Winter 2002 Climbing Pictures

23rd April 2002
After a very wet weekend with summit tempertures getting close to double figures, a lot of the snow and probably most of the ice will have melted away. It is forecast to be cooler this weekend so if you are really keen you may just get one more climb out of this winter but not for me. I've packed away my ice climbing gear and will concentrate on some of the best rock climbs in the country that I have right here on my doorstep! May is very often a great month to be in Scotland rock climbing, usually we get a couple of weeks of blue skies and sunshine and the midges have not yet appeared. Come up and see for yourselves!

19th April 2002
There's nowhere quite like the Etive Slabs when the sun is shining! Spartan Slab (VS 4c) is the classic introduction to the unique style of climbing here and James and Marie sailed up it in fine style. We followed this by a quick ascent of Vein Rouge (E1 5a) to the right of the main slabs and giving a lovely couple of pitches. If only every day could be as good (and dry!) as today.

18th April 2002
The rock in Glen Nevis was warm and dry today and the climbing was superb. James, Marie and I climbed Pinacle Ridge (Severe) and Pine Wall (Hard Severe 4b) looking at rescue techniques, hoists and multi-pitch and counter-balance abseils. As it is staying dry and warm still we are hoping to go to Glen Etive tomorrow - it looks like the winter is over for us.

17th April 2002
Incredibly today was another dry day although it was significantly warmer than the last two. Up on Astral Highway (VI,5) the ice was soft but as there is so much of it we had no problem. The trickiest climbing was getting started with the first pitch of Orion Direct being very mushy and may not have lasted the day. Even though it was dry the ice was melting hard and dripping away into Loch Linnhe! I might have to face facts soon and pack away my ice tools!

16th April 2002
It stayed dry today but there was a bit more wind and cloud around making it feel colder. The ice was good again and was barely melting away at all. James led Marie up Central Gully (III) on Creag Coire na Ciste which is still complete but will be one of the first to go once it starts to rain. The rain might arrive tomorrow afternoon but Thursday and Friday could be drier. Wet again at the weekend.

15th April 2002
The winter continues! After a cold weekend with fresh snowfall ice has been reforming on Ben Nevis. The first pitch of Orion Direct has returned and the ice is still great all over the Orion Face, Indicator Wall, Gardyloo Butress, Three Gully Buttress and Creag Coire na Ciste. Marie and I had a great day on The White Line (III) to the right of Glovers Chimney and enjoyed the bum-slide down the red burn in the sunshine. It could stay dry again tomorrow and as long as it does the ice will stay as it is.

5th April 2002
Sorry for the break in the reports, it was not because the winter is over. Quite the opposite in fact with plenty of ice left high up on Ben Nevis and a great forecast for the weekend. Climbs that are still iced up are on the Orion Face, Indicator Wall, Gardyloo Buttress and Creag Coire na Ciste. I had a great day on Tuesday with Donald King going up Slav Route to The Basin, up the second slab Rib then continuing up the Long Climb Finish (VII,6 in the book but V,5 on the day). Exceptional climbing 400m above the floor!

27th March 2002
Vade Macum, Hadrians Direct, Sickle, Galactic Hitchhiker are all still there and Point Five Gully (V,5) was perfect. A party on Rubicon wall and Observatory Buttress is probably still OK. Lots to do! Dry and cloudy today but reasonably warm, +4 celcius on the summit. Tomorrow will again be dry with less cloud and wind, the same on Friday and probably a dry day on Saturday as well. Sunday could well be rainy.

26th March 2002
A perfect spring day today with blazing sunshine and a frosty start. In the sun the snow soon softened and it was very warm, however in the shade the snow and ice was well frozen. Typhoon was quite sporting and felt like IV,6 and Siamese Twin was a fat IV,5. More wind and more cloud tomorrow and maybe a bit warmer.

25th March 2002
The clouds soon lifted and the temperature dropped to give a good day although there was quite a brisk wind at times. Some snow showers left a little snow down to 900m and the snow was firming up nicely. We looked at more mountaineering skills like abseiling off snow bollards (lucky horse-shoes!). There is still plenty of ice on climbs such as White Shark (IV,4) on Aonach Mor and all over the Orion Face on Ben Nevis. The next few days look set fair enough, cool over night with not too much cloud during the day. If the weather is good at the weekend there will be lots of climbing to be done.

24th March 2002
Today was very cloudy with rain onto the summits. The wind died down slowly during the day and the rain dried up. Rob, Chris, Martin and I went up Ledge Route, probably the best grade II on Ben Nevis with snow and ice sections, rock and cresty ridges - brilliant! Colder conditions will arrive during tomorrow, refreezing the snowpack and re-attaching the ice to the rock. Still plenty of life left in this winter despite the thaw and retreating snow!

