving late-winter stage when folk without axe and crampons (and skill in using them on very hard snow) need to pick their route with care and proceed with caution on what may seem like friendly well-trodden hills ...

In reply to Donnie:

boy who works with my son was the guy who got rescued from ben Lomond, hes still in hospital and from the photo I saw wont be leaving anytime soon.
told my boy they were negotiating a snow patch and slipped and bounced a long way taking in a few boulders with his head on the way down.
if no crampons id stick to low level stuff below the snowline mate.

Agreed. However, when I was young, inexperienced, naive and ignorant, I did find it useful (axe and no crampons) - I learned to cut steps when in extremis on Ben Vorlich once!

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Hi Dan, I went up Y Gully on Cruach Ardrain then down its East face to Stob Garbh today. Lots of nice icy snow. Don't be fooled by the sight of bare south/westerly aspects being bare, still a fair bit of good firm snow on north and easterly aspects. The view of Stob Binnein's east facing corries from the Kings House on the drive up this morning was breath taking. It's western slopes viewed from Cruach Ardrain a little less so!

In reply to Joak:

that's a coincidence, i had something similar in mind.

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Hi Dan.

Not exactly Crianlarich but climbed The Couloir on Stob Ghabhar on Tuesday. No shortage of snow in there. South sides bare, north sides plastered. Good nick too btw.

Will stick a photo or 2 up.

Bob.

In reply to bob-e:

Nice one, thanks Bob. Always wanted to do that route - worth the walk-in?

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Well worth it as a mountaineering day out, if you think of it as a climbing day then you'll probably be disappointed as it's just one short pitch. When we did it the conditions were so stable that we could approach via the Lower Couloir (normally too avalanche prone). I'd guess that it might be similar at the moment, but that's from a distance of 200 miles!

In reply to Donnie:

All sounds very promising, so I'm wondering if Cirrus on Beinn An Dothaidh is in reasonable condition at the moment? Any body seen how the NE corrie is looking? Cirrus is usually visible from the A82...

Thanks,

NMM

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:
Yes, Definately. As Simon said view it as part of a bigger day, its a very enjoyable one at that. The walk in is easy though obviously quite long. The Lower Couloir was fine and well consolidated.
Dont carry too much gear, the sidewalls are very compact, 2 bits of rock gear in 90m - oh and a screw. Nice finish right at the top.