We had a good-value for money “winter mountaineering day” – we climbed a gully/face line on Meall Grabh near Killin – probably about grade II – turf and ice on the turn, making things a bit tasty with one-axe and our rack consisting of a rope and a sling!

We then walked along to Beinn nan Eachan along the narrow part of the Ptarmigan ridge. Definitely a thaw on, but plenty of slippy ice. Many folk out and most of them not wearing crampons, which was a bit worrying given unsafe run outs and icy steps. We found a good snow drift on the way down and dug a emergency snow shelter.

Mild conditions set to continue for the next few days!

L-R: Andrew climbing up Meall Garbh; Andrew posing; narrow bit of the Tarmachan ridge; emergency snow shelter.

Excellent day’s skiing at Glencoe  yesterday – good snow in the Main Basin and on the Spring Run and The Wall, but happy valley was wind-scoured and icy.

Flypaper was looking steep and avalanchy! Windy all day, but a wet. milder wind blowing in at the end of the day.

Forecast for warmer air this week coming – let’s hope the snow pack remains!

Both Andrew and I were on Beinn an Dothaidh yesterday.

.

Andrew took a party up West Gully, then on to the top than down. West Gully had fresh snow at the bottom, but bomb hard neve towards the top.

I was out climbing with David Small. We had a crack at “Beechgrove Garden”, but the turf wasn’t frozen, and it felt very insecure.

We then had a crack at “Stairway to Heaven” which felt altogether better – turf in much better condition and actual protection in places! There was bit of a traffic jam at the top so we ran away into West Gully, up and over and down to a short gully at the far NW edge of the corrie – very wind scoured but gave an excellent icy runnel, with well frozen ice and snow.

Lots of dripping ice in places around Taxus, but with these Northerly winds imagine it’ll be freezing up nicely a I type!

Doug and Bruce report good skiing up the road at Glencoe. Best wishes to “Avvy Ally” on a speedy revcovery.

It cold, it was windy, lost me glove!
Went up Ben Vorlich – not as fast as the fell runners that ran past me, shorts and thin hairy legs flapping in the breeze.

Most of the snow blown off, although crusty, nasty and awful where it remains.

Looking forward to Beinn an Dothaidh tomorrow.

Just looking over pictures from this time last year, and thinking how similar the weather patterns have been.

These two pictures of th 8th Jan 2006 in the Drumochter Hills – the Coire Creagach of Sgairneach Mhor on the left, and the south side of Ben Udlamain on the right – a clagged in day with wet snow.

]

There was a big thaw, and then the following week a sharp freeze – Coire Creagach of Sgairneach Mhor above on the 25th Jan 2006 – this gave lean but good climbing conditions

This January, we’ve had snow fall up until last week, and then a sharp thaw – picture above shows Geal Charn in Drumochter on the 13th January 2007…and the forecast for next week is cold again.

Seems this January’s weather conditions are pretty similar to last year’s. I wonder if that means we’re in for a good, late winter climbing and skiing like 2006?