23rd March 2002
Mercifully the rain didn't arrive today and we had another warm dry spring day in Coire na Tullagh of Buachaille Etive Mor. There are still large parches of snow high up but the buttresses are quite bare. Rock climbing would have been an option for today! The bum slide back down into the coire is brilliant, soft deep wet snow all the way down into the stream gully and halfway back to the car! Wet tomorrow.

22nd March 2002
The warm dry theme continued today with a good deal of sunshine this afternoon. Plenty of climbing going on around the higher areas of Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor. Tomorrow is set to be wet in the west with a S wind but drier inland. More rain on Sunday but clearing later on. The ice was very thick not long ago so there will still be lots of good late season climbing to be done once it cools down again.

21st March 2002
Another humid and cloudy day today with no wind. There was snow last night but it warmed up to be +5 celcius on top of Mullach nan Coirean. Excellent navigation training weather! Mega Route X has fallen down along with a lot of other ice says Mark. With the rain coming on this afternoon as well the thawing process will be speeded up even more. Tonight it should cool down again though, but it'll be warm during tomorrow. A wet and windy weekend is forecast with freezing levels quite high. Sunday might be the drier day but with more wind.

20th March 2002
A humid and cloudy day today but with no wind, it froze last night but warmed up during the day. Vanishing Gully (V,5) was climbed although it looked a little thin and Mega Route X (VI,6) is still touching down. The Orion face and other areas high up are still plastered. The Curtain and Waterfall Gully are now too thin to climb. Tomorrow will be a re-run of today for the weather.

19th March 2002
It cooled down last night, bringing the snow line down to 500m or snow with very little wind. As the day went on the sun melted back the snow as the clouds headed south leaving a very nice, crisp evening. In Coire an t-Sneachda the crags were covered in the fresh fall of snow and everything was looking wonderful. It is so nice to have no wind, hopefully we've done all the windy days for this winter. Tomorrow will be another cold day with light winds but some cloud and snow showers down to 600m.

18th March 2002
It was like a spring day in the Alps today with warm sunshine through whispy clouds, no wind and soft spring snow. It stayed dry just about so the major patches of snow and ice are still there ready for the temperature to drop by the end of the week as the wind turns to come from the N. When it does all the snow will be crunchy and brilliant to climb on. Tomorrow will be getting colder as the wind changes with rain clearing to give wintry showers.

17th March 2002
The Shroud was looking very impressive today as bits of it fell off onto us trying to climb Harrisons Climb (IV,4). It was warm and things were melting away, but not too fast as it was dry and sunny today. We abseiled off and Tristan and Martin led up the steep bit of The Castle (III). A lovely walk off in the sun with no wind topped off a good day. The warm theme will continue for the next few days with some rain as well. Might be cooling down later on though.

16th March 2002
The temperature went up but only slowly and wet snow was falling on Aonach Mor today above 1000m. The wind was not strong so it was quite a nice day for us to climb Morwind (III). The ice is still excellent and extensive and there is a lot of snow high up banking out the gullies. Tomorrow the temperature will be about the same but with sunny spells and light SE winds. High up on Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor will give the best climbing.

15th March 2002
It was too windy to take any pictures today, the E gale was blowing straight down the Allt a'Mhiullin and most people were going down instead of up. James and I had a great day doing some mixed climbing on granite (yes it does exist on Ben Nevis, but only a little bit of it). To the right of Red Gully, the last climb in the guide book, there are some small outcrops that provide some entertainment when all else fails. Tomorrow will be warm, 3 celcius at 900m with 40mph S winds. Sunday might be cooler and less windy so all the fresh snow should be consolidating making this the better day of the weekend.

14th March 2002
The SE wind picked up early today, blowing around a lot of the loose snow. It was colder also, feeling bitter in the wind. Everything on Ben Nevis is in condition - The Shroud (VII,6) has touched down, Gemini direct start (VI,6) looks fat, Route II Direct (VI,6) is plastered, The Minus and Orion Faces are swathed in ice and most of the classics were climbed today. One party was spin-drifted out of Point Five Gully though, the funnel at the top working at its best! James and I climbed Italian Right Hand (IV,4) and descended Tower Ridge from below the Little Tower. Tomorrow will be the same as today but with a little fresh snow fall.

13th March 2002
Another perfect day and a brilliant climb. A long wade through deep heavy snow took us to Crowberry Gully (IV). The snow has settled down very quickly due to the gentle warming of the snowpack and very dry atmosphere so it was safe enough despite the heavy snow. The ice was quite cruddy due to last weeks thaw but higher up it was excellent. Tomorrow will be another day in heaven - sunshine, no wind, settled snow and excellent ice!

