Fiacaill Couloir is still in reasonable if thin ‘nick’. Various other routes on the gully walls require some imagination to be considered wintry!

Still a reasonable snow cover on the plateau. Today was spring-like ahead of the incoming cold wintry week ahead of us.

Thanks to these lads, Gerwyn Lloyd and Matt Sutton for downloading some rubbish from the CIC Hut today. The SMC are in the process of clearing up the site, but welcome any help they can get from us helpful climbers.

This is from a while back (13th Feb). Did anyone pick up a pair of DMM Flys and a pair of Kohla walking poles at the Lagangarbh car park in Glen Coe? Please contact me and I’ll reunite them with the owner. Thanks.

Hi Alan, I found an ice hammer on the bum slide in the Red Burn this afternoon. If you could mention it on your blog I’m sure we can make someones day!

Phil Ashby

Thanks Phil. An accurate description should be enough to find the rightful owner.

These pictures are a few days old.

Temperance Union Blues.

Fiacaill Couloir

Hi Alan
Just back from a few days in Aviemore and Aonach Mor; Fiacaill Couloir
in reasonable nick with the final chockstone a bit thin; Hell’s Lum a
busy bath and Temperance Union Blues in pretty reasonable condition.
Pick of exit from F/Couloir & 1st pitch of TUB attached. Great
conditions site…keep up the good work.
Cheers Craig

Thanks Craig, appreciated.

Received this morning from the CIC Hut by email, but I feel it may have related to yesterday. The ‘International Meet’ are out in force on the few winter routes left to climb in Britain. As usual these are on the west coast of Scotland:-))

Dear Alan

We climbed Indicator Wall and Tower Scoop both of which were in fine condition. Teams we’re climbing on Comb Gully Smiths Route Good Friday Climb. A team tried Point Five but retreated due to spindrift however the route looks complete. Psychedelic Wall looked very thin but looked like it was starting to form after todays weather. I’m waiting for an update on the Brenva Face – some of the BMC meet were checking it out.

Will provide further update tomorrow.

Gerwyn Lloyd and Matt Sutton

Next week looks set to BLAST winter back and some!

Cold Weather Coming for a week or so, starting at the weekend. It will not be settled, but it will produce plenty of snow on Scottish hills. Maybe more in the east.

Looking towards Stob Coire Sgreamhach, Glen Coe today. Thin but solid cover and the old snow was re-freezing quickly in the cold conditions.

View towards Stob Coire nan Lochan.

Diamond Buttress, Central Gully and Church Door Buttress on Bidean nam Bian.

View across Lost Valley Buttresses. There is more snow on them than is obvious from below.

Lost Valley Buttresses from below.

The view down Central Gully on Bidean. Certainly in good grade I/II shape today. Thanks to Tom Parkin for these photos.

News in from Ben Nevis today was good on Number Three Gully Buttress. One team backed off of Point Five Gully in the face of incessant spindrift.

Lots of rockfall and ice falling down around Fingers Ridge in Coire an t’Sneachda today. Thanks to Nick March for these photos.

View across Coire an t’Sneachda today.

Loch Avon basin today

Coire Leis today with ice on the Little Brenva Face.

Cooler weather looks set to arrive slowly. This will further harden and stabilise what is still left. Plenty of ice on the Little Brenva Face today and reports drifting in from Cairngorm report a decent day. Watch out for anyone above you knocking off rocks and ice.

The recent thaw was thankfully very slow, which has not led to a big stripping of higher routes. The very cold weather of two weeks ago did set in place a lot of ice, which has proved stubbornly stable in some places. It’s not great, but climbing is still possible and hopefully some wintry weather will start to re-establish more widespread conditions at lower level. A lot of ridges are stripped back badly just now, but hey, it’s only mid February and still a couple of months of winter (at least) to go, hopefully.