Schiehallion

Sunny Schiehallion today. It's just a pity that the memory card wasn't slotted into my camera properly so no pictures from me!
Cat and Amanda were climbing Schiehallion as part of their aim to raise £10,000 for the Schiehallion ward of the Yorkhill Children's Hospital in Glasgow so it was nice to join their team along with Bob, Tom and Oscar, the spaniel.
For Cat and Amanda, the next big goal is Mont Blanc, so they are getting in training for that.
Have a look at their website at http://www.catmanddo.com/

Logiehead, 7th May

After a weekend of being of here, there and everywhere it was nice to be back at home.
The weather was so good I went climbing at Logiehead with Ron and Walter. We had good fun doing routes that got our heads back into rock climbing again!

Pentlands rescue Friday 2nd May

The Pentlands are an area that are easy to get to for anybody in the Edinburgh area and it is so easy to forget that this is a potentially a remote area if things go wrong.
Lawson is an experienced hillwalker but had one of those days that could happen to anybody. He slipped on a muddy path, fell awkwardly and fractured his ankle. Ken and Denise were very helpful in getting a rescue quickly sorted but it still took a while before Lawson was rescued by the helpful crew from an HMS Gannet helicopter and he was airlifted to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
He is now out of hospital and looking to a period of enforced rest which will probably drive both my Mum and Lawson mad as they are both very active people.
Thanks to Ken and Denise and everybody that was there at the time and some stunning photos to follow, again thanks to Ken.
When Lawson arrived in the helicopter, it was to be met by a camera crew for Channel 5 so it seems that his experience will be shared! The lengths that some folk will go to get on tv!
Anyway, best wishes to Lawson and hope he is out and about quickly which knowing Lawson, he will be!

Glencoe adventures

I've just had three great days over in Glencoe. Ron had two clients, Laura and Robin from Rotterdam, who wanted to experience a bit more of the Glencoe peaks and ridges so we headed off for some adventures!
On Tuesday we wanted to go up to Bidean nam Bian by Stob Coire nam Beith but some roadworks on the main Glencoe road scunnered that plan so we walked in to Coire an Lochain and scrambled up to Stob Coire an Lochain. The amount of snow on the approach to Bidean nam Bian was very Alpine in apearance with the a very beautiful snow arete but as it was perhaps a bit more snowy than we had bargained for, we came back down to do some impromptu winter skills practice!
Wednesday saw us heading up Coire na Tulaich to Stob Dearg on Buchaille Etive Mor and here, the step kicking into snow practised the previous day came into its own. We climbed up the snow on the steep corrie headwall, the ordinary route up to the summit, to be able to climb onwards to Stob Dearg. Snow began to fall and the winds picked up so we all opted for a descent back down the way we had climbed up and we were soon back at the cars. The corrie headwall was certainly not the place to be without an ice axe and a good pair of boots!
Thursday was the day when the weather was looking a bit dubious so we went up to Glen Nevis and had a very enjoyable day on Sgurr a' Mhaim and Sgurr an Iubhair and the narrow arete of the Devil's Ridge.
Photos to follow!

Cragging in the sun at Kingussie

Today Ron was going over crag rescue skills at Kingussie with Sara and Chris then afterwards, as it was such a lovely afternoon, we enjoyed some slab climbing to ease out way back into rock climbing again after winter and then something a little bit more tricky back on the upper tier.
Nice to be back rock climbing and in the sun too!

Smudge and Moppet enjoy the mild weather!

A mild day here in Aviemore and the cats have decided that it's time to explore the garden again!

Lurcher's Gully, Cairngorm

Out ski-touring today on Cairngorm as it seems the weather is about to change and get milder and wetter. We walked from the ski area for a little bit before sticking the skins on and making our way up Lurcher's Gully. It was hard work skiing into the wind but oh, so easy on the way back down with the wind propelling us along.

Point Five, Ben Nevis - 21st April

Another trip to Ben Nevis with Point Five as our aim. On other occasions whe Point Five has been the planned route, the weather and the great quantities of spindrift flying down the gully has meant that other routes have been a better place to be. Not on Monday though! The snow had settled a lot since I was there last Wednesday and whilst it was windy on the walk in, the climb itself was actually quite sheltered.
I lead the first pitch on nice ice into which the picks of the aces just sunk in soundly. Ron had the second chimney pitch and when I came to climb it, I enjoyed the easy movement up the steep ice with bridging out to either side making it all feel very much in balance. The third or Rogue pitch was also Ron's lead up the ramp of ice which steepened at the top. Again the ice was just perfect.
Above that I lead one long pitch over little icy pitches and long snowy ramps then we moved together with a variety of different runners between us for the long snow slopes above to the cornice.
We ended the day by climbing down No 4 Gully and, once back above the CIC Hut, we watched a skier ski down No 3 Gully - very impressive!