12th March 2002
Days like today make it all worth while! Deep blue skies, no wind, snow down to 200m and a view from Rum to Shehallion! Magic! Mike and I enjoyed Boomerang Arete (III) on Summit Buttrress of Stob Coire nan Lochan after deciding to stick to a buttress. Our snow pit was 2m deep before we gave up digging through the fresh snow to find the base! This had all come down Boomerang gully though and in places the hard snow was bare. The snow was settling down quickly with a gentle rise in temperature today. It was only just freezing at summit level it appeared. Cold, dry and still again tomorrow, perfect weather!

11th March 2002
Another very stormy day with cars blown off the road and snow down to sea level again. The snow line crept up the hill to 200m but the wind didn't really drop much. I think there will be a lot of wading to do through all the fresh snow tomorrow. The SW storm will be replaced by a light N wind and the sun might make an appearance. Take care in all the fresh snow, stick to a buttress to be safe.

10th March 2002
Mothering Sunday, in contrast to yesterday, was not a great day to go climbing. Heavy snow at all levels and very strong SE turning SW winds created full on blizzard conditions even for Rob down in Glen Nevis! Tomorrow will be another very stormy day with snowfall and SW gales but from Tuesday onwards the week could well be dry and cold. It's the best forecast we've had all winter, lets hope it works out.

9th March 2002
A top day on Ben Nevis with many classic climbs and a hard new route being put up. Galactic Hitchhiker was climbed by Jonny and Owen who thought it V,5, Es and Matt climbed Match Point and again thought it V,5 and Rubicon Wall was climbed amongst many others. Also a new route on the Indicator Wall near Albatross was climbed by Blair and James at VII,6 that took half the night to complete and might have been at the cost of their rucksacks! If only every day was like this on Ben Nevis!

8th March 2002
Despite another heavy thaw Ewan and I found enough ice on False Scorpion (V,5) on Carn Etchachan in the Cairngorms to give a good climb. Being the deepest groove line on this part of the face it holds more ice than other climbs. Rain on the summits last night turned to snow in the W first, down to 600m. Tomorrow should be a great day as the wind will drop to 30mph from the W and it'll be cold, freezing to 600m with a few showers. Sunday might be warmer with more snow. Take care in the fresh snow but get up high on Ben Nevis for the best climbing in the world!

7th March 2002
A lovely day with brilliant snow ice plastered all over Aonach Mor E Face. We abseiled down Typhoon (IV,4) and Martin and Peter led their way up Left Twin (III). Abseiling down is OK but you have to know where to go down and it is three pitches down. Walking down either side of the crag is definitely much quicker if the slopes are not too avalanche prone. Hurricane Arete (VI,7) looked straight forward to start and there is ice on the slabs of Alien Abduction (VII,8). Mega Route X (VI,6) was climbed today by Bruce and high up Ben Nevis is in great shape. Snow then rain on the summits tomorrow but cold again on Saturday.

6th March 2002
After this thaw all the ice lines are now left on bare rock walls. The Minus Gullies and Orion Face are plastered but Vanishing Gully has Vanished. The Curtain (IV,5) was still there just, but very thin and feeling more like VI,5! The avalanche debris from yesterday's slide out of Number 5 Gully was very impressive and had gone right down to below the Gulches. It was just freezing on the summits today and tomorrow is forecast to be colder with snow showers. N winds on Saturday could freeze the hills again and make a good day out.

5th March 2002
Cooler temperatures last night brought the snow down to 600m and slowed the thaw. The ice in Crowberry Gully (IV,4) today was solid and there is lots of it, the gully is fairly banked out. Frequent heavy spindrift avalanches showed us why it is so full of snow! It warmed up during the day and heavy rain is now falling. Number 5 Gully avalanched today, probably as a result of lots of fresh wet snow being loaded into it by the strong W wind followed by the rise in temperature. After peaking sometime tonight the temperature will start to drop, so tomorrow will hopefully end up colder but still very windy from the W.

4th March 2002
It was soggy again today but the rain on the summit turned to snow by the end of the day so maybe it is cooling down slightly. SC Gully (III) gave Martin, Peter and I some fun as there is plenty of ice left in it and Dorsal Arret (II) topped off a good day. There is ice in Chimney Route (VI,6), Central Buttress Ordinary Route (IV,4) and a white line in Scabbard Chimney (V,6). Tomorrow will be cold to start but warming to thaw at the summits again with very strong W or SW winds and fresh snowfall.

3rd March 2002
The forecasts appear to be getting better, todays thaw was forecast four days ago. Gentle steady rain fell right to the summits and all the ice started dripping very quickly. When it freezes again it'll be even better than before! We did some top-roping in the gulches at the foot of Coire na Ciste on Ben Nevis as an introductory day to a week of climbing. Tomorrow and the rest of the week will be soggy again, testing even the waterproofness of my rubber gloves! The wind might turn NW on Friday though, freezing everything ready for the weekend.

