Colder with snow on the tops

The weather's being pretty unsettled recently with some fresh snow on the tops...

I've just uploaded the video snow hole tour above filmed on the 1st April 2009. Most folk find it hard to believe how big some of the group expedition snow shelters can be in Scotland. If you can't see the YouTube video above try clicking the following link.
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8fFGKISVY4

Friday's 'Mix of Climbing' video

The 'Mix of Climbing' YouTube video from the 3rd April 2009 can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD8zM31HO4c A classic sunny spring day ice climbing and rock climbing in the Cairngorms. An early start and five routes climbed. The Runnel, Fingers Ridge, Aladdin's Couloir, Central Gully LH and Pygmy Ridge. With blue skies, good firm neve and ice in the gullies and lovely rough dry rock on the cliffs, condition were near perfect for summer and winter climbing! For more details and photos see http://www.talisman-activities.co.uk/blog/2009/04/sun-fun-rock-and-ice.html and http://www.marmotte.co.uk/blog/2009/04/mix-of-climbing-at-cairngorm.html

Sun, fun, rock and ice

We had a great day ice climbing and rock climbing in the sun. As a bonus we had Coire an t-Sneachda almost to ourselves, found lots of gear and only saw one other party climbing - a happy George Mc from the 'Lodge' sitting at the top of Pygmy Ridge with his client in the sun!

An early sunny start saw us climbing up a lovely icy Runnel, down the Goat Track, up Fingers Ridge, then down an icy Aladdin's Couloir, then on good neve up Central Gully and finally on and up a sunny Pygmy Ridge.

Lots more photos of me and more info on Fi's blog at http://www.marmotte.co.uk/blog/2009/04/mix-of-climbing-at-cairngorm.html

During the climbing I took lots of video clips which I'll put together into a short film and upload later.

Central Gully video

The YouTube video from can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvRHOrqll48

Another fun climbing day

A lot greyer and windier on the walk in than we expected though the skies soon cleared and the sun again shone - still a cold southerly wind though.

It was the last day of our Winter Mountaineering course so Sue and Fi joined Ken, Angus and myself for the climbing. We headed up to the Trident gully area on softish snow very wary of the big heavy cornice above Central gully...! The snow in Central Gully was a lot softer than the snow in Jacob's Ladder yesterday though still stable and pleasant to climb on.

We all headed up the gully in about four pitches avoiding big cornice by traversing right onto the rib at the top. More photos on Fi's blog at http://www.marmotte.co.uk/blog/2009/04/weather-wasnt-quite-blue-skies-and.html

After packing away the rope and lunch on the plateau we headed over to look at the impressive snow holes in Coire Domhain and the uniquely sculptured outside loo - more photos and videos later!