UKC

The past week has been very unsettled with strong winds and heavy snowfall at times. This has led to an excellent buildup of snow on most northern aspects.

It has also meant that the avalanche risk has been quite high especially on the popular climber's descent routes such as the Goat Track. The risk of falling through the large cornice when navigating across the plateau in white conditions has also been high with several incidents and close shaves witnessed or reported.

Despite the storms many routes have been climbed in unexpected perfect weather windows taking advantage of the snow banking on many routes mixed routes and the firm consolidated or scoured snow.
Thursday's unexpected alpine like weather gave a few the opportunity to really see how good the snow buildup was and it is excellent.

All we need now is a period of settled cold climbing weather rather than lots more wind and snow - unfortunately we may get the later or not!
Despite the stormy weather forecasts what the past few weeks have highlighted is how poor the computer forecasting service is with many completely contradicting reports and local variations sometimes invalidating any avalanche risk based on them.

Self reliance, route choice, navigation and the ability to assess the weather and avalanche risks are more important than having the latest bit of kit. If you want to winter climb safely in Scotland or the Greater Ranges remember it's not an indoor ice wall or single pitch top rope venue. It's more than likely 90% mountaineering and 10% technical climbing!

I've uploaded lots of photos from Thursday to give an idea of the buildup but this can and WILL change with the weather!!

See http://talisman-activities.blogspot.com/ also see the other UKC post and some good links at http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=447129

Also see http://www.theepicentre.co.uk/blog/mixedmaster and http://www.snowdoniamountaineering.blogspot.com and http://graniteandice.blogspot.com/2011/02/cumming-crofton-vi6.html

Have fun but stay safe.

Ron Walker (MIC, IML)
UKC's Cairngorm's correspondent!

In reply to Ron Walker: Thanks for the link Ron. I'm back to Snowdonia tomorrow so no more Cairngorm updates from me. If the weather turns good I may be tempted to return for some more climbing and ski touring!

In reply to Rory Shaw:

Last year the ski touring lasted well into June so maybe another 4 months still to go!

In reply to Ron Walker:

Since this report and Danny's full UKC winter report was posted several of the blog photos have been blacklisted as unsafe. I've been in touch with Microsoft asking them to removing the blacklisting from the original one but as I type more and more of the pages and images are being affected. It's impossible to tell how many pages and image links are and have been affected without click through several years of posts. Is this happening to other blogs and blogspot images on 4.bp.blogspot.com

Can anyone help?

Click on these links to the photos and tell me what happens

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b8lW8DgG-YU/TV2J8BVUUmI/AAAAAAAAAm0/cpHKlWPhGmc/s...
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VvHNeEs4vWc/TV2J8w5ZIxI/AAAAAAAAAnE/H42ncF-czfc/s...
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9niSEHMrkcU/TV2J9sdiB8I/AAAAAAAAAnU/xmnPHtR7MXE/s...
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ou7VMITjOGY/TV2KhIQECwI/AAAAAAAAAnc/rXcDFUsexBU/s...
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IRMDgsl7n7w/TV2KhcAv_MI/AAAAAAAAAnk/kQDjGMIRxAI/s...
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-85f27K2HhpY/TV2Kici_JiI/AAAAAAAAAn8/0jVwNhvwRZQ/s...

In reply to Ron Walker: I can see all of those photos (Mac OS/Firebfox if thats relevant)

In reply to Ron Walker: I can see ok using Chrome

In reply to Doug:

Thanks that's really useful so it looks like it only affects Internet Explorer!
See http://www.microsoft.com/protect/learnabout/IEmalware.aspx?t=16

In reply to MattG:

Thanks can anyone see the photos in Internet Explorer?

In reply to Ron Walker:

This is what I see:

This website has been reported as unsafe
4.bp.blogspot.com

We recommend that you do not continue to this website.
Go to my home page instead

This website has been reported to Microsoft for containing threats to your computer that might reveal personal or financial information.

More information

This website has been reported to contain the following threats:

Malicious software threat: This site contains links to viruses or other software programs that can reveal personal information stored or typed on your computer to malicious persons.

Learn more about phishing
Learn more about malicious software
Report that this site does not contain threats
Disregard and continue (not recommended)

In reply to Ron Walker:
Hi Ron, yup everything is fine on multiple platforms except ie which briefly shows them and then announces that its unsafe.

In reply to Mike_Watson_99:

Don't suppose you know what I can do?

Thanks

Ron

In reply to Ron Walker:

Same problem on the SAIS blog at http://saisncairngorms.blogspot.com/search/label/Large%20soft%20cornices but only on selected days and images!

In reply to Ron Walker:
Hi Ron, best I can suggest is follow the link in ie that says report this as not a threat (or something similar). It'll then let you fill in some info about your problem.

In reply to Ron Walker:

I see that picture plus all your ones without any problem or warning. I use Internet Explorer, don't know which number but not the latest.

In reply to Andy Nisbet:

Thanks Andy must be the latest IE update or something as it seems to be affecting other blogs too...

A lot of drifting snow filling up the gullies and the ski link road so it should be interesting once the weather settles!

Cheers Ron

In reply to Ron Walker: Hi Ron,

I can also see them perfectly - but then I am sensible enough to use a Mac and not w*****ws!!

On a more serious note - thanks for the updates and blog; it gives those of us down south some idea of what to do/where to go