2nd March 2002
The temperature slowly went up during today and the freezing level will be above the summits tomorrow with a brisk W wind. Looks like we're back to the unsettled weather we've been used to for most of this winter. It's the kind of weather that brings in to condition climbs like Pointless (VII,6) and Galactic Hitch-hiker (VI,5) both of which have been climbed already this winter. So we can't really complain too much, just endure it and enjoy the results of it on the occasional good day.

1st March 2002
March started out in perfect weather and very good conditions. Many people headed up Ben Nevis and spread themselves all over the Orion Face and all the classic routes. Mega Route X (VI,6) was said to be great with first time placements all the way. Alison, Donald and I explored the rarely visited N face of Castle Ridge, finding Lobby Dancer (VI,6) too thin so we enjoyed the last pitches of Nordwand (III). The settled weather has settled the snow and there is a fair forecast for the weekend. Tomorrow might be the better day with Sunday slightly warmer but definitely a good weekend for bashing away at the ice!

28th February 2002
The forecast came good and today was a calm, cold day. In the Cairngorms there were a few snow showers and Shelterstone and Carn Etchachan were fairly well covered. We had a great time on Scorpion (V,5) including the subterranean pitch which is a real squeeze! There is a lot of ice on Hells Lum Crag but the snow higher up isn't the best neve yet. Back home in the west some folk were having exciting times on Ben Nevis, tiggering an avalanche below North Trident Buttress by walking on the slope. There is a lot of groupel (ball bearing type snow) around at the moment and a lot of snow to roll down on it. Take care, especially at the weekend if the temperature does rise quickly.

27th February 2002
Despite the bad forecast this afternoon turned out nice. There was fresh snow from last night down to 400m and the strong SW wind dropped during the day to leave a calm, clear evening. It has been cold enough for the mid-level ice routes on Ben Nevis to be forming and The Curtain (IV,5) and Waterfall Gully (IV,4) were both looking good and climbed recently. As it will stay cold for the next two days these routes might be good at the weekend, although milder conditions are forecast then. Gemini (VI,6) and Shield Direct (VII,7) are also forming, being at the same level. Tomorrow should be cold and dry along with Friday. There is still a lot of unstable snow around though so take care on the approaches and in the gullies.

26th February 2002
It was colder today and the heavy rain in Fort William fell as heavy wet snow above 600m. This was being pushed along by a SW wind over onto NW through NE to SE slopes forming soft wind slab in these areas. One avalanche was set off by Donald throwing his ropes over the E face of Aonach Mor to abseil down to see how bad it was! Left Twin looked OK with fresh snow covering up the ice. Tomorrow will be colder again but with more snow and stronger variable S winds giving a high avalanche risk. Stick to a buttress tomorrow!

25th February 2002
A horrible day with 70mph winds and snow turning to rain at all levels made me glad to be indoors for once! Tomorrow should start out nice with light winds and the freezing level at 900m will help stabilise the recent fresh snow, but the SW winds will increase during the day with blustery snow showers. Make an early start and go high to make the best of the day. It should stay cold all week with the wind turning N on Thursday and Friday, fingers crossed!

24th February 2002
At long last today was a perfect day! Cold, dry and windless, giving us perfect mixed climbing conditions in the Northern Corries. As for last week, the weekend was warm, Monday windy, Tuesday starting cold and getting windy (great conditions high on Ben Nevis), Wednesday cold and windy, Thursday starting cold but thawing very rapidly in the afternoon stripping the crags, Friday very windy and Saturday very snowy. All that left the crags dry, little ice in the cracks but nice ice in the grooves and with just enough rime to make it white enough. About 30cm of snow fell in Aviemore and we even had snow down in Fort William. Peter, Dougie and I had an adventure on Alladins Buttress Original Summer Route Direct Start (V,6) with a Superdirect Finish giving a bouldery technical 7 (?) stopper move! Great fun! Tomorrow will bring SW winds and more snow followed by the predictable thaw to consolidate all the new snow.

16th February 2002
Just as forecast it thawed to the summits today with rain and thick mist giving only 30m visibility. This isn't really a bad thing as it will freeze again during tomorrow, the temperature at 900m dropping from +3 to -3 celcius. So if this happens earlier on tomorrow will be a good day to go out climbing and Monday will definitely be good and cold. This is good news for me as I'm off to the Cairngorms for the Mountain Guide's winter test. Therefore this report will be suspended until 25th February.

