Major Updates to UKC Conditions Page

© UKC

In recent years the UKC Winter Conditions Page has generated a huge following, not only with people logging and registering their climbs, but also with those actively coming online to check what's been done. Earlier this year we introduced the Mountain Rock Conditions Page, which has been well received; however, recent developments have sought to intertwine each of the existing Conditions Pages, plus two new ones, into a single Conditions Homepage.

Up to date conditions info is not only provided by site users and UKC staff, but now also comes from the page's new sponsor Mountain Equipment, who have tapped into the invaluable local knowledge of their own partners Plas y Brenin and the Scottish Avalanche Information Service. We have sought to really up the ante for the 2017/18 season!

"The key to planning a successful day's climbing - whether in summer or winter - has always been an eclectic mix of experience, beta from mates, weather forecasts and if you're lucky enough, a bit of local knowledge or advice from the professsionals. The new all-in-one conditions page with its new comprehensive feed of daily weather and avalanche forecasts, conditions reports and live updates on recent ascents will bring all of those tools to everyone at the touch of a button. We and our partners are delighted to be involved."

Richard Talbot, Director of Product & Marketing - Mountain Equipment

As such, Alpine Climbing and a more customisable 'My Conditions' Page will join the ranks alongside the existing Winter Conditions and Mountain Rock Pages.

Alpine Conditions

Alpine Conditions Page  © UKC
Alpine conditions are always hard to judge, and it's always useful to know what's been done so that you've got an idea of both whether it's in condition and - perhaps just as importantly - whether there's some fresh tracks to the base of your route.

The Alpine Conditions Page runs year round, both summer and winter, and fits a broad criteria of >1000m altitude in either Trad, Alpine, Ice or Mixed routes throughout the following countries:

  • France
  • Italy
  • Austria
  • Switzerland
  • Germany
  • Liechtenstein
  • Slovenia

All of the above can then be filtered into specific areas, styles, or altitudes depending on what you're looking for.

Winter Conditions

Hoping for a vintage year of Scottish Winter ahead...  © Rob Greenwood - UKC
Hoping for a vintage year of Scottish Winter ahead...
© Rob Greenwood - UKC
The Winter Conditions Page already has a following, but we've tried to make it better than ever before. Not only do you have the recent ascents feed, but there are also links through all of the latest forecasts from Mountain Weather Information Service, Met Office Mountain Weather, the Scottish Avalanche Information Service, and - where appropriate - the BMC Turf Gauge. The areas covered are:

  • Glen Coe
  • Lochaber
  • Northern Cairngorms
  • Southern Cairngorms
  • Torridon
  • The Lakes
  • North Wales

A final improvement is the addition of Reports, which is a catch-all hash tag #ukcwinter on Twitter. This will be used within all relevant UKC Winter News Reports and also by instructors at Plas y Brenin, who are out in the Scottish mountains every day - rain or shine, snow or slush. As such, if you're out and about on the hill - get tweeting!

Mountain Rock Conditions

Mountain Rock Conditions Page

Mountain Rock Forecasts

Though the updates to the Mountain Rock Condition Page are unlikely to be of use or interest until next year, it'd be a shame not to tell you about them while we're on topic.

Mountain Rock Comments  © UKC
The baseline criteria for the Mountain Rock Conditions Page is 450m above sea level, throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland; however, this can be varied more precisely if you're after something more specific courtesy of the filter function. It is also possible to click on the notes from each ascent (as and when the notes have been included), as often these can tell you more about the route's condition than the fact it's on the list.

My Conditions

My Conditions Page Search  © UKC
My Conditions came about from the desire for a more specific set of parameters to be set so that it would be possible to gain an overview of either a crag or an area you are wishing to visit. An example we've used in the screenshots below is from someone wishing to visit the Dorset coast, but unsure as to exactly where to climb. From the report it becomes apparent that Blacknor and the Cuttings have had a great many ascents, all of which were reported as dry. Game on!

photo
Good conditions on Portland
© UKC

photo
Even better conditions at the Cove House Inn
© Rob Greenwood - UKC


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23 Nov, 2017
Great stuff, thanks.
23 Nov, 2017
Awesome stuff! Is there a chance that this data could be used for a sort of mountainproject-esque "when is this crag most popular" style plots? I always found them quite interesting/instructive when I was out there! Also serves as a sort of traffic warning..
23 Nov, 2017
That would complement these pages quite nicely, as this info (as good as it is) can lead to a bit of a feedback loop, where certain spots become more and more popular.
This is on the ToDo list for the next update to the crag page.
24 Nov, 2017
Any chance of a 'Euro Ice Destination Conditions' page? You know, to help out with all those tedious is Rjukan in, or whats the weather like in Cogne threads? I.e. the same as the UK winter one just with WI graded climbs for europe listed?
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