UKH

i am thinking of doing castle ridge tomorrow. sounds like the route will be ok but am a bit worried about the avalanche conditions. what's the likelyhood of it being ok to actually reach the ridge in safety?

In reply to Ste75: You are right to be worried by the approach! It entails being under the Castle Gullies for a sustained period of time. These gullies avalanche readily, sometimes right down to the Allt a'Mhuillin.

The ridge itself would be OK but not the approach. I certainly wouldn't go there tomorrow.

Mike

In reply to Mike Pescod:
ok thanks. do you have any suggestions? would curved ridge be ok or anything else on the ben? if not stob coirre nan lochan? thanks

In reply to Ste75:

I'm assuming this is THE Ste - pleae take advice and don't risk the avalanches!

In reply to alj: The one and only! Decided that castle ridge is not on the cards tomorrow, going to play it safe on aonach mor.

In reply to Ste75:

Ha Ha nice one.

Obviously another Aonach Mor that you don't approach down a grade 1 gully!

In reply to DaveHK:

Maybe he means the West face? Surely nobody would be daft enough to bail Castle Ridge then go the East side of Aonach Mor?

In reply to Jamie Bankhead:

Point taken. I always forget about those routes but I guess you're on them with clients regularly

In reply to DaveHK:

They have a certain something, although not in your preferred idiom..

In reply to Ste75:

I'm quite scared of asking this given the slagging match going on in the Glencoe thread, but I was thinking of Curved Ridge tomorrow. Anyone know what it's like in the current conditions. Guidebook says to be careful of avalanches around the Crowberry basin area, but if this is manageable it seems like the rest would be okay, would that be a fair assumption? The descent almost looks more worrying.
Sorry for the questions, but I've not been on Buchaille Etive Mor before. Also, it's a long way to drive up to not get anything done when I could just go climbing in the Peak instead, so could do with getting info (before anyone says "just go and find out for yourself!").

BYron

In reply to Byron Buck:

Sometimes its best to avoid the normal route (Coire na Tulaich) down Stob Dearg in winter. Have a swatch at the map to pick an alternative if need be.

In reply to Byron Buck: The top out on curved ridge has taken a few scalps including an MIC and his client 6 years ago, its a convex slope that has had metre deep slab avalanches. Sometimes avoidable by sticking to the ridge on the right. The Gully bounding the whole route on the right also regularly avalanches and spills out into the gearing-up area at the foot of the ridge.

In reply to Ste75:
cat 3 tmrw. sounds like castle ridge is a go-er!!

In reply to Ste75:

Eh?

In reply to Ste75: Curved Ridge is a good option. Crowberry Basin is an avalanche spot but you can sneek up hugging the left bank to keep out of trouble reasonably well. Also you're only there for a few minutes. The basin at the top is also avoidable on the right before heading up behind Crowberry Tower. I was up there today and it seemed OK - just don't go onto any open snow slopes or down Coire na Tullach.

Approaching Castle Ridge puts you under the Castle Gullies for about half an hour. Large natural avalanches can occur in a category 3 hazard. It's one of those tricky decisions you'll have to make yourself.

Mike