UKC

Well, it has been a very challenging week working in the mountains again, with many teams struggling to find any ground safe enough to climb on. The new snow all week, with a changing wind direction now means that there are large areas of unstable windslab on 3/4 of aspects, and some monstrous, anoach mor style, cornices all around Coire an t-sneachda. including mess of pottage. especially large over Jacobs and Central gully. Some of these may fall off in tonights thaw, expect some big debris tomorrow!

Most of the mess of pottage is unrecognisable and buried, same for fluted buttress. All snow will be melting tonight and slow to refreeze.

Sorry to sound so bleak, good news; James Roddie managed a route on Lurchers earlier on the week which sounded ok http://glencoemountaineer.blogspot.co.uk/ and mixed routes on stag rocks are in ok condition. Bad news, super windy weekend so good luck getting to either of those crags!

Stay safe!

Managed to get a route done on Cha-no today, Anvil Gully in great condition, Abseiled in down the line to avoid the massive amount of new windslab in Recovery Gully

http://stewartmountainskills.blogspot.co.uk/

In reply to ian stewart:

Loads of snow about. Winds not as bad as yesterday! http://pjmountains.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/25-01-14-coire-t-sneachda-cairngo...

Well another quick update for the weekend, and it is difficult to say much other than more of the same; With the exception of a slight break in the winds tuesday and thursday it has been another week of lots of snow and strong winds.

Crags remain buried, cornices remain huge, avalanche hazard is high, winds over 60mph forecast for the next three days.

Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team have been busy picking people up after they have fallen through cornices, please pay close attention to your navigation, and stay away from the steeper edges.

Ski road was closed today, so might be slow to open over the weekend, as it looks unlikely any skiing will be open.

Another difficult week ahead!


http://stewartmountainskills.com/