UKC

Hey lovely UKC people,

I'm heading up to the Cairngorms for the weekend hoping for routes around grade III-IV: has anyone been up in the last couple of days and seen conditions in Northern corries or Hell's Lum/Shelter Stone areas?

Also I'm interested in thoughts on the avalanche forecast: it's currently 'considerable' on east to south aspects but I think we're expecting fresh snow today and north/northwesterly winds which might change everything, especially given it's pretty cold so the fresh stuff will stay powdery! I'm particularly interested in what people reckon about the Great Slab in Lochain: is it ok to traverse above it or should the whole area be avoided in fresh snow?

Cheers

In reply to SarahA:

You will have to look at conditions when you're there. It's kind of an impossible question. The avalanche forecast is only a forecast. Most routes can be reached without crossing the Great Slab; you just go up one edge or the other. You only have to cross over it if you change your mind about which buttress to climb on. The top is more likely to avalanche than the bottom (unless there is a lot of freshly blown snow) so I wouldn't say crossing its top in dangerous conditions is any safer. But there will have been a period of light winds before tomorrow, so perhaps it's fine (not a promise).

In reply to SarahA:

"Considerable" is a huge range. At a guess, "considerable" covers more than 50 percent of days. And there are actually only avalanches on some of them, and only in certain places. So if you can learn where is safe and where might not be, then "considerable" by itself isn't worrying, just normal.

In reply to SarahA:
Cairngorm AWS ( http://cairngormweather.eps.hw.ac.uk/current.htm ) and MWIS ( http://www.mwis.org.uk/pdf/weather-forecasts/EH-MWI-WM10709_2016-01-15_1221... ) are showing the wind has been from the NW and tomorrow should be from the north.

SAIS ( http://www.sais.gov.uk/northern-cairngorms/ ) showing W and NW only moderate risk and the northern corries face NNW aspects for much of the crags. I think its probably worth a punt if you can stay out of gullies and away from cornices.

Mess of pottage is likely the safest aspect tomorrow in the northern corries, but I don't know if cornices have formed above the crags with all those easterly winds we had.

In reply to SarahA:
More info here

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=632682

If I was you given the conditions I'd head for routes with a nice easy walk in that are likely to be well traveled and finish on the plateau. Fingers ridge perhaps?

In reply to SarahA:

Went up Fiacaill ridge today after skiing the approach up. Lots of deep snow around at the moment but good track into Sneachda, only saw 1 team in Lochan, think they might have abbed in. Lots of teams on Fluted Buttress in Sneachda with the ridgier routes looking OK. All around the top of the mess of pottage and most of Alladins has large cornices overhanging, wouldn't recomend. More info and photo's here https://markswalks.wordpress.com/2016/01/16/the-day-of-the-ques/

In reply to pass and peak:
definite concentration of people of Fluted Buttress Direct and Fingers Ridge in that pic....

In reply to pass and peak:

Am liking the cut of your jibb on your blog Mark!

In reply to CurlyStevo:

We were there with the original intention of doing Finger's Ridge but saw how slowly multiple teams were moving (much digging required) so opted for an gully route. These are in better nick in the vicinity than you would expect. Full of snow but no swimming required and a good deal of neve.

In reply to SarahA:

Anyone have a piss on the track?

In reply to pass and peak:

That's us in the blog picture on Fluted Buttress up near the top. Better conditions than expected, some firmer stuff developing at the back of the chimneys & groove lines. We did Mirror Direct after which was steepish but bomber ice.