Curved Ridge

Scoob and I took Andy for his first day of winter mountaineering to Curved Ridge on Buachaille Etive Mor today. The weather fulfilled its early promise of an excellent day - clear blue skies and only a chilling wind on the very summit.
There is a lot of ice on the approach to the ridge but the steep rock steps are bare and dry- ledges holding snow- quite firm in one or two places. The exit slopes around Crowberry Tower are holding a little well bonded slab. It was possible to avoid the worst of this today by either of 2 well tracked lines. Once established in the gully behind the Tower the slab is also well tracked and presented no dificulties.
The open slop around the top of Crowberry Gully was scoured and there were raised footprints several inches high showing where soft snow had been stripped off by the wind.
Descent down Coire na Tulaich was also straighforwards. as you look down it is possible to descend safely on either the left or right. Both are again well tracked. Some slab is present in the base of the main narrow gully but it is a narrow strip and seems well bonded to what is beneath. Also there are many tracks leading down through it, penetrating to older snow below.
A beautiful day today!