Winter Climbing Conditions March 2003

9th April 2003
It's time to call it a day and accept that winter is over. There are some grade I and II gullies in great condition on Ben Nevis at the moment but that is about all and the major ridges are just about free of snow. At least we'll have more time to enjoy the rock climbing before the midges come out at the end of May!

5th April 2003

Yesterday James, Marie and I climbed Comb Gully and descended Ledge Route. Comb Gully was wet but good climbing on well formed ice and Ledge Route had only a little snow left on it. Green Gully was still complete and Point Five Gully should be. It is 9.5celcius in my back garden right now, dry and cloudy.

3rd April 2003

Scott climbed Comb and Green Gullies yesterday but today was warmer and Tower Ridge was dripping away. Marie and I enjoyed great weather though, brockenspectres and circular rainbows all the way. It was +7 celcius on top so all the snow from Tuesday is soggy and most has melted away below 900m. The sound of running water was loud in Observatory Gully! We could do with a freeze tonight but I don't think we will get it. Nice, sunny weather through to the weekend but not very cold.

1st April 2003
It was snow down to 650m last night and today, leaving the ice as it was. Actually it was quite a lot of snow and the strong W winds turned to very strong N winds, dropping the temperature to -2 at 1000m. All this fresh snow decided to pour down the chimney of Point Five Gully just as James and I were climbing it! So despite the excellent climbing we called it a day after swimming uphill for a while and abseiled off. Teams on Tower Scoop said it was equally wild there but most folk in the CIC hut didn't brave it outside at all. Slightly better tomorrow and less wind for the end of the week.

31st March 2003

Spring on Ben Nevis is great! A good frost last night gave Marie and I great conditions on Tower Scoop and Good Friday Climb (both III). There were three teams on Point Five Gully (V,5) and it sounded like Goerge was having fun on Smiths Route (original - V,5) - these are perhaps the only two grade V climbs left in Scotland this winter! Tomorrow will be bad weather, we'll have to wait and see if it is cold enough to bring snow and maintain the last few climbs, or rain and wash it all away!

29th March 2003
Fresh snow has been falling on the hills today as promissed and with summit temperatures set to stay between -1 and -5 celcius over the next four days we should see the major routes refreezing and becoming climbable again. The lambing storms are as reliable as ever!

28th March 2003

This week in the Cairngorms the dry spell has continued apart from a little rain on Thursday morning. The skies were clear until Tuesday, so the frosty nights kept the ice good but the clouds then held the warmth in and started to melt things away. There are still a few climbs to do up to grade III including The Vent in Coire an Lochan which Sam and Lysiane climbed on Wednesday. On Ben Nevis Jonny and Alan have been backing off Green Gully, Hadrians Wall Direct and Point Five Gully was only just climbable on mushy snow all the way! Good effort Jonny! So there are now holes in the above routes but Tower Scoop, Glovers Chimney and some lines around the Cascades are still OK. Tomorrow will see the temperature drop by the end of the day and the possibility of a little fresh snow. The pressure is rising again next week so hopefully we'll be back to frosty nights and sunny days. At least we can't complain about the weather!

22nd March 2003
Two dry but cloudy days have had little change on the climbing conditions - plenty of ice climbs on Ben Nevis in good condition up to grade V, fairly dry buttresses and firm snow. The forecast for next week says high pressure will build again maintaining the dry spell and the ice for another week at least. We usually get a fall of snow in the spring as well so there's every chance we'll still be climbing the ice for a few more weeks.

20th March 2003

It was cloudy and wet this morning as a cold front drifted over, leaving a little wet snow on the summit of Ben Nevis, but it cleared to give a nice day. There were teams out on Indicator Wall, White Line (III) and Number 2 Gully Buttress amongst other things. We enjoyed a great spring conditions ascent of Ledge Route. Cloudy tomorrow but still quite nice and good for the weekend with plenty of winter climbing to have a bash at.

19th March 2003

My suncream is running low! Lloyd, Tony, Mike, Jonathan and I were practicing constructing snow anchors and holding falls with dynamic belays on grade I ground today, soaking up the sunshine and watching the heather fires creep across the hills. There is a lot of controlled burning going on just now to keep the heather down. The Twins on Aonach Mor and the ice climbs left of Easy Gully are still OK but not much else. Ben Nevis is best!

18th March 2003

No change in the weather, hot sunshine, freezing in the shade and overnight. The post face of Creag Meagaidh is falling down as it gets the sun but the inner coire is holding out better. Aonach Mor is a similar story but routes on Ben Nevis are more shady and are doing better. The high pressure will stay with us for a few more days yet.

16th March 2003

Green Gully (IV,3) was in great shape today, easy climbing on neve but not good for ice screws. Parties were out on Diana, Quickstep and the first half of Two Step Corner. Indicator Wall was also climbed today. The ice is building, there is life left in this winter after all and more good weather to come.

15th March 2003

To avoid the crowds on Curved Ridge Matt, Martin and I climbed D Gully Buttress on Buachaille Etive Mor today. There was a team on Agag's Groove (V Diff) which was dry but perhaps a little cold on the fingers in the shade. There was a temperature inversion today but in the shade it is still cold enough for the snow to stay firm.

14th March 2003

Another perfect weather day on Aonach Mor, and lots of people about. We had a go at White Shark (IV,4) but decided the crux was too soft and chossy in the full glare of the sun so we finished up Aquafresh which gave a paricularly exciting exit through the cornice! The good high pressure weather will stay with us for the next four days at least.

