Well here it is folks, the first winter conditions report of the season, may it be a long and icy one!!!!
Conditions started last week, with the usual early season routes in The northern corries getting climbed. Routes above gd IV on the more solid buttresses, Mess of Pottage and Fiacaille Buttress.
I was in yesterday and the high winds seemed to have blown the cold snow off most of the crags leaving them quite black. The only place wintery enough was the Fiacaille. Parties climbed The seam, Slaterless, Smokestack Lightning and Fiacaille butress Direct. A team on Fiacaille couloir backed off under the Chockstone, more build up needed to get over it. In Lochain Savage slit and Fallout corner were climbed on Sunday in a gale, with the team returning yesterday to reclaim a stuck rope!
Today is wild again up the hill, with temperatures rising up to 4 degrees this afternoon. The crags will be back to black, but at least it will help to consolidate some of the very deep snow drifts on Eastern aspects. Going cold again tomorrow with some rain/snow which might be enough to rime the crags again, but things will remain fairly marginal until after some more wild weather on friday.
Pictures on my blog:
http://stewartmountainskills.blogspot.co.uk/
On the plus side there are no bears to attack you on the way in! Happy healing Greg!