15th February 2002
Ben Nevis was quite busy today and everyone enjoyed the firm snow getting to the climbs. Green Gully (IV) was very popular and Point Five Gully (V,5) was said to be OK. The temperature rose during the day though and the snow softened considerably. Another thaw freeze cycle is on the forecast as it goes to +3 at 900m tomorrow but cools down during Sunday. Monday should be a good cold day. The ice on Ben Nevis is great at the moment and with Psychadelic Wall (VI,5) being in condition already I'm sure that conditions at the top of Orion Face must be getting very good as well.

14th February 2002
After a cold night, today was sunny and not too cold. The wind had moved much of the snow off the crags and knocked off some rime so the harder climbs didn't look too white. We climbed Patey's Route (IV,5) and followed some skiers down Alladins Couloir for a short day. As we walked out the wind had changed back towards SW and strengthened to blow a huge plume of spindrift off the Fiacaill Ridge. Back home in Fort William it started raining at about 4pm and has been steady since then. It's cold enough for it to be falling as snow on the summits and the freezing level is set to stay around 1000m for the next couple of days. There is a lot of snow above 800m and the ice routes higher up on Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor (eg. Typhoon IV,4) should be perfectly climbable tomorrow and at the weekend despite the return to the usual mixed weather.

13th February 2002
Today was a beautiful day in the west, as far inland as the Drumochter hills. Cairngorm was a bit cloudy and breezy but definitely colder than it has been with the temperature dropping during the day to -3 on my watch in Coire an Lochan. The crags were rimed and snowy and the ice lines had lovely neve in them. On Ben Nevis Vanishing Gully (V,5) is definitely fully formed and Jonny climbed Thompsons Route (IV,4). Tomorrow will start good but there is some warmer, wetter weather arriving during the day.

12th February 2002
This morning was another uninspiringly wet start but if you persisted you'd have got a nice afternoon as the wind turned N. It didn't cool down down much yet and Mark found North Buttress on Buachaille Etive Mor to be a wet rock climb. Tomorrow will be dry and cold, a top day so make the best of it.

11th February 2002
Today was a good day to climb Curved Ridge (II/III) on Buachaille Etive Mor. It's sheltered from a SW wind and not in danger of avalanches apart from a couple of slopes at the top of the ridge leading to the summit. Jonny went up along with many others and as it is quite rocky the thaw didn't matter. As the wind turns NW tomorrow it'll cool down, the freezing level will drop to 450m and it'll dry up to a nice day. Wednesday will be dry and cold.

10th February 2002
It did warm up slowly during the course of today and all the fresh snow that fell yesterday, last night and today was falling off in a few places. As we entered Coire na Ciste we heard a big rumble and Andy Ravenhill said he'd seen No. 4 Gully and something from the Trident Buttresses release. We stayed low down looking at ice axe self-arrest on wet, deep, soft, sticky snow. So my guess that today would be the better day of the weekend was wrong, especially hearing that Psychadelic Wall (VI,5) and Smiths Route (V,5) were climbed yesterday. Even warmer tomorrow and with all this fresh snow there will be avalanches to avoid.

9th February 2002
The temperature dropped at 2am last night turning the heavy rain to snow. The strong W wind then blew it all over onto the E face of Aonach Mor causing very quick loading of slopes and cornice formation. Easy Gully and a few others had avalanched in the early hours, but during the day it snowed very little and less snow was blown over from the plateau. The wind had frozen the snow on the top but on the sheltered E face the snow below the crags was still wet and soft beneath the fresh snow. The exposed snow-ice on the climbs was firming up so I took my family (Mum, Dad and wife Louise) up just right of Morwind (III). Richard and Rebecca said Left Twin was really nice apart from the snow not being good enough to belay to and the cornice collapse that hit them! Tomorrow some more snow and cold to start but possibly warming up during the day. Take care on the freshly loaded slopes if it does warm up!

8th February 2002
Heavy rain fell for most of today on to the summits, washing away a lot of the ice I saw yesterday. Jonathan Preston enjoyed a watery ascent of North Buttress on Buachaille Etive Mor but most people (like me) only tackled the High Street Direct! Tomorrow could be a nice day after the rain clears in the morning and the freezing level drops to 900m. I'm going to try Aonach Mor E face as it's high and had good snowy ice all over it that will firm up quickly if it does cool down.

7th February 2002
The temperature did rise very quickly this morning making the snow very soft and wet and the ice run with water. At least it didn't rain too much and there is a lot of snow above 800m. Neil and I took a tour of the Ben by climbing Moonlight Gully (I/II) for a way and going across to traverse Douglas Gap (I) - a good use of a soggy day. More of the same conditions tomorrow but more rain! Italian Right Hand (IV) and Vanishing Gully (V) both looked OK but Mega Route X was a bit thin. All we need is a freeze but the weekend looks like it might be quite warm.

6th February 2002
An exciting day with great conditions on the climbs but lots of decisions to make getting to them! We went down Easy Gully on Aonach Mor E Face after knocking off the cornice formed last night and climbed Siamese Buttress (II/III) between Forgotten and Right Twins. Luckily for us when the cornice above Forgotten Twin Fell off we were on the rocks to the side - the party in the gully thankfully were OK if a bit battered. The cornice was enormous above our route so we abseiled off. Left Twin (III) looked to be about grade II and there is snow ice all over the crag. Green Gully (IV) was climbed by Jonny who said it was perfect plastic snow ice all the way and quite wide. Mega Route X (VI,6) is just in and Point Five Gully (V,5) surely must be. The storms we've been having were not nice to be out in but have resulted in some fantastic climbs. Rain on the summits by the end of tomorrow will only consolidate things further. The weekend will be windy and warm on Saturday and better on Sunday - possibly worth coming up to climb!

5th February 2002
It warmed up last night to thaw above the summits but cooled slightly to freeze down to 1000m on top of Buachaille Etive Mor. There was plenty of snow on Curved Ridge (II/III) and several parties enjoyed the dry, still weather. I think that was the first day for a month I didn't come home soaking wet! NW winds tomorrow will freeze the snowpack and bring a few snow showers but it will be returning to warm, wet and strong SW winds by the end of the week.

4th February 2002
A breezy day on Aonach Mor today and plenty to think about in terms of the avalanche risk. As we descended Easy Gully (I) we went over a 30cm crown wall left by an avalanche that released overnight. A NW wind loaded the gully and some isolated areas, very rapidly, onto a weak layer. By the time we were there the wind was SW again and the slopes below the crag weren't too bad. Morwind (III) was in great condition, covered in snow ice. Ben Nevis was a bit of a wade to get to today but there is ice on Mega Route X and Green Gully (IV) was climbed at the weekend. Two Step Corner and Quickstep could easily be climbable. Warmer tomorrow tomorrow but cold again with NW winds on Wednesday.

3rd February 2002
Unexpected snow fell down to 500m in Glen Coe today and it was -3celcius according to my watch at the top of Stob Coire nan Lochan. The snow was steady and heavy for much of the day putting down 10cm at Nevis Range. The old snow has consolidated into crusty stuff that doesn't hold a pick and collapses under your weight - very annoying. Many people went up Dorsal Arrete, one party retreated from Ordinary Route (forgotten gloves) and one party climbed Tilt (VI,7), the best line on the crag according to Cubby but not very hoared up. Fiona, Connor, Aidan and I went up NC Gully (II) looking at snow anchors. SE winds tonight will strengthen during tomorrow and the temperature will rise again.

2nd February 2002
Another windy and fairly warm day but the snow is starting to settle down. Central Buttress Ordinary Route (IV,4) on Stob Coire nan Lochain and North Buttress (III) on Buachaille Etive Mor were climbed, being sheltered from the SW wind, but still soggy and unfrozen. With the freezing level coming down to 600m tomorrow the snow should be getting quite firm, I think it will be a nice day.

1st February 2002
February got off to a stormy start, not quite as bad as Monday but still very windy and warm. Less rain fell though, it dried up by lunchtime so hopefully not too much snow will have been washed away. The temperature is due to drop slightly, consolidating the snow above 900m but still with strong SW winds tomorrow. Sunday will be the better day of the weekend with showers and less wind.

31st January 2002
It was slightly cooler today but not by much. At least it was dry for the walk in to Stob Coire nan Lochan and it only started snowing after the first pitch. Central Buttress Ordinary Route (IV,4) was buried in soft wet snow and the rocks weren't frozen together either, but we still enjoyed a great climb and good views. It had snowed down to 700m by the time we left the coire and the crag was still very white - all the mixed routes were covered and the gullies full of snow. Again, given a good freeze it will be in great condition but the forecast says +7 celcius at 900m, 100mph SW winds and heavy rain for the start of tomorrow! I think we'll call it a tough week and enjoy staying dry indoors tomorrow! Saturday will be wet and warm and Sunday drier and slightly cooler.

30th January 2002

Another wet day but less windy at least. We climbed Tower Ridge (III) because it doesn't depend on good snow conditions and the fresher snow was very soggy with the freezing level at the summit. There has been some build up of ice though, from the Little Tower upwards there was ice and neve under the soft stuff. If we had a good hard freeze right now there would be very many climbs in condition. The forecast says it will get slightly cooler, freezing down to 750m, but warming up when the rain arrives later on tomorrow. Friday will be another very stormy day (100mph winds) but possibly quite cold and Saturday will be windy and warm. Sunday should be the better day but still a bit warm.

