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:

Aonach Eagach

Wednesday, 29 April 2009

Still plenty of snow laying in the easy north-facing couloirs on Bidean.

No snow on the Aonach Eagach ridge today.

Good views towards Garbh Bheinn and Ben Nevis.

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 22:06 0 comments
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Glorious Glen Nevis

Thursday, 23 April 2009

Well done Ed Grindley and the Friends of Ben Nevis for
Cleaning up Polldubh Crags

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 20:31 0 comments
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Glorious Cairngorms

Hi Alan,

Saw the "Glorious Ben Nevis" and thought you may like some from Sneachda also from Sunday. We did the Fiacaill Couloir, which turned out to be a bit scrappy on the first 2 pitches, then much better at the top.
From what we could see, Jacobs Ladder, Aladdins Couloir and Central Gully were still complete.
Check out the photos at Tims Blog

Cheers,

Tim.

Thanks Tim

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 16:18 0 comments
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Glorious Ben Nevis

Hi Alan
Thanks for your excellent blog.
We were staying at Corpach last week - weather was fantastic - warm and sunny - brilliant.
Did CMD Arete on Sunday (12th) - excellent conditions - pics attached in case you would like to post them.
Best wishes
Roy

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 15:10 0 comments
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Fine Weather

Ben Nevis yesterday.

A fine spell of good weather with the odd showery day. The high peaks still have significant snow packs, especially in the sheltered spots on north faces. Most of the ice routes are pretty rotten on Ben Nevis, but any cold weather with frosts will bring them back quickly. The big easy snow gullies will provide plenty of opportunities for a quiet ascent to the plateau for a few week to come. Be careful of falling rocks and cornices though.
However, it is definitely heading into rock climbing weather.

Thanks to all of those good people who have sent in various reports and stories over the winter. Feel free to let us all know what you are up to in the months to come. Anywhere in the world will do:)

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 13:27 0 comments
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Curved Ridge is Good

Monday, 20 April 2009

The final few metres onto Crowberry Tower. A much better finish to the summit after ascending Cruved Ridge.

Plenty of dry rock and no snow at all on Curved Ridge.

Rannoch Wall in good shape and very dry today.

Agags Groove.

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 21:01 0 comments
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Good Ice

Just to let you know winter is still hanging on. These pics were taken on Saturday 18th on Raeburns Easy with near perfect snow and ice, people on Number 2 reported perfect neve from bottom to top Ian and Nigel have been trying to get this route in good condition when they have been about for three years now and it was third time lucky.

Thanks guys. Yes, I thought that any frost would produce near perfect conditions. I might just try a late trip up Smiths Route myself before it all falls down. Smiths and Point Five Gully were climbed at the weekend, I hear.

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 20:24 1 comments
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Dry Rock

Hi Alan,
We had a wonderful week last week based in Arisaig. Haven't seen it so sunny and warm in Scotland at any time of year for a while now. I got out on Solitaire on Aonach Mor with my eldest(16)on Sunday 12th. Like you said the approach was on grass and there was no snow/ice on the route anywhere. So we had a good easier grade rock climb with a good few grassy passages also. We were rewarded with a big snow drift on the plateau at the top of the route and a snow shower just to remind us winter hadn't quite gone.
Wednesday climbed The Gutter on Polldubh slabs which was fun and then on Thursday went up Ben Nevis on the tourist track with the crowds. Plenty of snow on the top and some good cornices to see and a singing Snow Bunting at the summit shelter.
Found a Garmin GPS on the approach to Solitaire on 12th. Do you now of anyone reporting having lost one on your blog? It's very wet and not sure it will ever work again but I'm willing to re-unite it with its owner if they can be traced. So that's all for another winter. Thanks for the advice and the brilliant blog, keep it going. Will be looking at it over the summer and then back for the daily look again next winter season.
Cheers,
Jon.

Thanks Jon. Now the rock climbing is good and dry.

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 17:23 0 comments
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Cornice Alert

Wednesday, 15 April 2009

Walkers approaching the summit of Ben Nevis and walking towards the camera (Gardyloo Gully).

Cornicing above Gardyloo Gully now! The undercut is at least 4m deep and most walkers are approaching the edge much closer than that. Maybe a temporary sign warning walkers of the danger.

Thanks to Andy Cloquet for the pictures above.

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 13:12 2 comments
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Thanks Smiler

Tuesday, 14 April 2009

Tower Ridge

Fiacaill Couloir

Tower Ridge

Afterthought Arete

Hi Al,
Re Andys report of me being on Tower Ridge yesterday. I left the nice-looking rope and its fixings half-way up the lower tower on purpose, as someone will surely be back for it!
A superb day and conditions don't get much better on the ridge.

I'll send you a picture or two of this weekend.

Regards,

Smiler

Thanks Smiler. Good to see the late winter conditions hanging in. A frost or two just now would be good.

