Nottingham Uni MC Winter Weekend 2019

Another great Cairngorm snow-hole expedition with Stuart and Dave.

 

The forecast for later in the week were for the winds to increase to storm force as winter returns.
With more manageable westerly winds of less than 80 mph and an overnight freeze forecast for Monday night, Stuart, Dave and myself headed up Cairngorm for our planned snow-hole expedition.

As we battled the up the hill I was surprised how much snow loss there had been from the previous day and concerned that we might have an uncomfortable night in a collapsed dripping snow-hole!

Thankfully we arrived just in time to claim and remodel our snow cave for the night.

As the temperatures dropped and the snow firmed up the guys sculptured a lovely line of steps to lessen the discomforts and hazards of going for a night time call of nature without crampons, it worked well!!

There were a couple of other teams up for the night but once inside our dry icy frozen shelter it felt like we had the whole mountain to ourselves and we enjoyed a very comfortable night.

Today after breakfast we headed up to Cairngorm's gusty summit before heading back down, taking great care not to slip on any hard snow and water ice!

On our last day we avoided the 90 mph plus winds and had a more relaxed instructional day looking at micro navigation.

The good news is that winter returns over the next day or so and just in the nick of time!

Weekend and five day Winter Skills Expedition

Despite the mild temperature we had a fun weekend of winter skills with Annie, John, Craig, Stuart and Dave looking at ice axe and crampon use, navigation, avalanche awareness, emergency snow shelters and basic winter rope-work and belays. 

It's a lot to take in during a weekend and really only give a taster of winter so Stuart and Dave are staying on until Wednesday for the snow-hole expedition and to consolidate their winter skills and micro-navigation.

Easter Alpine Mountaineering Climbing Skills!

Due to popular demand we're running an Easter Alpine Mountaineering course which will cover everything from easy winter climbing through to summer rock climbing and expedition skills such as bivying and snow holing. Provisional dates are 26-30 March 2016 but other dates are possible, so please get in touch if this is of interest.

Winter is definitely here for 2016!

A day with the Hindleap Warren Outdoor Centre's instructors looking at winter skills and the first Winter Skills course of 2016. 
The good news is winter is definitely here in the Cairngorms with whiteout conditions and driving snow on the plateau requiring ski goggles and good navigation skills. 
There's also deep drifts and cornices in sheltered areas and large areas of icy wind scoured snow on exposed aspects requiring the use of crampons from 700 metres upwards and snow deep drifts filling in the Cairngorm Mountain ski area.

Quite a nice day and great conditions for Winter Skills!

 

 

For a change the weather was much better than expected and we hardly noticed the wind or any snow showers, the light was a bit flat and corniced edges difficult to pick out, but for once the goggles remained in the sack all day and we remained completely dry!

Kris was up with his dad Julian, brother Luke and friends for some winter climbing, winter walking, skiing and by the sound of it some whiskey sampling!

The original plan was for Kris to go climbing in Jacob's Ladder, while Luke and Julian joined, Jacqueline, Andrew,Lisa and myself for a few days of Winter Skills training.

However with the huge snow and cornice buildup in Coire an t-Sneachda, I hinted that  it wasn't such a good idea and suggested he should tag along with us to check out some alternative venues!

We all had fun with the ice axe braking 'skeleton comp' before digging an avalanche pit and emergency snow shelters for lunch.

Later in the afternoon we headed up over the ridge into Coire na Ciste to look for some wind scoured snow to practise step kicking and cutting and it was only on the crest of the ridge that we actually noticed the wind.

A much better day tomorrow too!!!

Spring snow and winter skills...

An interesting day of Winter Skills with Stephen, Stewart and Andy once we all  finally met up in the same place!

The trio had booked me for a days private instruction when they realised that a backbacking trip to bivvy on Ben MacDui in mid-winter was not such a good idea, without some previous winter experience and basic winter skills training. 

They'd  hired ice axes, crampons, avalanche beacons and a GPS but were in need of some sound advice on their planned backpacking trip! 

We chatted about weather, avalanches, clothing and equipment and practised how to use the ice axes and crampons - as for the avalanche beacons and the GPS, my lips are sealed!!! 

Everyone learned a lot, including me, and we finished the day climbing up onto the plateau on the firm spring snow before heading back via the Coire Cas Ridge.

Despite some stern advice, the guys had fun and have promised to return with some lighter packs, for some more advanced instruction, before they tackle Mt Everest... ;-)

Plenty of spring snow in the coires with the easy gullies being fairly popular. 

A few of the snowier and icier mixed routes were being climbed although the milder temperatures and the climbers were stripping off any thin ice on the buttresses...