Winter Climbing Conditions December 2002

31st December 2002

Rime has been growing on the buttresses and a small fall of snow last night down to 700m made the crags much more wintery. In the Cairngorms there are many grade III and IV climbs looking good such as Invernookie which was climbed by Jonny and team today. Stob Coire nan Lochain is frozen well and rimed but not enough for the harder routes. The next six days will be cold with a SE wind and we've been forecast some snow - let's hope so!

30th December 2002

It has been a warm Christmas and very little harder climbing has been done. The snow remaining in the gullies and headwalls has been wet and mushy but was a little crispier yesterday and there was a light flurry of snow on the higher buttresses in the northern coires. The easier classics are good - The Runnel, Western Rib etc. - and people were climbing on the Mess of Pottage. In the west there is less to go for but in the sunshine today classic rocky ridges are a fantastic option. Last night was colder (3 degrees) so the snow in the major gullies will be quite firm.

22nd December 2002

Ewen found great ice and weather on The Drool (IV,4) on Eagles Rock, Dudh Loch, yesterday as the bad weather failed to materialise. Today was much warmer and has melted the thin layer of snow on the west coast hills right to the tops. It looks like we won't get snow from this particular weather system after all. With summit temperatures of 6 degrees and 60 mph winds I for one will be staying indoors. Happy Christmas!

19th December 2002

Jonny and Andy went out again yesterday to climb Route Major (V,6) on Carn Etchachan and had the best day they'd ever had in the Cairngorms. Perfect weather, fantastic light and views and brilliant conditions. Last night was colder still and the river Nevis has ice in it. Craig and Jo were on Stirling Bridge on Aonach Mor giving it everything, cruising up the corner and finding a wee sting in the tail! Tomorrow should be dry and cold again but weak occluded fronts should give us some snow at the weekend when they come across the cold air mass sitting on us. How much snow we get is anybody's guess.

18th December 2002

17th December 2002

Jonny and Andy made the trek up to Aonach Mor today to find perfect conditions on the E face. With frozen turf, everything rimed up and the cracks free of ice, they made short work of Stirling Bridge VI,7. Over on the W face the local policemen found nice water ice at the foot of Western Rib (II/III) which they climbed to the summit. Stew didn't see much ice on Aonach Beag N face however, just a few seeps on the W face. Stob Coire nan Lochain in Glen Coe is still only rimed at the top, you might get away with Crest Route or Scabard Chimney but nothing on Central Buttress. Don't forget to check the SAIS Avalanche Forecast, the service has started up again for the winter. Warm wet weather will reach the west by Friday night as the high pressure drifts away and allows a couple of occluded fronts to come over. With the very cold air we have on us now it might fall as snow, at least to begin with. Let's hope so, I'm not making promises!

16th December 2002
The weekend was slightly warmer and cloudier but not enough to cause a problem, conditions remain as they were and it is now colder again. The Cairngorms are your best bet, even Postern on the Shelterstone was climbed, probably to get away from the crowds in the northern coires! On Ben Nevis Jonny found Green Gully to be not quite iced enough for an ascent and Andy Nisbet was out finding some mixed climbing. Beinn Udlaidh is icing up but needs more water to drain over the cliffs, so some stormy weather is required. Ice is forming in the coires around Creag Meagaidh as well. It's staying cold for a while so the ice will continue to form.

12th December 2002

The last two days have been beautifully sunny and cold, here in Fort William. No new snow but ice is forming and the hills are getting that all important cool down before the snow really arrives. Jonny and Andy went up Burning and Looting (V,6) on Fiacaill Buttress followed by Western Rib (II/III) on Fluted Buttress and found the crags to be heavily rimed. Today, though, they found that Beinn an Dothaidh at Bridge of Orchy was not rimed up, just the ledges were covered in snow, and being the demanding climbers they are they decided it was not justifiable to do a climb and bagged the two Munroes instead. A worthy approach to have that should be shared by all! The Buachaille has rime on Slime Wall but not Rannoch Wall, Lost Valley Buttress is white-ish and Stob Coire nan Lochain is only rimed at the top. Aonach Mor looks to be well covered, not surprising considering it faces the easterly winds we've been having. On Tower Ridge today Craig, Roger and Emma found the first chimney free of snow but this didn't spoil a good climb, the rest was very snowy. It also looked like Sgurr Finnisg-aig Fall, at only 550m, was starting to freeze. Snow in the E at the weekend, maybe a little here on the west coast but most importantly it will be cold.

10th December 2002
Again, a little more snow and continuing freeze up high. Richard made it up Bulgy on Sunday and Jonny redemed himself on Melting Pot yesterday saying the little bits of turf on it were frozen. Rob went for a trek up the Lost Valley in Glen Coe and thought that Lost Valley Buttress was just about in wintery condition but Stob Coire nan Lochain was only white at the top. Out of the back window I can see the cliffs on Aonach Mor E face are very white and there is a cornice forming here and above Number 2 Gully on Ben Nevis. The forecast says the cold spell will continue right through the weekend - get out there scratching!

8th December 2002

More of the same weather today, snow showers giving the hills a dusting down to 750m or so. Craig and Tony went up Western Route in Coire an Lochan in the Cairngorms yesterday and Mike and Nick went up Grumbling Grooves. Today it was No Blue Skies for Jonny and Owen and Richard was setting his sights on Bulgy, but he's probably on his second route by now so I've not heard how he got on! The snow is at the base of the Northern Coires but don't expect frozen turf for a good while yet.

7th December 2002


More news from the last few days - Ewen Buttress Direct and Overseer Direct were climbed on Thursday and Hoarmaster and Third Man were climbed yesterday in Coire an Lochan. The turf was not frozen but the buttresses were white enough to call it winter. Today we have had some more snow down to 750m but it has not been as cold as forecast. It should get better though, the cold spell should last well into next week. The picture of Stob a'Ghlais Coire at the top of Glen Etive, where there are some great grade III ridges, shows a good snow line.

6th December 2002

Yesterday Donald and Mark went up The Runnel in Coire an t'Sneachda and found it to be quite soft and soggy. There was some riming on the rocks but it was not very well frozen on at all. We had a little more snow on the west coast but only down to 900m and only a dusting. Hopefully with cold easterly winds coming we'll get some cold conditions and possibly some snow further east. Summit temperatures are forecast to be around -4degrees so we might be in luck for some climbing in the Northern Coires.

3rd December 2002

Schiehallion was wet and windy on Saturday, Sunday was a wash out! A little snow did fall over Sunday night but only a light dusting above 1000m on Aonach Mor and Ben Nevis. Glen Coe is too low to have got anything and very little fell in the Cairngorms. High pressure should spread from Scandinavia at the end of the week bringing cold easterly winds. It will be freezing over night but don't expect much more snow on the west coast - the Cairngorms and further east should get a little snow over the weekend. So it might be worth venturing out, the weather should be settled even if there is not too much to climb.