29th January 2002
Last night's SE wind did freeze everything down to 600m but it was warming up as we arrived at the top of Aonach Mor, hoping for a more amenable day than yesterday. We climbed Morwind (III,4) in great condition - lovely neve and enough ice to get up the first chimney at grade 5. 20cm fresh snow from last night on the slope below the crag and there was a crown wall (left by an avalanche caused by the rise in temperature when the wind turned SW) at the S side of the coire, facing just about N. It looked like White Shark and Tunnel Vision were iced up and all the mixed climbs were white. More snow fell today and the mixed theme continues throughout the week.

28th January 2002
James and I had a wild day on North Buttress (III), Buachaille Etive Mor. The deep depression which arrived last night brought very heavy rain and extremely strong winds. All the snow was stripped from the buttress so we made do with a wet rock climb. Having decided not to go over the top due to the wind we traversed right, across the top of Great Gully, to descend Great Gully Buttress. The wind was gusting 140mph and it took all our efforts to get across. Tonight it will freeze and snow down to 600m as the winds turn south easterly. Let's hope for a calmer day tomorrow.

27th January 2002
A nice morning turned to rain and snow this afternoon as the latest front arrived from the south. There is a lot of snow around and Jonny had to do the breast stroke to climb Tower Ridge (III) saying that the gullies don't look too inviting yet - some more freeze thaw action is needed. Aonach Mor is in good condition and there is also some skiing now at the top of the hill. Tomorrow will be very stormy as a fast deep depression tracks by. We might try the N Buttress of the Buachaille to keep out of the wind.

26th January 2002

It thawed to above the summits last night after laying down a lot of snow but then cooled down today and snowed with the freezing level at 1000m. Tonight it'll thaw again above the tops but freeze again during tomorrow! These rapid freeze thaw cycles will be doing a great job of bringing in to condition the snow ice gullies. Also the crags at Aonach Mor are still rimed up. I may be being optimistic, but I think this could be the start of good things.

25th January 2002
About a dozen folk started the pilgrimage to Aonach Mor east face in the 70mph wind that arrived four hours earlier than expected. The majority of us turned back but Donald and Andy made it into the coire to climb a grade II gully next to The Prow on perfect neve. The wind picked up to over 100mph for the descent! Jonny and Simon climbed North Buttress on the Buachaille being more sheltered. Lots of snow fell and when it warms up tomorrow there'll be avalanche potential in many places. Stick to a buttress or ridge!

24th January 2002
Quite a lot of snow fell last night, todays snowline was at 600m. The SE wind had loaded W to N slopes so we went down Easy Gully (I) which faces E on Aonach Mor on perfect neve. It was freezing hard and Icicle Gully was climbed but the slopes below the crags are very loaded with fresh snow - hard work! Tomorrow the wind will increase during the day with more snowfall, but staying cold. A bit of a battle but good climbing!

23rd January 2002
Heavy rain was falling as snow above 700m on Ben Nevis and above 800m in Glen Coe. The freezing level was at around 1000m and there was good neve towards the top of Tower Ridge and rime on the rocks. It warmed up during the day but tomorrow is forecast -2 celcius at 900m with northerly winds and blizzards for Friday. The weather doesn't look to nice for the weekend but there will be some good climbing to do.

22nd January 2002
Lots of rain fell today - I'm developing gills and webbed toes! The good news, though, is that it was falling as sleet and wet snow above 1000m and tomorrow it is set to snow down to 900m. With Thursday and Friday being forecast colder as well it could be a good weekend to come up to Fort William.

21st January 2002
Very wet and warm conditions gave us a challenge to maintain enthusiasm looking at snow anchors at Aonach Mor. At least the patch of snow is now quite big allowing many groups to use it and it was not as windy as forecast. Wet and warm again tomorrow, but maybe a freeze tomorrow night to slow the thaw and bring some gullies into condition.

20th January 2002
In Coire Laogh Mor above the Ciste car park at Cairngorm there was less snow than over in the west. The freezing level was at 1600m and with heavy rain all the fresh snow and rime has been stripped from the steeper buttresses. Major ridges will be good still but we now need a freeze to bring the gullies into condition. Tonight it will freeze down to 1000m but more warm, heavy rain is forecast tomorrow.

19th January 2002
The strong wind, falling snow and ice crystals in the wind didn't stop Dan and I making a fast ascent of Tower Ridge, despite being fairly buried under the new snow. The wind was very squally as we went up to Douglas Gap but on the Great Tower we sat for a sandwich in calm air. This fall of snow down to 700m is exactly what we needed. After the next thaw (tomorrow) and freeze it'll be brilliant.

18th January 2002
More snow fell last night and the Ben was looking fine this morning. The major gully lines are looking very close to being climbable (see pic of Point Five Gully) and the butresses are very well covered. Tonight will bring a micro thaw/freeze cycle (thanks Stew!) and more snow during tomorrow with the freezing level down to 900m. Donald King and Malcolm Fraser climbed Stirling Bridge today.

