Latest mountain conditions

These are posted as and when I have the time or information. Climbers are welcome to let me know what they find anywhere in Scotland, and I will try and post this information also. Links to other relevant sites are at the top and foot of this page. Important links as follows:

Ledge Route

Sunday, 29 March 2009


Alan, Did Right-Hand Chimney on Moonlight Gully Buttress (seemed very hard for the grade?) and then North Trident Buttress. Thought that you might like this (unusual?) view of Ledge Route from Moonlight Gully Buttress. Duncan
Thanks Duncan. As you say the shot of Ledge Route is unusual and well composed and has a lot of character. Right-Hand Chimney is pretty hard for a IV and relies on good placements at crucial moves. If the placements are 'sketchy' the route can be quite thought provoking.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 20:29  4 comments
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Avalanche


Strong winds and deep new snow.




On Ledge Route today.

Lots of wind and fresh snow and one one person avalanched down Number Four Gully for 300 metres, even after abseiling in and testing the slope.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 17:33  0 comments
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Keep your fingers crossed

Saturday, 28 March 2009

The week ahead looks pretty similar to at least a couple of weather patterns we have seen this winter. It depends where the high pressure decides to lay its head. Check out Ten days Weather and you can see we are never far away from some cold air. Watch out for falling cornices though if it gets a little milder. The ice high on Ben Nevis is 'fat' and will not go missing for a while yet. He said hopefully:)


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 22:52  0 comments
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A very good day


Thanks to Tom Parkin for all of these pictures taken today.


Queues on Glovers Chimney and Tower Ridge.


A busy day on Number Three Gully Buttress and Two-Step Corner,


Neptune Gully, North Trident Buttress.


Winter keeps trundling on and the week ahead looks both mild and cold from time to time.






Not enough ice on The Curtain


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 20:11  3 comments
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Good forecast next week

Head north folks. BBC weather were showing high pressure, good weather into the week ahead. Conditions should be good.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 10:00  0 comments
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More lost gear

Friday, 27 March 2009

Hi Alan. Climbed Glovers Chimney yesterday on excellent ice and with the top chimney in good condition. This said, I did however manage to drop a Petzl Aztar hammer from the first belay. Any chance you could post this on your website to see if any kind soul chanced upon it? Many thanks Alex Wheeldon.

alex_wheeldon@yahoo.co.uk
mobile: 07792 462551


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 21:09  0 comments
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More Ice Forming - Windy

Thursday, 26 March 2009


Glovers Chimney area today


Number Three Gully Buttress area today

Thanks to David Haygarth for these photos taken from Coire na Ciste on Ben Nevis today. Pretty good effort getting that far David in the blizzard conditions today.

Tomorrows avalanche hazard is set to increase.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 18:38  0 comments
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Tower Ridge

Wednesday, 25 March 2009


Thanks to Gillian Culshaw for these pictures taken on Tower Ridge today. It turned out less cold than expected, but still pretty wintry. More cold and snowy weather to come in the next week.


Hadrians Direct and Point Five Gully look okay in this shot.



The initial hard pitch on Tower Ridge out of the Douglas Gap.




Douglas Gap Gully East.

An interesting shot showing some ice forming down Mega Route X. It is probably to thin to climb, but just goes to show how cold it is becoming.


Thanks to David Haygarth for this photo looking into Italian Climb from Coire na Ciste on Ben Nevis today.



posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 22:03  0 comments
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More dropped stuff

Hi there Alan.
My name is Dave Sharpe and I'm a young lakes based climber who has stayed at your bunkhouse a couple of times. I'm getting in touch to ask a small favour. I was up climbing Observatory Buttress yesterday (24th March) on the Ben and managed to drop a small rack of large wired nuts. We went back around down Tower gully to look but they weren't there and i think someone may have picked them up in passing. I think your site is excellent for checking conditions and i use it a lot. I've noticed you sometimes spread the word about 'lost' kit dropped on routes etc, and wondered if you wouldn't mind mentioning the nuts on your blog. I would be very grateful...
They are 5/6 wired nuts of around size 6 and up on a single crab, and are all marked with green / yellow and black electrical tape.
On the plus side the route was in good condition with fat ice most of the way after avoiding the fist pitch by going right. The only problem being the amount of spindrift coming down at times...!
I will be dotting around Fort William for a while and should anything turn up will be contactable on this email address or mob no:07706 043407.
Many thanks!
Dave Sharpe.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 18:37  0 comments
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Two-Step Corner


