Cha No advice

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 euan maharg 25 Feb 2022

Advice on Cha No conditions please!

Looking to go for some easier routes up to IV on Cha No - sunday. I'm an experienced winter climber but never been to Cha No. I'm taking someone less experienced so keen to get your opinion on Cho No conditions when NE aspects are 'considerable' on SAIS. 

Plan B - play safe around in sneachda...

Cheers,

Euan

 John Lyall 25 Feb 2022
In reply to euan maharg: Hi Euan, cornices can be large and problematic and the descent of Recovery Gully can be threatened by these and fill with windslab. However, lots of lines can be approached by abseil; the most popular being down Anvil Gully, but others are good once located. 50m ropes are adequate to descend all the crags if your anchor is near the edge.

Take care below the crags, as several areas are prone to build up of windslab, but it is certainly possible to climb safely there with a bit of careful planning.

Cheers,

John

OP euan maharg 26 Feb 2022
In reply to John Lyall:

Hi John, thanks a lot for the info! This has helped me decide on a few things.

I suspect from what you said and recent conditions, a corniced crag is highly likely and if the the crag apron is substantial enough it will also be slabby. I'll see what reports and forecasts say today...

Also, my friends Tom and Louis said they had a great time with you! Glad they got some winter action amongst the thaws.

Thanks again- much appreciated!

Euan

 DaveHK 26 Feb 2022
In reply to John Lyall:

> Take care below the crags, as several areas are prone to build up of windslab, but it is certainly possible to climb safely there with a bit of careful planning.

I'll just emphasise this piece of good advice. The terrain under the crags is quite complex. There can be very localised instabilities and the consequences of a slide could be very, very serious. Take time to locate the right abseil to minimise moving around under the crag if there is a lot of windslab.

 John Lyall 26 Feb 2022
In reply to euan maharg:

Cheers Euan, I really enjoyed my days with Tom and Louis, especially the day on The Ben.

I hope you get a good safe day out, as this seems to be a tricky time to get safe conditions out of the wind.

 John Lyall 26 Feb 2022
In reply to DaveHK:

Agree with your more detailed description.

 Duncan Beard 09 Mar 2022
In reply to euan maharg:

I'd also add that if a serious storm blows in while you are there & you decide it's safer to go down into Strath Nethy than back across the plateau, as we did, make sure you take a bearing into the valley. We just descended blindly 'straight down' & somehow ended up in the southern, top end, of the valley! It took many hours to walk out to Glenmore Lodge as the path was covered & the terrain very rough. We should have kept to the West side of the river until at the bottom of the enormous gully that curves up through a notch in the hillside & followed that.


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