Storm Routes grade IV -Vi

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 Jackob 10 Mar 2019

Looking for advice on routes which would be good over the next week with the very windy weather thinking routes like crypt route ect.. thanks!

Removed User 10 Mar 2019
In reply to Jackob:

Depends on the wind direction to a large degree and thus the choice of crag.

In reply to Jackob:

Are you out with Gary?

Stuart

OP Jackob 10 Mar 2019
In reply to Stuart the postie:

Yeah mate 👍

In reply to Jackob:

If things were frozen, the Cobbler's usually my go to for windy, stormy weather. The Buachaille is another option, though approach and especially decent, can pose a certain amount of risk!

I'm hoping to get out Tuesday, read above.. 

Stuart

 Sophie G. 12 Mar 2019
In reply to Jackob:

When it's stormy--if you insist on going out at all--the thing to do is work out which direction the wind's coming from, then climb on something that is sheltered from it by something bigger in the way. E.g. the Douglas Boulder is sheltered by the Ben and Carn Mor Dearg from E through S to W. Or Glen Clova is sheltered from the NW to NE by the Mounth and Lochnagar. This tactic doesn't ever mean you won't get blasted *at all*, but it saves you from the worst. The downside is that, because you're not so high, you're likelier to find unsatisfactory ice (as we did yesterday).

Yesterday there was a southerly, so we climbed on Meall Dearg (the top not the Corbett), which is immediately north of Liathach and lower than it. We never got really blasted until the walkout back towards the Ling Hut, because that was the first time in the day we were walking S with no big hill breaking the wind in front of us.

Towards the end of the day we could see snow-plumes coming off the main ridge of Liathach, and while my partner was abseiling off I saw a big spindrift avalanche fall the full length of Bell's Buttress for a long, long time. My immediate thoughts were "Thank God I'm not on Bell's Buttress" and "Thank God we're abbing off the S side of Meall Dearg into Coire na Caime, not down the northern aspect".

 Sophie G. 12 Mar 2019

(One thing to watch out for when deploying this tactic, though: use it to find the *windward* aspect of a hill with a bigger sheltering hill in front of it. If you must climb in stormy conditions, don't climb on the lee aspect, especially not below a cornice. You might be sheltered, but you're also right in the way of an avalanche threat. Watch out for this particularly at Aonach Mor, for instance.)

Post edited at 16:20

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...