Hi Alan,
Been on the Ben today and climbed Two Step Corner and Indicator Wall. Found the routes to be in great shape with good screws for the most part. Some slab is building up in Observatory Gully area in small pockets and it did not really feel that cold but lots of ice seems to be forming. Have attached a photo that Matt Stygall took of me on Two Step

Cheers Chris Walker
Great Picture Matt, thanks.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 18:11  0 comments
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Dave and Claire Macleod on STV

Tuesday, 24 March 2009

Check out Dave and Claire Macleod on STV interviewed at our Bunkhouse Bouldering Wall


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 22:21  0 comments
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Left Twin


Thanks to Tom Parkin for these photos.


Lots of snow still hanging on in the eastern corries of Aonach Mor.


Left Twin.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 18:19  0 comments
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More Flying Screws

Dropped today off of .5 gully, one Grivel Helix ice Screw with a black handle. Maybe the person who was seen to pick it up might consider giving me a call and I'll re-unite it with it's owner.

The route was in good shape today, with a little 'mush' in places on the second pitch. More cold weather on the way into April.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 17:39  0 comments
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Ben Lui


Ben Lui,






Hi Alan Hope your enjoying the return to winter. Ian and I were on Central Gully , Ben Lui yesterday. It was in superb condition, good ice in places after the overnight colder temps. There were a few snow showers funneling down the gully but the high winds weren't as bad as forecast. We had the whole mountain as well as the route to ourselves. I've sent a couple of pics.
Cheers Gary Tarmachan Mountaineering

Great pictures Gary, thanks.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 11:52  0 comments
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Curved Ridge today

Monday, 23 March 2009


Today provided a breezy wintry feel on Curved Ridge. Thanks to Tom Parkin for these two photos. Another team on Point Five Gully was forced to retreat by poor conditions after ascending the first pitch.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 20:19  0 comments
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More lost gear

Hi Alan,
One of my clients lost a Simond Pyranha axe we think in the red burn area, is this the axe that has been found?

CheersJames
James EdwardsMountain Guide, Writer, and PhotographerHighMountaineering.com

Ed: Anyone found this axe? The most recent find was not a Pyranha.

By the way the climbing is improving in the cooler airstream. Just make sure you hang on to your axe! The exposed turf is starting to freeze again on Aonach Mor and the cliffs have got a definite winter coating to them


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 16:27  0 comments
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Ice Axe Found

Saturday, 21 March 2009

Found, an ice hammer on the Red Burn descent on Wednesday afternoon? Virtually brand new!!! If the owner wishes to contact me with a description I will put them in touch with the person who found it.

Unfortunately this is not the one that one of my course members lost last week in Number Three Gully. That has yet to be found by an honest climber:-((

'Bum-Sliding' down the Red Burn regularly empties the contents off of the back of rucsacs. I found a wallet full of credit cards and cash there one time.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 09:36  2 comments
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Very Cold Weather Coming

Friday, 20 March 2009

The next ten days will herald a return to very cold and wintry weather. Check out Cold Weather Coming Anything shown in blue on these charts represents a cold airflow and frontal systems will be involved. It appears as though the arrival will be mid-week and continue through until the end of the month at least. Do not put the ice tools away just yet.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 20:10  0 comments
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Flying Screws!!

Anyone picking up an ice screw, in or beneath Green Gully, please consider letting the owner know on 07782326444.

