Blue sky day but wild and windy

It all looked very calm from the valley below but high up the winds were very strong with a lot of spindrift loading North and East aspects. Temperatures remained cold but the outlook for the weekend is for strong South-West winds with snow followed by rain tomorrow. Early next week unsettled but turning cold again...all pretty normal for the time of year!

Lucy mountaineering babe manages a smile as she braces against the spindrift.

Kathy

Conditions in the Cairngorms

Snow cover in the Cairngorms has improved over the last few days but a slight thaw has led to a breakable crust making walking conditions a little more arduous. Climbing conditions are looking good as more ice has developed and gully lines are still full of nice firm neve.

Shooting Cracks, Cross loading and interesting snow

You may have to enlarge the uppermost photo here ( Click the photo to enlarge!) to see the shooting cracks, these were occurring on NNE aspects as I traversed a slope. Further along, on North facing slopes I encountered cross loading, this is identified by subtle changes of colour in the snow where old damaged snow and fresher "newer" snow sometimes intermingle. East facing slopes shear easily where the new wind slab hardly bonds at all to the older layers. With this new snow fall one has to be ever alert to the changing snow pack! Interesting needles and surface hoar crystals lay buried in the snow, avalanches are bound to occur today if the snow continues to deepen and climbers inadvertently trigger them! Do take care approaching routes and climbing . Skiing conditions will be improving but today's flat light and wind blown snow made it quite unpleasant high on Cairngorm, but it's forecast to be much nicer weather soon. Down in the Glenmore forest there were many people out and about on their skinny skis and there were ice-skaters on Loch Morlich. The ice is only a couple of inches thick though so it may not last too long. I suppose when you see water marks half- way up the snow men who seem to have decided to populate the loch you will know it's time not to walk on the ice!

Jacob's Ladder

Jacob's ladder is anice gully climb in the Northern Corries of The Grampain Mountain Range which all us locals refer to as "The Cairngorms". Here are Mike and his 13 year old son Gregor climbing it. It was Gregor's first snow and ice climb and he climbed it with ease!

Climbing Fingers Ridge: Northern Cairngorms

Here is Ewan climbing on Fingers Ridge, which is a classic Cairngorm mixed climb. Last night we had a fresh dusting on snow on top of the well frozen old snow pack, the mixed climbing conditions are amazingly good, the turf is rock hard so sharp and good quality ice picks will get worn down really quickly. If Santa brought you new ones save them for when the ice is thicker! However, routes such as Goat Track gully, Red Gully, The Runnel are all in good condition although some loose boulders were being pushed off by the crowds!The Mirror Direct was also getting lots of attention although it looks a bit thin really. Any snow is rock hard so be careful on descents, as if you did slip or trip it will be quite hard to stop from sliding a long way. You should note that there are many exposed rocks which would bring you to a bone shattering STOP!
There were people walking and ice skating on Loch Morlich today.... but do take care out there, the water is freezing!

New Year continued; Iditarod, Dogs sleds and ice Skating

Mushers Neave and Stephen taking a dogs sled ride around Glenmore. They did this with Aviemore Musher John Stewart who is about to head off from Aviemore soon to take part in the world famous Canadian Challange 2009, where he hopes to complete his last qualifier to allow him to take part in the 1,150 mile Iditarod in Alaska. Meanwhile Kathy and I managed to catch the last rays of light after first footing by ice skated on a small frozen loch below one of the worlds greatest Scottish rock climbing crags, Cread Dubh. Skaiting on horizontal ice is an amazing change for both Kathy and I, as normally we spend our winters on vertical frozen terrain!

What an amazing day and wonderful start to 2009!

Happy New Year Newtonmore 2009

Well it's been an amazing day starting late last night with the Torch Light procession along Main Street, Newtonmore. Several hundred people turned out to say goodbye to the old and welcome the new year. The Firework display was outstanding on the windless starry night. Handshakes and kisses being the order of the new day! Neve, pictured above was up early and took the dogs out! Albert the bear who has featured previously on this blog after climbing the Old Man of Hoy earlier in 2008 celebrated the new year in the normal bearish Scottish style but was unable to drive his car home! The final photo shows Sandy and Henry enjoy some Stags Breath at the turn of midnight! More photos to follow ........