UKC

I'm thinking of taking my son (17) for a training/learning climb in Coire an 't Sneachda on Sunday or Monday. He's got some winter experience (Jacobs Ladder), but I still like to make good belays - if only for my own peace of mind. So my question is: which of the following
- Central Gully,
- Aladdin Couloir or
- Aladdin Mirror
would be the easiest/best to protect, or is the most suitable training climb?
General info about conditions also appreciated, but I guess more news will come in tomorrow...

Thanks

In reply to Maarten2:

I would stay clear of all of them in current conditions and especially on Monday with the possible thaw any weaknesses may be accentuated. Gullies are not the place to be right now.

Matt

In reply to ModerateMatt:

Forecast suggests it keeps freezing at least until Tuesday...? Apart from the conditions: which one would be most suitable?

In reply to Maarten2:

Alladins mirror is a 25 m ice pitch followed by easier ground. However the couloir above can Avalanche so you need to be sure things are settled. Also can your son retrieve ice screws while on steep ground? You should find plenty to play on without necessarily doing a route. A day building anchors and moving on snow, self arrest and abseiling, building bucket seats and snow bollards can be far more beneficial than a snow plod imho.

In reply to Maarten2:


That's difficult to answer because it's all about the conditions which as Matt says are not great for gullies. Quite a bit of fresh snow and windslab on gully exits according to SAIS. Of the three though Alladins Couloir is easiest. Fiacaill Ridge would be better though.

In reply to nicjbuk:


That's Mirror Direct, pretty sure the OP is talking about the grade I gully.

In reply to Maarten2:

Was in there on wednesday, as others have said stay away from gullies until there some consolidation. Currently a layer of groupel between the ground and snow pack. Powder avalanches came down the runnel and crotched gulley while I was there.

In reply to Maarten2:

Conditions aside - Central Gully or Aladdins Couloir are straight up/down so easier to protect your son but will be very similar plods as Jacobs adder. Aladdins Mirror is a rising traverse right and then a traverse left above steep ground with a possible rock rib to cross. I would have thought a 17yo would be fine with it though.

In reply to Maarten2:

You could go and play around on Twin Ribs for the day, loads of opportunities for protection and setting up belays, great opportunities to do some teaching in a relatively "safe" environment, couple of areas to do some harder short pitches, snowy icy rocky interest rather than a snow plod/avalanche outing. Could continue on up and do Fiachaill Ridge afterwards as well.

In reply to Maarten2:

I've been working there for the last week. The advice to stay clear of the Gullies and the routes you have mentioned is correct- just take a look at the Avalanche forecast. North facing Gullies are a really bad idea under the existing snowpack. Climbers digging on the Mess of Pottage this week (shovels more useful than axes at one stage) watched the cornice over Jacob's Ladder build, drop and rebuild during the day.
The remaining safe easy options are going to be very busy this week and are more limited to ridges and buttresses (the Northern Coires are not over endowed with easy options under snow conditions like this- more options further west) like Fiacaill Ridge or Duke's Rib on Creagan Cha No. Or drive an our west for the East Ridge of Beinn a Chaorainn a great mountaineering route.

In reply to DaveHK:

Yes my mistake, mirror direct

In reply to peebles boy:

Thanks for all replies. Twin Ribs sounds an idea. But where's Twin Ribs exactly? How far do you walk into Coire an 't Sneachda, before you bear west & up? Is it as far as the wee lochans, or earlier? (not clear from the UKC description..). Then Fiacail Ridge: done that before, so should be OK with that. (To others: we've done a full day ice axe arrest & bucket seats before & done good old multi pitch Trad climbs in summer together. It's the right mix of excitement, learning & safety, I'm after....).

In reply to Maarten2:

Before the lochans, only bit of the Fiachail east slopes that look climby rather than straight forward slopey. At a very rough guess i would say they're round about NH 991 034.

In reply to peebles boy:

Thanks! Will look for it next time I'm there. (Decided to postpone the whole thing...thaw looks to come in...).