Still good weather today and a team back from Point Five Gully reported good conditions.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 19:54  0 comments
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N.E. Buttress today

Thursday, 19 March 2009


Forty-foot Corner


Man Trap


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 17:40  0 comments
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Very Warm

A superb day today, in fact it might be a good day to do the Centurion (rock climb), Point Five Gully, Tower Ridge trilogy. Next week is looking like all change and back to wintry weather, so all looks set for a good month ahead.




Just be careful of ice or rock fall in the current warm conditions. One team left our place today at 0300 to climb N.E. Buttress. A very good move, in order to stay cool and get the best conditions. Treat Ben Nevis like the Alps at the moment and you will not be disappointed.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 14:06  0 comments
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More from Nevis

Wednesday, 18 March 2009

More images from David Hormigo taken yesterday as he climbed Number Three Gully




Large amounts of avalanche debris below Ben Nevis, Number Three Gully.


Topping out on Number Three Gully Buttress.


Number Three Gully is very full.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 21:24  0 comments
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Dorsal Arete - Glen Coe

Thanks to Dave Hormigo for these three photos taken today on Dorsal Arete.




Chilling out at the lochans.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 21:08  0 comments
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Comb Gully

Thanks to Tom Parkin for these three pictures taken on Comb Gully today.




A climber on The Cascade.



Teams returning from Aonach Mor reported mixed conditions depending if they were in the sun or not. Shady climbs are offering better conditions.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 18:13  0 comments
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Very wintry next week

Check out Winter Returns This set of weather maps shows a return to very wintry conditions after Sunday. The weekend looks pretty mild and benign, but all of next week should top up the snow cover to provide a chance of good climbing into April. Last year it was possible to climb up to grade VI ice until the last days of April.

Aonach Mor East Face suffers at this time of the year, as it faces the early morning sun and only routes such as Left Twin, that hide in a shadowy north-facing corner can be relied upon to keep any ice.

This is a regular feature and often coincides with Plas y Brenin forsaking the northern hills for dry (?) Welsh rock. No matter how late they stay you can almost bet on the conditions coming good when they leave. Well done lads:-)


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 16:06  0 comments
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Orion Face

Tuesday, 17 March 2009

A report just in said the Orion Face Direct was climbed today. Thin but good.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 20:54  0 comments
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Ledge Route

Hard or easy. The routes on Ben Nevis today were in stellar shape. The week ahead looks reasonable and climbs in shade should hang in. Thanks to Colin Reilly for these good pictures. To be sure!




Number Three Gully Buttress from Ledge Route. Showing lots of ice to be savoured.




Glovers Chimney 'looks' good from afar (?).


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 19:57  2 comments
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Point Five Gully

Thanks to Tom Parkin for these photos from Point Five Gully today. Conditions were good.

.
The first pitch is well banked out


Finishing the second pitch.


Well formed, Point Five Gully.


Plenty of alternatives exiting from Observatory Gully. Indicator R-Hand was climbed today.


Thin but good on Orion Face Direct.


Happy 'chappies' on Point Five Gully.


Top of the second pitch on Point Five Gully.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 19:14  2 comments
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Lost Axe

Anyone who finds a technical axe (Grivel Alp Wing)in or around Number Three Gully, can they please return it to Alan Kimber. Plenty 'Brews' and my Wifes flapjack as a reward, plus a free lift up the track at the time of your choosing. Thanks.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 17:26  1 comments
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Well Done Paddy:-)




Images courtesy of Wikipedia



Today the weather is very fine and no doubt there will be a little 'paddy' on belay ledges as the hordes head off up the hill. Plenty to go for and Point Five looked busy, even at 0830 this morning. An early start is essential to avoid being on a busy route. Interestingly the bottom of Orion Face is touching down and MIGHT be worth a look. More on that later as the teams descend from another superb day on the late season ice.


A very frosty and clear start to the day.










posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 11:02  0 comments
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Mild for now

Sunday, 15 March 2009

Thanks to Tom Parkin for these two pictures taken today on the ground well left of Glovers Chimney. Possibly Fatal Error IV,4, this climb found its way to the Eastern Traverse of Tower Ridge, via a system of ramps and iced up grooves.