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 21:59 0 comments
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Plenty on Nevis

Alan, thanks you advice was sound. Yesterday, there were parties on Good Friday Climb, Smiths (Icicle Variation), Smiler was with a Czech client on Tower Ridge & I soled Tower Scoop & Gardyloo Gully, the later of which I had never climbed before. Cornices over SE to SW faces were humongous and I felt a distinct vibration well back from the edge of the cornice as I headed over the lip of No. 4

aye, Andy

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 09:58 0 comments
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Model T Ford on Ben Nevis 100 years on?

Saturday, 11 April 2009

Model T Ford on Ben Nevis

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 17:36 0 comments
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Tower Ridge and the Daleks

Exterminate??

Well done Childrens Trust

Just beyond Tower Gap today

Plenty of thick blue ice high on Ben Nevis today.

Some teams seen heading into Point Five Gully today.

Topping out on the Little Tower, plastered in good snow.

Happy birthday Alistair.

Descending Number Four Gully today.

Blue ice on Smiths Route, Gardyloo Buttress.

Thanks to Kevin Rutherford for the photos above

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 17:11 0 comments
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Much Cooler

Still plenty to climb on Ben Nevis. The weather has turned much cooler, which should be firming up the existing ice routes again. From a distance at least it appears that many of the classic climbs are still complete.

Today on Ben Nevis, Hadrians Direct looks complete, but not too sure of the quality of the ice. By the way, thanks to Al Halewood for finding and returning the rope mentioned below. Check his blog for latest conditions.

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 14:18 0 comments
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Lost Rope

Wednesday, 8 April 2009

Anyone who finds this rope please let me know. Thanks, Alan Kimber

Hi there
I was on the Ben on Monday 6 April. Got back to the car in the evening after 7pm and realised on packing up that my rope was missing. If you know anyone going up there can you by any chance look out for it? I have been told to write to you as a possible help here? If you can assist it would be appreciated. If it is found maybe I could arrange collect next time I am up. I will throw in a 20 quid finders fee/reward! Otherwise I put it down to lesson learned and it will be the biggest piece of kit I have lost to date!
I can only think that I took it out whilst grabbing a butty on the way back at the CIC hut and forgot to put it back in the pack. It is a Mammut galaxy single 50m from memory, black and white.
I was too buggered and felt it too late to go back up and get it and travelled back to Edinburgh that evening.
I left a message with the local police also to see if any locals/mountain rescue members would be going up... but have heard nothing since!
Regards Greg

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 18:14 0 comments
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Still Wintry up Top

Tuesday, 7 April 2009

Snow falling above 900 metres and a high avalanche hazard. Not sure which routes are able to be climbed. Easter looks cool,

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 22:00 0 comments
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Still okay

Monday, 6 April 2009

Alan, No snow on the Buachallie! Broad Buttress was dry and excellent fun. Duncan

Conditions !!
Hi Alan I have to admit I thought it was the end during the last warm wet period but the Ben proved me wrong. Lots of folk out on a wintry North Face. Teams where out in the easy gullys and ledge route on the Ciste side. In the Observatory side 2 teams where on Tower Scoop and what looked to be on the Point and a team looked to be retreating from Zero. Very soft snow under foot though if it thaws more then watch out for soft slides Cheers Dan Mountain Plan

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 09:31 0 comments
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A Good Day

Sunday, 5 April 2009

Still plenty to go for high on Ben Nevis. Yesterday was a very wet day at all levels. Today was fine and sunny and improved significantly during the afternoon. Realistically the weather needs to cool down more to bring the high ice routes back into good condition.

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 16:13 0 comments
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Wet today

Saturday, 4 April 2009

Tomorrow and into next week the forecast is for cooler and unsettled weather. Hopefully this will stabilise the ice and snow that is left on Ben Nevis. In my experience the winter still has a week or two to go on Ben Nevis and maybe further if some snow and cooler weather sets in.

Plenty of rock action on Etive Slabs over the last few days. A pair of wellington boots are good for walking in!

And from yesterday:

Hi Alan,
Fantastic sunny Alpine conditions in the Cairngorms today, and loads and loads of snow, but from a winter climbing point of view one four-letter word summed it up: MUSH. You'd have been mad to try anything, and anyway I only had one axe and no crampons, so I didn't, I just walked up Derry Cairngorm and Ben Macdui from a bike near the Hutchie. A year on from my own 'epic' I am happy to tonk up and down soft grade I slopes, but don't really fancy a lot more excitement than that just yet. It looked like the rock on Creagan a' Choire Etchachan and Coire Sputan Dearg was nice and warm and dry, ready to be climbed in fact, except that topping out through the soggy, overhanging double cornices would have been a once in a lifetime experience (and very much towards the end of the life in question). Cheers Tim

Thanks Tim, good to see you out and about. Your rope is still decorating a certain route on Nevis:)
Take care, Alan

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 11:11 0 comments
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Very Warm

Wednesday, 1 April 2009

Teams back down from Tower Ridge and N.E. Buttress today reported damp snow/ice conditions. One rope backed off of Point Five Gully as it was clearly very soft.

Some cooler weather does appear to be moving in during the week prior to Easter.

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 19:04 0 comments
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