Lots of fresh snow today and strong winds- not a day to be in the mountains. Today we spent the day looking at avalanche assesment and using snow belays in a mountaineering context and also short-roping on snow.

No photos from today, but Mark Diggins from SAIS walked past and took some photos which may appear on his blog.

Oh – and I didn’t drop anything today.

In Corie an t’Snechda again today looking at teaching lead climibng in the areas around the Fiacall buttress. Later, we looked at teaching good crampon footwork.

In keeping with the theme for the week, I dropped my ice hammer today. Yesterday it was the clipper leash, to day the axe the leash clips to. Oh dear.

A nice morning started to get windy by early afternoon, lots of wind blown snow, and some snow falling.

Definitely colder in the corries today, turf well frozen in places, and ice here and there – hard old snow, covered with wind slab on easterly aspects.

Much snow forecast for tomorrow through Friday – SAIS have issued a high 4 for tomorrow.

No pics today – was too busy and it got too gnarly later on.

We climbed the Runnel to look at personal climbing and guiding student up routes.
The snow had frozen well, and gave an excellent wee climb with some ice in the narrows.

An eventful climb – I dropped a clipper leash, we had a death soloist above us and George kept us entertained singing ” Mr Scruff

Spent the day today looking at snow skills: boot placements, using the axe, self-belay, self-arrest and also at snow belays.

Mild but mostly dry day today, snow pack was wet and homogeneous today – spring snow basically.

Colder day forecast for tomorrow, then wild for the end of the week.

(Top – Ian “leading” a snow climb in coire cas; Above: L Looking NW, R placing a deadaman)

A very wet, windy and mild Glencoe this weekend. We abandoned any ideas of winter climbing and in stead opted for a sheltered “Zig Zags” on saturday, and “Pink Rib” this afternoon – Andrew, Andrew, Simon, Lee, Katherine and I had a good bimble nevertheless!

Plenty of snow higher up in the corries, but needs a good freeze to bring it back as it’s all wet at the present – and this is supposedly forecast for this coming week!

Pics – L Katherine on the Pink Rib, R looking south towards Bucahille Etive Mor and Beg – Top the Lost valley