Plenty of evidence of recent cornice collapse lower down in the corrie. Later this week the weather looks to be getting cooler.




posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 20:15  0 comments
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Settled Weather

Saturday, 14 March 2009

The week ahead looks fairly settled, but a little mild at times. There is still plenty to climb on Ben Nevis and if some overnight frosts appear with the settled weather and high pressure, good climbing will be around, especially if you go for an early start.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 12:02  0 comments
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Twisting Gully

Thursday, 12 March 2009

Three photos of Twisting Gully today courtesy of David Haygarth

Some teams reported back from Glovers Chimney and Green Gully and Castle Ridge, fairly damp!






posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 19:55  0 comments
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No Chancer

Wednesday, 11 March 2009


Hi Alan,
Shows what a few days can do the?
Smiler
Smiler Cuthbertson
President: The Climbers Club
Smiler Cuthbertson


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 14:12  3 comments
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Chancer

Tuesday, 10 March 2009






Alan, Snatched the good conditions to do The Chancer (V,6) on Hell's Lum. In excellent nick, with all three variants of the second pitch formed. Had to tunnel the cornice! The ice was well thick, so even with the raise in temperatures, the route should be there for a while yet........! Duncan


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 22:14  0 comments
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Stellar Day




The Great Tower on Tower Ridge.


Thanks to Tom Parkin for the three photos above, taken today as he broke trail all the way up Tower Ridge. Some courses are now out by headtorch to take advantage of the full moon overnight in advance of poor weather tomorrow.





The above two photos courtesy of David Haygarth David climbed Golden Oldy on the West Face of Aonach Mor today.


Grey Corries from Aonach Mor


Abseiling into Morwind,






Don't look too carefully at the shot above. My Photoshop techniques need some honing!




Today I climbed Morwind on the East Face of Aonach Mor in very good conditions. Frozen turf and ice in all the right places. We abseiled into the route. Other courses climbed Green Gully and Number Two Gully Buttress and Tower Ridge and Minus Three Gully, followed by N.E. Buttress. Not a bad 'clutch' of climbs really. Well done everyone.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 18:25  0 comments
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The Kinlochleven Snow Plough

Monday, 9 March 2009

Thanks to Jamie from the Ice Factor for ploughing a deep furrow up into Stob Coire nan Lochan today. Many grateful folk followed your trench! Come over and I'll stand you a good malt.


Stob Coire nan Lochan today.


Good views and plenty snow


The 'Fin' on Dorsal Arete. Courtesy of David Haygarth

Sassanach received an ascent today on Ben Nevis.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 18:51  2 comments
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Steep and Deep


Zig-Zags yesterday.





The weather over the weekend was very changeable. Saturday was mild and damp and Sunday was much drier and cooler. What did not show much change, was the depth of the snow. Snow is still continuing to fall, making travel fairly difficult. Plenty of ice forming on Ben Nevis, BUT the avalanche hazard is HIGH (4) and therefore climbers should be very careful to avoid big slopes of snow or gully lines. More of the same as the week progresses.


The picture above shows a neat little route on the east side of Tower Ridge just left of the Douglas Gap Gully (East). Make it up as you go along as it is not in any guide books. The further left you go, the easier it becomes. Descent is via abseil into the Douglas Gap and then down the East Gully. Two ropes help with the two abseils involved.

And from Duncan:

Alan, We were due to be staying in the CIC Hut all week, but came down on Wednesday because of the heavy snow, with teams having climbed Tower Ridge, Douglas Boulder SW Ridge, and Ledge Route; nothing much else was safe or in condition. One other team turned back on Moonlight Gully Buttress because of deep snow. Others were avalanched on No 5 Gully (Belgians: broken ribs and a broken hand) and below Cresta (Dutch; uninjured). Our teams were avalanched on descent on NE Buttress 1st Platform and in Douglas Boulder E Gully; fortunately without injury. It was still snowing on Wednesday morning, and even the Guides Assessment who came up didn't climb anything! Team Petzl came up on Wednesday morning; don't know if they climbed anything, but we heard that there was another team avalanched on Wednesday afternoon. Went to Norries on Thursday, where conditions were far better, and climbed The Message, Savage Slit and Hidden Gully Direct; many teams out, and lots of routes being climbed. Friday; back to Glencoe and went up to Coire nan Lochain. However, there was so much fresh wet snow that we diverted to Far Eastern Buttress and climbed Hu-a-Choy and a (new?) route up the steep crack just right of Orient Express (VI,7). Both were very thin. Lots of teams going up to Dorsal Arete later on, but no-one climbing anything else. Another team which went to do Curved Ridge turned back after spending three hours in waist-deep snow getting to the Crowberry Basin! Duncan Francis



Hu-a-Choy


The Message


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 09:55  0 comments
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Nid Antics

Thursday, 5 March 2009


Simple winter belay skills on the Nid Ridge of Aonach Mor today in good weather,





One team that abseiled into Central Buttress on Aonach Mor, East Face were stopped from climbing out by the amount of snow on Typhoon. Eventually they descended into the corrie and made it home well after mid-night, just as the rescue helicopter came looking for them. They had fortunately left a route card with us.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 21:20  0 comments
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Snowy Des-Res

Thanks to David Bailey for these shots taken last night from within an icy home in the 'Back Corries' of Aonach Mor





posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 20:59  0 comments
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Bucket-loads of Snow



Thanks to James Thacker for these pictures taken today on Carn Mor Dearg. James was in a group attempting to ascend Ledge Route, but fell foul of the deep snow. Not to be stuffed by the conditions the team noticed a group breaking trail up on to Carn Mor Dearg and politely fell in line to achieve the summit.

Thanks James, and also to the hardy folk who were at the front!








posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 20:10  0 comments
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Beinn a'Chaorainn - East Ridge

Wednesday, 4 March 2009

Today on the East Ridge of Beinn a'Chaorainn. A good choice, but plenty hard work trail blazing. Thanks to Tom Parkin and his small Canon Sure Shot digital camera.












posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 22:14  0 comments
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Snow Snorkel Required

LOTS of SNOW. Plenty of happy faces returning from a superb day out even though the going underfoot is proving particularly hard work in the deeeeeep, deep snow.








posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 18:00  0 comments
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Deep snow on Dorsal Arete

Tuesday, 3 March 2009

Thanks to Andrew, Claire and Kieron for these pictures. They are staying with us whilst attending a course with Andy Ravenhill


Topping out on Dorsal Arete today. Proper route choice is crucial under the current high avalanche hazard. Stick to ridges and buttresses. Central Grooves on Stob Coire nan Lochan was climbed today.


Yesterday on the East Ridge of Beinn a'Chaorainn.


Final pitch of Dorsal Arete today.


Summit celebrations on the summit of Stob Coire nan Lochan today. Not a lot of wind but plenty of deep snow. This looks set to be the same for the next few days.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 20:29  0 comments
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Winter is Back

Check out Remi-Thivel for a good look at what was on the go a few weeks back. Thanks Remi, you guys certainly know how to enjoy yourselves. The new extension to the hut looks great and the haute cuisine looks tasty:-)) See you next year.

Still plenty of chance for a return to these conditions over the next six weeks or so.
Snowing at sea-level just now in Fort William.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 12:35  0 comments
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More new Snow

Sunday, 1 March 2009


Central Gully Right-Hand on Creag Coire na Ciste (Nevis) today. A fair amount of new snow had fallen overnight. Reports from various other locations suggested that some wind slab avalanche hazard was building. This is likely to increase as the week progresses with high wind and more snow forecast. Good route choice will be essential.


posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 19:33  0 comments
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© Alan Kimber, Calluna, Heathercroft, Fort William, PH33 6RE, Scotland
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