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:

Magical Mull

Thursday, 23 July 2009

Hey Alan

Hope all is well on the mainland. Here are a few nice shots of perfect granite white sands and turquoise seas, feels more like Sardinia than Scotland. Although when you get in the water you loose the Caribbean feel pretty quick!!!

Cheers Dan - Mountain Plan

Erraid on the western tip of the Ross of Mull. Details in Scottish Rock (Vol 1 South) by Gary Latter

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 17:00 0 comments
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Slippery on Observatory

Wednesday, 22 July 2009

A view from high on Observatory Ridge yesterday.

The recent unsettled showery weather has produced some greasy conditions on the high Nevis Ridges. The longest and hardest of these ridges is Observatory Ridge, with five pitches low down, plus another tricky little section around half height.

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 22:51 0 comments
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Curved Ridge Cruising

Thursday, 16 July 2009

A proposal for marriage on the previous day on Ben Nevis, followed by a merry scramble on Curved Ridge. This guy really knows how to give a 'Gal' a good time. Well done Tess and Colin.

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 17:53 0 comments
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Ben Nevis and Glen Coe

Friday, 10 July 2009

Quiver Rib (****) located on the very accessible East Face of Aonach Dubh, less than an hour away from the road.

Aonach Dubh, with the East Face in profile on the left of centre, with Stob Coire nan Lochan behind and still with a patch of old snow clinging on.

North East Buttress on Ben Nevis yesterday, looking down the final difficult pitch of the 'Forty Foot Corner'. We had avoided the Mantrap a few metres on its left side.

posted by Westcoast Mountainguides @ 21:02 0 comments
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Dry in Glen Coe

Sunday, 5 July 2009

Curved Ridge today with climbers on Rannoch Wall behind. A number of routes were being climbed, including Whortleberry Wall, Red Slab, Agags Groove and January Jigsaw. Also teams out on North Buttress East Face.

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Compleat on Nevis

Wednesday, 1 July 2009

Alan, there's a good pic here of Tower gully which shows the amount of snow - this was taken on the descent and the footholds below were cut by me on the way up..

Hi Alan, the last Munro outing on the Ben went very well except for my brother's crampons were useless in the soft neve. he never made it past Tower scoop.
The neve started about 150m below Tower scoop and the traverse above Tower scoop was complete into Tower gully. There was a big crevasse about 12ft deep at the left side of Tower Scoop as you had predicted. There was sufficient snow in the narrows to continue though.
I enjoyed being back in the snow and it made the descent easier too - the pic attached is of me descending. The other pic is of 4 Munro compleatists from Linlithgow at the summit of Ben Nevis - from right to left - Pete Buck, Paul Birrel Robin Bennie and me.
It would have been 5 Compleatists from Linlithgow if my brother John had been wearing better crampons.
Still it was a great day and a word of warning to anyone who climbs ice in the summer - don't try ice axe arrest without gloves! I have two holes in my knuckles to show that's it's not a great idea..never felt a thing probably due to the drams we had on the summit.

Ken

Well done guys and still snow to climb in July on Ben Nevis,