17th January 2002
It cooled down today noticably and the snow showers fell down to 700m. Jonny Baird climbed Number 2 Gully on the Ben and reported mushy ice on the chockstone bulge but ice forming on the flanks of the gully. I'm going up to Ben Nevis tomorrow to see what might be there to climb on Saturday. Aonach Mor E face was rimed up for the mixed climbs.

16th January 2002
Couldn't even see the hills today, there was cloud down to just above the loch and heavy rain all day, even on the tops. Snow should fall down to 1000m tonight with blustery showers tomorrow.

15th January 2002
Today was colder in the Cairngorms and the old snow was frozen hard, the patches that are left that is! There was a dusting of new snow and more on Creag Meagaidh and further west. Ice was starting to re-form rapidly and despite Graeme Ettle telling me it is the worst winter so far for 18 years, it can only get better. It is forecast to be warmer for the rest of the week.

14th January 2002
Warm, wet and very windy today. I'm off to the Cairngorms tomorrow to see what has been left by the thaw. Still hoping for a cooler end to the week and some snow.

13th January 2002
Heavy rain and cloud down to 200m this morning cleared up slowly to give a breezy afternoon still with much cloud. Tuesday may bring some snow, Wednesday slightly warmer again but more snow possible on Thursday. It may pick up for next weekend yet!

12th January 2002
It stayed dry today at least which will have slowed the dissapearance of the snow. That's the most positive thing to say about today!

11th January 2002
Back to the thaw in a big way! +7 celcius and raining at Aonach Mor. The Forecast for the weekend is not inspiring either and more of the same into next week. It will start cooling down towards the end of next week though. Time to start doing the cold weather dance!

10th January 2002
Cooler last night so we had a frosty walk in to Creag Meagaidh to climb Last Post (V). We got soaked (again) at the top of the first pitch and avoided the last ice step by traversing left to Missed the Post - our line was detached from the rock by about a metre! South Post was too thin on the first pitch, Centre Post looked great in the middle but you need to go up grass instead of snow to start. Light snow fell down to 800m and it was -2 celcius at Aonach Mor today. Hopefully it'll stay cold enough for more snow over the weekend.

9th January 2002
We had a day off today (because we missed the only gondola at 8am!) so that we can be ready for a big day tomorrow. Creag Meagaidh still has enough ice high up to make a good day out and as it is cooling down now (6.30pm) it should be OK, the snow firmed up and the ice stopped dripping. Today it was cloudy with slight drizzle and the freezing level was at the highest summits, slowing the thaw. After tomorrow it will be warm again and very bad weather is forecast for the weekend.

8th January 2002
Another very warm day made us hunt down the remaining ice on the West Face of Aonach Mor. In just two days the ice has been reduced to a waterfall with only just enough ice behind to climb. Not very comfortable but fun none the less! Richy did really well to lead the harder pitches which were hard grade III and very lean, with the distraction of water beating down on him! Good effort! Forecast colder tomorrow.

7th January 2002
Ben Nevis looked very bare as we walked up today in the heat of the morning! The thaw has continued and the ice is dripping away. Garadh Gully would give a few pitches of grade III/IV and the ice below Raeburns Buttress grade VI, but wear your rubber gloves. We went up Number Two Gully (II) which gave Richy a good challenge for his first ever lead.

6th January 2002
The West Face of Aonach Mor gave us a great climb, three pitches of grade III ice followed by 400m of grade II/III ridge leading directly to the summit. It was still fairly warm but the thaw has slowed due to cooler temperatures over night and the rain drying up. It started to rain by the end of the afternoon though. There is still ice around, and plenty of it, if you know where to look!

5th January 2002
It didn't cool down much at all today and we had a wet time on North Buttress (III) on Buachaille Etive Mor. It was thawing above the summit and there was some more persistent rain during this afternoon which was falling as sleet on the summit (1022m). Very little snow left on the rocks now and the ice is slowly melting away.

4th January 2002
Gerard at work on Siamese Twin (IV,5) which is immediately right of Left Twin. We found good ice whereas Left Twin (III) is still very lean. It was climbed today though along with Morwind (III) and Forgotten Twin with the ice fall direct start (III). It was thawing well today, the ice was dripping and the snow balling up our crampons. It is forecast to be cooler tomorrow though.

3rd January 2002
Gerard with a big grin on his face after climbing Dorsal Arrete II. The wind has blown off most of the snow and rime from the buttress so mixed climbing options are few and there is very little ice in the gullies.

2nd January 2002
Ben Nevis from the Allt a'Mhuillin covered in soft snow. There has been no thaw-freeze cycle to consolidate the snow so it is very heavy going in places. Green Gully is possibly iced enough to be able to climb and there is lots of ice for playing on in the gulches above the CIC hut.