Smith's Route, Ben Nevis - 16th April

An early start from Aviemore and I'm off to Ben Nevis for the first time this winter!
Ron and I arrived at the car park and there were only a few cars there which was surprising as good conditions normally mean no parking. The new path up to the dam made the walk in more of a pleasure compared to sliding about on the mud on the old path and it made the walk so much shorter.
It was a bit windier than we expected and the spindrift was blowing down our chosen routes so we opted to plough through the snow in Observatory Gully towards Smith's Route. There was one party ahead of us heading towards Smith's and another heading to Tower Scoop.
When we reached the bottom of Smith's the stance was a bit sketchy but the belay was good and Ron lead off on the first pitch. I followed on lovely ice to a belay just below the cave. Ron had belayed just below the cave under a little overhanging roof which was great as it gave shelter from any ice that could have come down. The first few moves looked steep but the actual climbing was good with little ledges for the feet and good placements for axes. What followed, I couldn't see!
When it came to my turn to follow, I enjoyed the first bit up to the icicle where I began to think how on earth do I get up that? I did, somehow, but with a lot of precarious foot and axe placements. I was glad I was the second! After that, eeaaah, hot aches and easier ground!
I lead the third pitch up easy angled snow and ice and Ron got the cornice...he hates cornices!

Video clip here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21y1k-nPCJw

Ski touring at Cairngorm - 14th April

Another great day skiing and this time I spent the afternoon going up and down the runs at Cairngorm in great conditions though there was a bit of a cold wind. Towards the end of the afternoon, I skied over to Ciste Mhiread with Ron and we found some great drifts to play with then up and over Cairngorm and down to Windy Col on the most excellent snow.
We put the skins onto the skis and headed towards the Goat Track with the idea of skiing down but conditions at the top were a bit scary and scoured so back up towards the ski area and down the Coire Cas headwall.
I never realised skiing could be so much fun!
Photos and a video clip are here http://www.talisman-activities.co.uk/blog/mountain_diary.htm

Another fun skiing day at Cairngorm

Cairngorm was gleaming white this morning against a blue sky background so it was back up for another day's skiing. How long can these fantastic conditions continue? More snow forecast for tomorrow and reasonably cold temperatures seem to be continuing so maybe back to climbing next week. In the meantime, today was great.
I skied with Ron over to Ciste Mhiread on lovely untouched snow. In Ciste Mhiread there are some awesome snow drifts. I've never seen it with so much snow! We stuck on the skins to go back via the summit of Cairngorm. There were a few snowboarders about also enjoying being off piste but otherwise, away from the ski area, it was quiet.

Photos from Ron here http://www.talisman-activities.co.uk/blog/mountain_diary.htm

A fun day skiing at Cairngorm

My first day out skiing on Cairngorm for two years and well worth the wait.
Most of the runs were open and I think I skied everywhere possible. The snow in the Ciste Gully was heavy going though and hard work. It made the skiing back in the Cas area seem so much easier.
It was a bit cloudy to begin with some snow showers giving a very wintry feel but as the day went on, the sun came out and wow, what great fun! Towards the end of the day, a well timed snow shower gave the runs a lovely dusting of fresh snow which made it feel very silky under the skis.
I normally ski on little, fat, freetrek snowblades so it was with some trepidation that I set out with what could be considered more normal length skis. After lots of wobbly moments, I think I started to get the hang of the longer skis and it all began to feel very enjoyable.
No photos from me but more from Ron here at http://www.talisman-activities.co.uk/blog/mountain_diary.htm

La Grave ice climbing archive clips

Le Saut de la Pucelle, La Grave, 2006

Cairngorm ski touring - archive video

Just getting the hang of uploading video clips to You Tube and thought I would try with this clip first as it it possibly represents what ski touring conditions have been like on Cairngorm over the past few days though maybe just now there were bluer skies! Note that these are not clips from this year but then this is not a conditions reporting blog, just my stories...enjoy!