Tuesday 15 February 2011

Forest fight and flight today.

Loch Leven and The Mamores beyond.
Can't see the wood for the trees!

Looking up to Sgorr Bhan.


First thing I saw this morning!


Today was a raw and blustery day in Glencoe and else where by the sounds of it. Matt and I were up on Sgurr Dearg's North ridge. The fresh blown snow was deceptively deep in hollows and stream beds. A day for keeping to ridges and where possible scoured slopes [but these are few and far between at present! ]
Sometimes ideas of different ways off hills work out, today was not one of those days! We thought it would be great if we could drop straight down the north ridge to the van, well you can but it involves 'jungle war fare'. Never quite crawling we made it back to the Forest track some what damp. Ace fun in a perverse way it has to be said.
The North facing coire below Sgorr Bhan has two large avalanches running the length of it's slopes. I am sure it is not the only place they are naturally triggering. The south east winds are forecast over night and over the next few days, so route choice and approaches will need to be
carefully considered. I had a coffee with Andy Turner who had just fled from the Ben, his description of swirling snow and spindrift says it all really.
Winter is back and HPL has places left on courses over Easter and they are very good value!