13th March 2003

A very cold night and a sunny day today, everyone was up enjoying the climbs on Ben Nevis. Donald, Patrick and Eddie found the first pitch of Green Gully (IV,4) to be fairly cruddy and protectionless but climbed it anyway, as did Andy on Smiths Route (V,5) who said you wouldn't want to fall off it! Again, cruddy snow on thin ice was to blame. Dave, Jim and Garth were on Hadrians Wall Direct (V,5) and Alan was on Point Five Gully (V,5) which was good if a little chopped up in the chimney. Matt and Martin led themselves up North Gully and The first step of Two Step Corner looks OK as well, so things are getting better. In Glen Coe the buttresses are bare and only the Grade I and II gullies have snow in, Creag Meagaidh still has some ice on the Post Face.

12th March 2003

A great, sunny, high pressure day as promised today. There were many teams out on Aonach Mor enjoying the crispy snow (it was -2celcius in the shade), Dave, Jim and Garth were on White Shark (IV,4) and The Slever (III,4). Jet Stream, Tunnel Vision, The Twins etc all looked good but there was no riming on the rocks. On Aonach Beag N Face Black Out (IV,5) and Kings Ransom (VI,6) are the only options apart from the good looking long grade II's and III's further left. On Ben Nevis Point Five Gully (V,5) was climbed today, Hadrians Wall Direct (V,5) had boot prints up it and Dave climbed Italian Climb (III) although there must have been some rock climbing involved! Good weather through the weekend, cold nights and sunny days, enjoy it while it hangs in there!

11th March 2003
Yesterday was about as bad as Sunday but it did cool down during the day and there were some heavy hail and sleet showers in the afternoon. Today the showers put wet snow down to 800m and cleared to give a nice afternoon. The snowpack was not frozen at all on Aonach Mor at 1200m but with cold clear nights forecast for the rest of the week it should freeze solid again.

9th March 2003
Today was disgusting! Wet, warm and very windy. Tomorrow will be even more windy (90mph gusts) but getting slightly cooler with snow on the summits. After this depression tracks over Scotland it will bring N winds down on us by Tuesday and high pressure will be on us by Wednesday or Thursday. These are the storms we needed in February, better late than never!

8th March 2003

A nice morning, the temperature had dropped enough last night to stabilize the snow and form some ice. As the day went on, though, it warmed up making the deep snow on Tower Ridge wet and sticky and heavy going. Clare and Graham walked up it even so! There was a team in Point Five Gully which looked banked out but possibly not well consolidated. Tomorrow will be a disgusting day, according to the avalanche forecast - category 4, heavy rain and 50mph winds gusting to 80mph! At least it will be cooling down during the day.

7th March 2003

More snowfall but less wind and slightly warmer today, the snow falling to 900m. Simon, Mark and I enjoyed an adventure on North Trident Buttress (III) - we found a IV,5 mixed pitch and no way around the final tower. Going by the slings many other people had done the same! An abseil into Moonlight Gully got us around the problem and just added to the mountaineering feel of the day. A thaw tomorrow night will settle this new snow when it refreezes and it'll be very windy on Sunday and Monday.

6th March 2003

Snowfall down to 700m and very strong SW winds were loading the slopes on the E face of Aonach Mor today and the avalanche hazard got higher as the day went on. The same conditions will continue into tomorrow which is forecast to be category 4. After Simon led the crux bulge of Right Twin (II) we carried on up Siamese Buttress (II) avoiding the large avalanche that came rumbling down Forgotten Twin. It's been an exciting week, we're going to stick to a ridge climb tomorrow!

5th March 2003

It cooled down during today and was just +0.8celcius on Buachaille Etive Mor at 3pm. There were some hail and sleet showers but it was a nice day and the rock on Curved Ridge was completely clear of snow. Simon and Andy enjoyed the spring like conditions and treated it as a rock scramble, leading themselves up it. On Tower Ridge, Donald and Tim found good snow and conditions and completed the ridge in 3.5 hours! Snow is forecast over the next couple of days and the freezing level will be around the tops. It looks like we're in for a mild and windy weekend.

4th March 2003

A big wet thaw set in early last night, taking away much of the fresh snow before morning. What was left was sliding off as it got heavier due to the rain and +5celcius on the summits. Donald went up Central Buttress Ordinary Route (IV,4) on Stob Coire nan Lochan and Rob went up Morwind (III,4) on Aonach Mor. There was an avalanche in Left Twin which didn't harm the people climbing it thankfully! With the temperature dropping slightly over the next couple of days (snow down to 750m) high gullies will start to refreeze.

3rd March 2003

A nice day today, freezing on top of Ben Nevis but not very far down it. The base of Garadh Gully was dripping but above the Garadh in Glovers Chimney it was frozen and dry. Some good avalanches came down from around about The Cascade area and the new snow was up to 20cm deep in places. The first few pitches of The White Line were climbed and the major gullies above 1000m are still good. A thaw tomorrow will make some nice avalanche conditions.

2nd March 2003

About 15cm of fresh snow has been deposited on the N face of Buachaille Etive Mor above 800m over the last two days. It was only just freezing on the summit so the buttresses are not rimed up but there is plenty of snow on the ledges and the gullies will be grateful for avery last snowflake! We saw avalanche activity on the exit slopes of Curved Ridge but this didn't slow down Ricky and Richard who led their way to the top. Nice weather again tomorrow with some more snow showers.

1st March 2003

After a thaw of a few days that has reduced the size of the snow patches quite markedly we had some wet snow down to 800m last night and today. The gullies high on Ben Nevis and Aonach Mor are holding out well. More snow showers are forecast for tomorrow.