Talisman Vimeo Videos

Wednesday 26 January 2011

Fresh snow and firming up nicely...


With the colder weather the well built-up snow pack is firming up nicely again and the fresh snow has provide some grip on the icy surface. The weather outlook for the next few days is also looking really promising too!
Fi was out with Alan again in Central gully and found firm snow and ice compared to yesterday. Full details here
I took a wander in this afternoon to check out conditions for Nottingham Uni and met Sandy A and Matt who'd found good ice on the Mirror Direct and nice climbing on Hidden Chimney.
I also met Pat yet again with Geoff who'd found good helpful mixed conditions on Stirling Bomber...
Another team had been over on Deep-cut Chimney on Hells Lum and had similar good conditions with reports of good ice on other routes.
Visibility improved around 15.30 hrs as I entered the corrie hoping for better viz and empty gullies! I got the viz as promised by the sat view and there's now a nice white covering of fresh snow and rime. Empty gullies were another matter and no doubt a few headtorch descents! Many areas were wind scoured but others had a thin covering of fresh that was easily avoided or kicked through on northerly aspects.
I also met Alan H who'd mentioned the Goat-track was well stepped with firm snow which I can confirm and then met some skiers and a boarder who'd decide against skiing a firmish Aladdin's Couloir after climbing it and had descended the bumpy Goat-track instead!
I checked out Spiral, Red and Goat-track gullies and these were good and icy lower down with a bit of rimed ice and mixed at the top before the rock solid stepped finishes onto the plateau - really solid and fun fun fun...

No comments: