UKC

Anybody been up into Lochain lately? Any comment on the approach to SS or the other rock routes on that buttress?

Cheers,
Joe

In reply to fuzzysheep01:

Got a look from a distance last Tuesday and the bottom of the Gulleys and approaches to base of route still looked snowed up, might have changed a bit but at the time was enough for us to decide to go elsewhere. Still you can Abb down Savage slit to get to the routes around there so might be worth another look.

In reply to pass and peak:

The ab from the top of Savage Slit/Fallout Corner's main pitches is a nice clean drop, but I'm not sure that abbing the loose exit to reach that would be as pleasant. Not heard of anyone doing that.

In reply to fuzzysheep01:

I think you'll be fine approaching from below. If you want to play safe, take one ice axe and cut steps if there's any snow. Then leave it at the bottom of the route and abb back down (not down the chimney, as the ropes will get stuck, down Fall-out Corner and Prore from the same abb point).

In reply to Jamie B:


+1

In reply to fuzzysheep01:

Bare in mind it feels cold in that corrie when it's snow free and it's a hot summers day at sea level!

In reply to fuzzysheep01:

Blimey.

Mid June and there's a discussion about cutting steps with an axe to get to the base of a route..

In reply to Babika:


August 1985 I cut steps to get to the bottom of Nocando Crack.

In reply to Babika:

Last year people were still ticking grade V ice routes in June!

In reply to CurlyStevo:


Who/what was that? I used axe and crampons at the top of Tower Ridge on 12th June but didn't realise there was ice climbed that late.

In reply to Jamie B:
OK I can't remember the exact source now (and perhaps I remembered wrong) but looking at ukc logs

Tower Scoop (III) got lead on the 8th June 2015
Indicator Wall (V) on 23rd May

I guess you recall the weather last May and June, it was mostly high pressure and unusually cold for the time of year.

More info (which may have been from where I perhaps incorrectly assumed a grade V had been lead in June last year?)

http://www.mountainmotion.co.uk/blog/winter-mountaineering-ben-nevis-june/
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=616734&v=1#x8062952

In reply to fuzzysheep01:

I saw Coire an Lochain today but from the A9. It looked like you could get to the altitude of Savage Slit without being on snow but you'd have about 50ft to cross to the start of the route (much as I expected).

In reply to all:

Thanks for all the comments folks, great help.

In reply to fuzzysheep01:

If you have not been yet, we were there today and no snow is blocking the approach path but it is pretty boggy at the moment.