Father and son team Philip and Tom winter climbing day 2

23 Feb 2018 - Another bright sunny but bitterly cold day with plenty of hard icy snow in the Cairngorms.

Today ultra keen father and son team Philip and Tom and I headed into Coire an t-Sneachda which although busy compared to yesterdays venue (we saw no one all day!) was still relative quiet and easy to find a route without queuing.

It was calm as we set off but the winds increased just as we headed into the normally sheltered coire bowl though we were sheltered on the climb in Goat Track Gully until we hit the plateau!

We headed back and out of the wind at a surprisingly calm 'Windy Col which should be renamed 'Calm Col' in southerly winds' which gave us time to practise some more winter mountaineering / winter skills and John Wayne / Tina Turner technique, whoever he or she is!

On the way out from Coire an t-Sneachda the strong southerly winds had scoured the path down to hard neve and ice as we were blown all the way back to the Coire Cas carpark on a very icy path!

Facebook video from Tom and Philips climb in Goat Track Gully can be found at https://www.facebook.com/CairngormMountainGuides/videos/1236622869771591/

Private Guiding with Philip and Tom climbing day 1

22 Feb 2018 - A beautiful atmospheric cold day climbing in a remote part of the Cairngorms with returning clients Philip and Tom.

Just two years ago Tom at the age of 15 completed his first winter skills course and guided winter climb and has been keen to return ever since. Now two years later he is back and has grown into a strapping fit young man happy to carry all the  climbing kit and the rope :-)

Pity about the vicious winds which made everything really difficult and painful and made the climbing rope arc and pull like a kite but that's Scottish winter mountaneering for you!

See video at https://www.facebook.com/CairngormMountainGuides/videos/1235721849861693/

Family Winter Skills

A Cairngorm winter skills taster with Alex and the family, the kids loved it and are coming back next winter!

Cairngorm Club Winter Skills Day 2

Winter Skills day two, turned out a beautiful calm sunny day as we navigated in from Moy past Binnien Shuas and then up towards Creag Pitridh.

We found some excellent hard snow for practising ice axe arrests and later higher up good snow for step cutting and crampon practise.

We even managed to look at basic ropework and snowbelays as we headed back down.

Lots more photos on our face book album at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1231461573621054.1073741941.124310161002873&type=1&l=4a9bb144a9

Cairngorm Club Winter Skills Day 1

Winter Skills day one, a nice bright day of winter skills and navigation in the Monadhiath with the Cairngorm Club but still hard going on foot on the windward side though it would have been impossible on the lee side.

From the map we identified a small gorge around 700 metres that had collected huge drifts of snow and was perfect for digging avalanche pits, negotiating cornices and digging snow holes.

No one where we were but lots of skiers on the voie normale on the lee side of A'Chailleach which we used for descent at the end of the day to show how difficult wading through deep snow really is!

A good day for practising route choice, navigation, timing, avalanche risk and snow shelters but not so good for ice axe braking or crampon practise!

Lots more photos on our face book album at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1231461573621054.1073741941.124310161002873&type=1&l=4a9bb144a9

Sunny lead winter climbing instruction!

Day two Private Guiding with Richard and Carmen was a coaching and rope-work winter climbing day giving Richard the chance to lead as I pointed out the best belays and climbing techniques to use.

Given the stormy weather forecast and fresh snow up high this worked out really well as we were sheltered from the wind and in the sun for most of the day!

Day 2 video at https://www.facebook.com/CairngormMountainGuides/videos/1225743624192849/