Clear skies and a overnight frost meant fantastic snow ice conditions in the corries. Cramponning up Coire an Lochain's approach slopes was a joy and we had the place almost to ourselves.
The only two other climbers in the coire were Mark B and Al who headed up the Vent and the top of Milky Way while we headed up Y-Gully Right. There was good neve and ice on the steeps in Y-Gully and in the Vent which would take ice screws.
I underestimated the cornice in Y-Gully and spent some anxious moments hacking through the sun softened overhang while we moved together with runners...!
We had an early lunch on the sunny snowy plateau and videoed Mark and Al ;-)
Later we descended into Coire an t-Sneachda grateful of the crampons and climbed back up a still icy Central LH Gully and onto a nice dry Pygmy Ridge. A couple of climbers were in the Runnel which had good neve and ice in the chimney.
The snow surface was just starting to soften by late afternoon which provided just about enough grip for some skiers and boarders to descend half a gully and later Aladdin's Couloir. Climbing and ski descent videos later... See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdcSJvxdMBE for Coire an Lochain climbing conditions and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7ZLQP8WGlk for off piste skiers in Coire an t-Sneachda.
More info and Easter bunnies on Fi's blog at http://www.marmotte.co.uk/blog/2009/04/coire-lochain-and-coire-t-sneachda.html
The only two other climbers in the coire were Mark B and Al who headed up the Vent and the top of Milky Way while we headed up Y-Gully Right. There was good neve and ice on the steeps in Y-Gully and in the Vent which would take ice screws.
I underestimated the cornice in Y-Gully and spent some anxious moments hacking through the sun softened overhang while we moved together with runners...!
We had an early lunch on the sunny snowy plateau and videoed Mark and Al ;-)
Later we descended into Coire an t-Sneachda grateful of the crampons and climbed back up a still icy Central LH Gully and onto a nice dry Pygmy Ridge. A couple of climbers were in the Runnel which had good neve and ice in the chimney.
The snow surface was just starting to soften by late afternoon which provided just about enough grip for some skiers and boarders to descend half a gully and later Aladdin's Couloir. Climbing and ski descent videos later... See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdcSJvxdMBE for Coire an Lochain climbing conditions and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7ZLQP8WGlk for off piste skiers in Coire an t-Sneachda.
More info and Easter bunnies on Fi's blog at http://www.marmotte.co.uk/blog/2009/04/coire-lochain-and-coire-t-sneachda.html
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