In reply to CaelanB:
> 1) [roughly] what sort of wind speeds really start to have an effect on crag conditions? [I imagine wind direction also influences]
Not sure, but above about 40mph it's definitely noticable to me and reduces enjoyment. 60mph make things quite unpleasant. The less the better. Then there's the spindrift. It's usually either falling down the route, or getting blown back up it (usually to fall back down again).
> 2) If I want to climb on a north facing crag, in theory strong northerlies would strip the buttress of snow and strong southerlies would dump a tonne of snow on the crag. How do crosswinds affect a crag?
As you said, wind on the crag strips it. If there's fresh snow then getting on a windy route makes it a bit easier (less swimming). If you're in the lee of the hill then you're more like to get unstable snow, and more swimming. On windy days, perhaps get on the lee side and climb the buttresses (careful on the snow slopes above and below the crag).
Crosswinds crossload gullies, which can lead to more unstable snow and swimming. And deep powder makes your hands cold too. On days like these the buttresses are probably better.
> Currently I'd love to head up north west when I'm free which feels a bit of a risky move at the moment considering I'd be one of the first to do so. Thus it'd be good to try and build a picture of conditions over the next few days. Also if anyone has any news of conditions in the ullapool/applecross area let me know!
Check the logbook on here. I usually have a few options of routes on a crag on a particular day, so can choose the best one when we get there. Sometimes it pays to choose a crag with multiple aspects too, or several nearby crags with a short walk between them.
