UKH

in the Scottish mountains, where would you go?

Where are the big snow-patches, people, please?

I'm guessing Coire Bhrocain, and the N sides of places like Braigh Riabhach, Aonach Beag (either one), the Ben, Mam Sodhail etc... but I don't want guesses, I want actual beta so I don't waste a walk-in.

All info G.R.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

Maybe give Scotland a miss and head for New Zealand, Argentina, Australia or even Lesotho?

In reply to Trangia:

You're missing the point Mr Billy.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

Climber's right hand side of Coire an Lochain in the Northern Corries still has quite a substantial snow patch, no pictures unfortunately but saw some folk skiing it on Wednesday. Bit of a nasty landing in scree if it all goes wrong mind!

In reply to CMcBain:

Thanks C.

On Australia, by the way--I've just been there; no snow. (So I'm really glad I didn't do anything rash like buy skiing insurance before going...)

In reply to Tim Chappell:

The ben is still holding plenty.

In reply to Cameron94:

Right... probably in steep, scary places? I suppose physics is against me if I want nicely-angled snow, because that will catch more sun--the best chance for stick-around snow is in the steep bits.

Quite likely with crevasse and undermining danger, too? Alan Kimber once told me that, in June, he'd seen gaps between the snow in Five Gully and the bed of Five Gully that were forty vertical feet deep. Not nice.

OK, Lesotho it is

In reply to Tim Chappell:

I think Aonach Mòr and Aonach Beag will have the most right now followed by Garbh Choire Mhòr of Bràigh Riabhach.

Do you know Al Todd? If so check out his facebook pics as he is up the Ben right now.

In reply to Saor Alba:

Thanks for the info.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

They reopened the lifts at Glencoe for the day on midsummers day as apparently there was still a lot of snow left. That was only 2 weeks ago so there should still be quite a bit there.
There's some details of how much snow there was here http://www.winterhighland.info/general/
The access chair operates in summer but you'll have to walk from there.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

Just down from the Ben earlier this afternoon. Tower Gully/ Observatory Gully are amazing for the time of year still with continuous, deep and wide snow cover right to the very foot of Tower ridge and giving 600 plus metres of descent. The only questionmark will be the traverse line linking the two gullies however there is certainly more there now especially lower down than there was in May 2013 or April 2012. No 3 gully is still complete with Coire na Ciste still with plenty to play on.

Over on Aonach Mor the Goose is still pretty decent although over the backs now look discontinuous when we looked over to it from Roy Bridge this evening. However I suspect A Cuill Coire between Aonach Mor and Beag will still have a great tremendous length of snow in it and has the advantage of a gondola to ease access. Finally there is still an unbelievably large snow patch in Coire Bhathaich of Carn na Caim NE of Drumochter lodge. Closer than anything equivalent in the Cairngorms and looking great in the evening sun earlier on.

It could be a long time before there will again be so much choice of where to ski in a July!

In reply to Al Todd:

Pec, Al--terrific. Quality beta.

This is a great opportunity. The only downside I can see is that I can't decide whether to score this as my tenth skiing trip for season 13-14, or my first skiing trip for season 14-15

In reply to Tim Chappell:

You must have just missed it in Oz, they had a 1m dump last week (Thredbo, I'm assuming), more than NZ's got so far

In reply to damowilk:

http://www.thredbo.com.au/mountain/

In reply to Tim Chappell:


They now have 102cm there now! And 129cm at Perisher! I was skiing on a measly 30cm-ish at Hutt today,and that's the best in Canterbury currently, that's just not right!

In reply to damowilk:

Blast and darn it. Next time I must plan my visiting prof-ship more carefully

In reply to Tim Chappell:

As above the patch on the west side of lochain in the northern corries is I think the best bet for the east, it goes all the way to the loch so you could invent a modern biathlon if you wanted to! You can put the skis on up high and traverse into it and get a couple of hundred metres of turns before you deploy the snorkel.
Hope this helps
James e

In reply to James Edwards:

Cheers, James.

In reply to James Edwards:

Did you see this from last year? Just as a warning, the second track isn't exactly "worksafe" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02xGhf21t1M&feature=youtu.be


Tim, a fair bit of Observatory Gully isn't too steep, but there are a lot of rocks embedded in the snow.

In reply to Tim Chappell:

I was over Aonach Mor & Aonach Beag a week ago. Huge snow patch in An Chul-Choire and some longish lines on the north side of Aonach Beag. I can send you some pictures if you want?