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Central Gully, Ben Lui

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 DalesClimber 14 Jan 2022

I'm optimistically heading north for the weekend, to see what there is left after this week's thaw. 

It looks as though only higher routes might be worth a look, but I was wondering whether Central Gully on Ben Lui has held much snow. Has anyone been in the Ben Lui area in the last few days and is able to report?

(Ben Lui is on my 'yet to do' list of Munros, so it would be nice to combine it with a classic winter outing if possible.)

Central Gully (I)

Post edited at 18:42
 Mark Bull 14 Jan 2022
In reply to DalesClimber:

Based on the recent Glencoe SAIS blog reports (at  http://glencoeblog.sais.gov.uk/) I would say it's not hopeless! 

Post edited at 18:57
 GrantM 15 Jan 2022
In reply to DalesClimber:

The Ben More webcam might give an idea of snow cover

 https://www.benmorewebcam.co.uk/gallery.php

 DizzyVizion 20 Jan 2022
In reply to DalesClimber:

Hi. Did you make it up Ben Lui? Any opinions on how central gully could be looking this Saturday?

 veteye 20 Jan 2022
In reply to DizzyVizion:

I've only done it in summer just for the hell of it, and because my friend was going to be slower it seemed. It was a bit of a struggle, but I got there, and indeed still got to the top before my friend.

The ice-climbing is much better round the corner and down the glen on Eas Anni.(Spelling is way out, sorry)

9
 JohnnyW 21 Jan 2022
In reply to DizzyVizion:

I would say completely bare, save maybe for a very icy smear at the top. Certainly nothing like complete

In reply to JohnnyW:

Looking over from Ben More yesterday Central Gully was almost complete. Be prepared for bullet hard neve unless the rising temperatures forecast  soften it up again. Any snow I encountered on Ben More was solid and ground very icy above 600 metres

 Dave Hewitt 21 Jan 2022
In reply to The Watch of Barrisdale:

> Looking over from Ben More yesterday Central Gully was almost complete. Be prepared for bullet hard neve unless the rising temperatures forecast  soften it up again. Any snow I encountered on Ben More was solid and ground very icy above 600 metres

Generally in the southern Highlands it seems very thin in snow terms below 1000m, but there's a fair bit above that and as The Watch says anything encountered is likely to be extremely firm. I've had two Munro days (Greigh and Chonzie) and a Ledi loop in the past six days and have literally not set foot in snow at any point, but I've prodded a couple of patches with the stick and they've not had any give in them. Any proper snow encountered just now is going to be a crampon job.

 Joak 21 Jan 2022
In reply to The Watch of Barrisdale:

Tis that time of year again, you venture south fae the NW Heilans and our hill paths miss by a bawhair. I was next door to you doing a Cruach Ardrain, Beinn Tulaichean circuit from Crianlarich yesterday. I was glad of my axe and crampons as I made my way up Cruach Ardrain from the Stob Garbh col, rock hard neve, frozen ground with some verglass on rock. On Monday I hummed and hawed if it was worth putting on crampons and getting my axe out before going up An Stuc on my way to Lawers....again I'm glad I did. I had considered Laoigh's Central Gully yesterday but I did a circuit of it's snowy ridges last month and couldnae be arsed with the walk in so soon after. 

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In reply to Joak:

Sorry I missed you again. Virtually no snow up north west hence my trip south. Funny old winter with this bloody blocking high to the west  and no  precipitation. Apart from the odd day the NW Highlands have been in the gloom for the past 3 weeks.  A big disappointment after last winter  which was the snowiest in the north west for 10 years. Don't see much change before the end of  January.  Will take a good dump after that in early Feb to save this winter. 

Our paths will yet cross!

OP DalesClimber 24 Jan 2022
In reply to DizzyVizion:

Sorry - I was driving up to the Highlands again when this was posted. We didn't do Central Gully last weekend, opting to head up to Ben Nevis instead (where it seemed more certain that we'd find routes in condition).

From what we've seen during the last two weekends, the southern highlands are pretty thin on snow cover in general. I'm crossing my fingers that this winter start to improve soon! (Although the forecast for the next couple of weeks is looking a bit stormy...)

 Dave Hewitt 24 Jan 2022
In reply to Joak and The Watch of Barrisdale:

You two are doing well in terms of getting out on big stuff. I'm using the lean January conditions to make progress on the very esoteric/obscure game of a Munro calendar round. Started the year with 14 gaps of which five were January ones, and have thus far knocked off two which feels like good progress - and there are two more possibilities before the end of the month, including tomorrow. The summer side of it is relatively easy, winter less so - what with weather/roads/work/Covid, the last time I'd made any January progress before this month was 2017.

In reply to Dave Hewitt:

It was my 50th time up Ben More and Stobinian , Dave. Up the north ridge from Luib this time. 49 out  of the 50 have been in winter.  Since moving North the Beinn Eighe Munros are now catching up with this. 

Post edited at 16:19
 mutt 24 Jan 2022
In reply to DalesClimber:

> , opting to head up to Ben Nevis instead (where it seemed more certain that we'd find routes in condition).

How did you find Ben Nevis? Are there many routes in condition?

Thanks

OP DalesClimber 24 Jan 2022
In reply to mutt:

It has warmed up a little since then, but on Friday 21st the main easy gullies were all in nick (albeit thinner than usual), along with Number 3 Gully Buttress. Ledge Route and Tower Ridge also looked ok.

I didn't get close enough to inspect many others, but the steeper gully lines (III and above) weren't looking great. Number 5 gully had a small ice pitch in the middle which made it more like a grade II in current conditions, so there was plenty of fun to be had, provided you're not set on a specific line.

 mutt 24 Jan 2022
In reply to DalesClimber:

thanks DalesClimber. 

 Dave Hewitt 24 Jan 2022
In reply to The Watch of Barrisdale:

> It was my 50th time up Ben More and Stobinian , Dave. Up the north ridge from Luib this time. 49 out  of the 50 have been in winter. 

That's impressive, especially with so many winter visits. So have you always done them as a pair? I'm about half the numbers for those (26 SB, 22 BM) and have had a few one-hill outings, especially to Stob Binnein from the south.

Have you ever carried on across to Cruach Ardrain etc? Maybe not with the lack of winter daylight. All seven Munros is a good day out in summer.

In reply to Dave Hewitt:

Hi Dave. Often done separately. Combined with Cruach Ardrain on a couple of occasions in winter.

 Dave Hewitt 25 Jan 2022
In reply to The Watch of Barrisdale:

> Often done separately. Combined with Cruach Ardrain on a couple of occasions in winter.

That's good - it's a big down/up at any time of year. I was on Stuc a' Chroin (73rd time!) today from Edinample. Conditions report: cloud above 700m so couldn't see much, but there was no snow on the ridges - stepped in a couple of tiny patches but could easily have avoided them. Some snow visible along the rims and in the gullies, but again not much. Hoar frost above 900m but no ice. Mild generally but chilly on top - delayed lunch until about ten minutes above the deer fence. Saw no one on the hill but chatted at the start with a local MRT bloke who said he'd been up there on Saturday helping to retrieve a chap with a broken collarbone.


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