UKC

With a forecast dip in temps coming through this week, and a few days off work, is there anything left out there that is still complete and worth dusting off the spikes for? Presumably the main ones on the Ben are still good to go (3, 4, 5) and otherwise I'm guessing it's slim pickings, and all the usual blogs and Facebook pages have gone quiet, but if there's anything hanging in please share the gen!

In reply to peebles boy:

If Good Friday Climb was done yesterday, Tower Gully will be complete. And hard to imagine Number 2 not being likewise.

In reply to peebles boy:

Observatory Gully is full almost down to the Douglas Boulder. We only ventured as high as Tower Scoop before realising we were not in our intended location. In thick mist I say in mitigation.

Did Tower Ridge in the end to the eerie accompaniment of small avalanches. Go carefully.

In reply to Tricadam:

The large pile of loose crap noted at the top of No2 in January is probably now thawing out nicely...

In reply to peebles boy:

Garbh Coire Mor on Braeriach has plenty of complete lines that are generally clear of debris. Cornices are present over the usual suspects (Great Gully, Solo Gully). The cornice on Pinnacle Gully can easily be bypassed on your right. The snow is very sugary on anything that's been in the sun though (especially Pinnacle Gully). We were skiing, and every turn sent a wave of surface sluff.

In reply to peebles boy:

I was also wondering if anyone had been up to the Indicator Wall area recently. Anything there?

In reply to stephan harrison:

Anyone know if any gullies are still climbable in the Cairngorms; Castlegates gulley, Black Spout in Lochnagar?

Missed the whole season, so keen to get one day in if possible!!

Thanks,

Alex

In reply to ams558:

The Couloir in Coire an Lochain (Cairngorms) is complete apart from one short step in the middle. But that isn't too difficult and won't spoil the climb. I don't know what your standard is but you might want a rope. It might just sneak into Grade II.

In reply to peebles boy:

I'll probably be over in the Loch A'an basin tomorrow and will report back on Castlegates.

In reply to peebles boy:

Easy Gully on Meggy was still complete - and solid - yesterday (doesn't look complete from the walk-in but that's the angle of view). But I'll pick a cold and sunless morning next time: when the dawn sun hit the Post Face it felt dicey in the gully with wee bits and bobs bouncing down. Plus there's still a few big snow masses sloughing off the slabs to the left which will come down the lower gully at some point. I took a super cautious snap decision and ran away from about 1/3 height (going down is quicker)

In reply to Dan Bailey - UKHillwalking.com:

Thanks very much Andy, Dave and Dan; much appreciated.

In reply to peebles boy:

Sorry, didn't get a view into Castlegates today.

In reply to DaveHK:

No worries at all, thanks for letting me know.

In reply to ams558:

The Left Hand branch of Black Spout was complete on Friday, and unlikely to be different now. The snow ends just beyond the foot of the gully. Castlegates is missing snow at the top, but the majority of it is still there. I couldn't see all of it though (from the top of Beinn Mheadhoin today).

The gullies on Sputan Dearg are very thin and narrow, but hourglass gully, Glissade Gully and Narrow Gully had continuous strips of snow. East and West Gullies in Coire Bhrochain on Braeriach are still complete, as are all of the grade I gullies in Garbh Coire Mor - some with still sizeable cornices, although Pinnacle Gully can be bypassed on the right in ascent.