Woke to a foot of snow this morning

Over a foot of snow outside the cottages this morning. It is much much deeper where drifted and many of the Highland roads are blocked.
EVENING UPDATE
A lot of digging, fitting snow chains and then driving only 12 miles in over an hour to reach Aviemore passing several stuck lorries.
I met the guys and we then headed off to a low level crag in the sheltered of trees. We looked at rock belays and alpine ropework while being avalanched by snow from the trees above - everyone enjoyed it too!!
Later I was again snowed out of the Slochd Cottages and stayed in Aviemore. This evening the Glasgow to Inverness train got stuck near Carrbridge Slochd. A few months ago another train was derailed at at Carrbridge due to snow and ice. Also in the nineties I helped the train driver try to dig out the train in a blizzard after it ploughed into avalanche debris caused by a collapsed cornice in the cutting....!
See the BBC News at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/8598142.stm

What a difference a day makes - part 2

Wild and snowy today but good fun with goggles if wrapped up!
The ski road was closed so we hiked up and had a good day looking at snow belays and winter ropework. The old snow has now refrozen down to 400 metres and many areas are wind scoured. As expected large drift of wind slab are forming on sheltered areas with shooting cracks appearing when walked on. Despite some deep drifts at around 500-600 metres the snow was very powdery and easy to plough through. The main walking hazard was avoiding the now buried holes in the old snow, boulders and the drainage channels underneath. We decided not to venture too far up the mountain today!!!

What a difference a day makes!

In complete contrast to yesterday we had perfect alpine like conditions with very little wind, lots of sun and hard frozen snow.
The forecast for the next few days looked fairly grim with strong winds and snow so we decided to learn all about ropework and belays while climbing the crest of Fiacail Ridge onto the plateau. Snow and weather condition were near perfect for teaching climbing although a few pockets of fresh slab required extra care.
We returned via the Corrie rim and the Cas Ridge on a mix of rimed sastruga, neve and firm slab. As expected the west facing slopes had been scoured and rimed while the south east facing aspects were slabby.
We chatted to quite a few of the local climbers and guides and it sounded as though most of the easy to mid grade routes in the NC's were in superb climbing condition.

Climbing conditions will change dramatically over the next few days with the forecast of heavy snow and change in wind direction. The avalanche forecast for tomorrow is high on S throught to NW aspects. See the Cairngorm avalanche forecast

Heavy sleet and snow

No pictures today as I didn't have my waterproof camera and any photo's would have white anyway!! With heavy rain, sleet and snow for most of the day we navigated into Coire an t-Sneachda to look at avalanche assessment and snow hole construction. The freezing level was over 900 metres and the whiteout conditions provided a good navigational challenge to locate our prospective snow shelter site. On sheltered SE aspects cornices were forming and any fresh slab cracking and sliding easily off the old refrozen snow surface below. When we returned to the Coire Cas carpark at around 16.30 hrs it was staring to snowing heavily on the road. The forecast for for tomorrow sounds cold and clear but thereafter it's to continue very cold with blizzards and lots more snow to low levels!!!

A bright but windy day

The end and start of a new MOD course and the start of another Talisman Winter Skills and Winter Mountaineering course.
It was a pleasant and fairly sunny day, though windy where exposed.
We headed up from the Ciste carpark passing the Lodge MR team out practicing and skiers descending from the Ciste Gully and from Coire Laogh Mor.
The snow surface was of soft spring snow until above about 850-900 metres level and was ideal for skiing and ice axe braking.

After a very pleasant sheltered lunch stop overlooking the Strath Nethy we found some steep banks of snow to climb up. Some more ice axe and crampon work before we headed across to Coire Laogh Beag and then Laogh Mor and then back to the cars.

Great snow buildup and good climbing conditions forecast

Over the past week Fi's been over in the west and on 'Meggy' doing some adventurous training with Winchester College CCF. Photos and full details here
Also in the Cairngorms during the same period Danny G and Andy W have been working for me on our HMBT adventurous training contract for the MOD. More details and photos on Danny's blog and Andy's blog.
With the fantastic snow build-up and the weather forecast for lowering of temps over the next few days the climbing conditions on the easy to mid grades should be excellent over Easter in the Cairngorms. Currently the buttresses are black but the gullies are well filled and some of the popular ice climbs still very short and fat!!!
If you are interested in some late season training or action we still have one place available on our 27th to 31st March 2010 Winter Mountaineering course at the 2007 price of £375 (It's £450 after April) - if not enjoy...

A couple of places are still free on the Easter 3 day Winter Skills course.

MWIS Planning Outlook: All mountain areas of Britain from Sunday, 28th March, 2010
Snow showers, mainly across Scotland on Sunday. A deep low will cross England on Monday and Tuesday bringing widespread gales across upland Britain (these persisting until mid-week), and from about southern Scotland southwards a substantial dump of snow (to in some areas a very low level).
Snow showers in northerly winds will then through the week be focussed on northern and eastern Scotland. The cold conditions are very likely to be maintained throughout Easter...

Strong southerlies and icy spindrift

In contrast to Monday it was bright and clear as we walked into Coire an Lochain on the lovely firm pavement of snow.

The coire was absolutely stunning with some good ice and only a few climbers out and about.

At the frozen lochain we had a bit of crampon and daggering practise on the hard icy snow slope near the buried twin burns. Then a quick lunch before climbing face on into strong southerly gales and painful spindrift!

By 12.30- 1.00 pm the cloud had dropped giving good whiteout conditions on the plateau for our quick descent aided by the wind into Lurchers gully!

Wet and windy morning but great afternoon

It was very wet and windy this morning as we headed into Coire an t-Sneachda. The stream of climbers heading back out as we battled our way in didn't inspire confidence of the weather improving as had been mentioned in the weather forecast!

