First day of 4 with students from The University of The
Highlands and Islands in the Cairngorms. Nathan, Callum and I went for a warm
up day into Coire an t Sneachda. After a bright start it turned wintery (a nice
change) and cooler as the wind veered to the NW. After watching hordes of
people heading up Jacob’s Ladder we headed onto the buttress to the right which
gave us a good mixed line at Grade II with a bit of everything: ice, rimed up
rock, frozen turf and cm thick verglass!
We topped out and headed across to windy col where we dug
snow bollards and abseiled off. Walking out into the wind.
Lots of students
Ummmm don't think we'll go in there...
That's more like it... a line to ourselves
Taking in
3 on a stance
Chopping a good ledge
The top
A bit of rime
Parties on the Mess of Pottage were reporting a good deal of
verglas but the Message was popular as ever and one of our teams climbed a very
rocky Hidden Chimney. I think today everyone had made a beeline for The Mess of
Pottage to avoid the potential avalanche hazards but looking into the Coire on
the walk in the isolated patches of fresh soft slab were visibly very obvious
and there was a great deal of older hard snow still exposed.
Thanks to Adam for the pics. He was out watching me at work today.
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