Fortunately around lunch time the winds dropped and the clouds lifted to reveal a blue sky and sunshine.

We only so a few folk climbing on the Runnel and on Goat Track gully despite good snow, ice and afternoon weather conditions.

We had a quick hour or two looking at basic winter skills on the flat ice before heading up to the col on Fiacaill Ridge. The orginal plan was to descend back down the ridge as we hit the SW gales but with the sun shining and the winds dropping we decided to head on up Fiacail Ridge and onto the plateau.

Pete and the two Steve's did really well despite Steve saying he didn't like heights, wind or exposure!

The plateau was stunning with complete cover as far as the eye could see and not a sole in sight!!!

This blog has moved

This blog is now located at http://talisman-activities.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://talisman-activities.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Yet another snowhole expedition!

There's been a continuous thaw at lower levels making the approach wade to our snowhole site near Braeriach tiring and wet without snowshoes or skis. It was also forecast to be very windy (gusting to 75 MPH) and with an overnight FL of 1200 metres!
Fortunately despite the snowholes being situated at under 800 metres they remained sheltered, well frozen and dry overnight so everyone had a relatively comfortable night...! Yesterday despite the thaw the ski and ice climbing conditions looked OK from mid mountain upwards though some of the large icefalls in the Lairig Ghru were showing evidence of ice and rock collapse and the crags were looking blacker this morning.
Photos and video later...

Ropework today

A very wet start before becoming bright and showery. We spent the day looking at basic ropework and snow belays.

We're away on another snowhole expedition tomorrow...

Fi's updated her blog from last weeks adveturous training courses here.

Whiteout and windy on the plateau

We headed into Coire an t-Sneachda to practise crampon work up the Goat Track and micro navigation to the Domhain snowholes on the plateau for lunch. Strong gusty winds provided an additional challenge as we headed up the steep coire headwall.

We saw quite a few large groups of climbers in the coire but on the plateau we only actually saw three other people as they topped out from the climbs!

It was snowing quite heavily at plateau level today but raining down at the carpark. There's spring snow below 800 metres and crusty rimed snow above 900 metres. Climbing conditions were described as still quite good on popular climbs that had been dug out...

Milder with spring snow

The weather has been a lot milder recently with a slow thaw on the lower hills and spring snow for ski touring. Higher on Cairngorm the snow cover is still excellent and the cliffs still completely white. Today was the first day of another winter skills/mountaineering course and conditions were great for ice axe braking and digging emergency snow shelters. We looked at step kicking, footwork and balance while climbing up through the jumble of sagging, creeping cornices and avoiding falling into the numerous crevasses!

Firmer snow

Good sunny weather with harder snow until today (Thursday) After a few melt freeze cycles the climbing conditions have become good but to the detriment of the off-piste powder skiing conditions. Still good on piste but with teeth clattering off...!

Sunny snowhole expedition

A good two days snowholing in the Lairig Ghru with Steven, Tamsin and Adrian.
A tiring walk in on Sunday trail breaking through the deep soft snow but by the evening the skies cleared and the snow firmed up overnight. Today it was blue skies, sun block, shades and easy walking on the firm snow surface until the snow started to soften around midday. YouTube snowhole video later! See Tamsin's trip blog here

Still plenty of snow but milder recently

The past few days have been milder with the snow gently thawing below 900 metres. Colder and clearer weather returned this afternoon and this should firm up the snowpack. Despite the milder weather and drizzle at low levels the mountain crags are still very white. The forecast for next week is for calm sunny days and frosty nights. Today we were looking at winter belays and ropework and tomorrow we're off on an overnight snowhole expedition...

See Tamsin's expedition trip reports blog here

HD Ski video!

The full sized HD version of the above YouTube ski video from the 3rd and 4th March can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RhFvmIRXvU

If you ski at Cairngorm then click here for the 'Save the Ciste' chairlift campaign website - please sign...

Another great ski day!

Another good ski day up until early afternoon when the forecast front moved in bringing poor vis and light snow flurries. Despite the limited lower uplift this morning the queues in the Ciste were OK with great skiing on the Ciste gullies, East Wall's (west facing).

After lunch we put the skins on and headed up to Cairngorms summit before some great off piste skiing down the back and beyond. As promised to Fi we then headed over to 'Windy Col' by the side of the Mess of Pottage to find some completely virgin powder slopes just below the cornices - not sure if she actualy realised where I meant!

There were sign of old avalanche debris from the collapse of the large overhung cornices just to the left of Opening Break on the Mess of Pottage. Otherwise the slopes appeared OK and the cornice collapse hadn't actualy triggered the lower slopes.

A quick slide in through the small cornice and a few test jumps and off we went - skiing! Fantastic powder skiing though the flat light and gusty winds (windy Col!) meant we didn't see or video as much as we hoped for...

At the moment the west facing slopes in Coire an t-Sneachda are a skiers paradise but a climbers hell! More details on Fi's blog here. See the latest YouTube skiing video below:

The HD version of the video can now be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RhFvmIRXvU

Another great ski day

Full details on Fi's blog here

I'll upload a video of the skiing down Coire Laogh Mor tomorrow once I replace the video clips I accidently deleted!

Video now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RhFvmIRXvU

A dynamite day at Cairngorm!

Literally a dynamite day as Cairngorm Mountain were blasting the slopes before opening the pistes to minimize the high avalanche risk! A lot of hard work and digging going on to get everything up and running safely. As there was still limited tickets and up uplift we skinned up under azure skies to Cairngorm's glittering summit cone.

The views across Scotland's snow clad summits were simply breathtaking as was our off piste freshy run back down the mountain. Lots of ski mountaineers out on the hill though we didn't see any climbers! See the full sized YouTube video above here