Bowfell Area Conditions and First Ascents 18-12-11

Great weather and conditions today on Bowfell.  Lots of teams on Bowfell Buttress, Steve Ashworth and Brian Davison climbed a new line to the right of the classic route whilst Rich Cross tried something new to the left (not sure how it went as we were off, lots of head torches out on the Buttress though...)

 The Langdale Pikes

Langdale at its best

Many routes were in great condition again today.  The forecast thaw is due to arrive tomorrow so its hard to say what it will do on the crags, but it looks like it might rain on the summits.  This will be good on the long run to help the snow firm up but won't do the mixed climbing conditions any good.

Flat Crags

Tom Greenwood and myself made the first winter ascent of the summer E1 5b Moon Shadow on Flat Crags.  This route gave one hard pitch at a strenuous VII/8, if it were just a bit more sustained it would probably go up a grade.  The 2nd pitch to the top was about III/4.  The route involves pulling up onto a hanging arete to gain a crack, at first the crack is thin but it improves with height.  Then you pull through a roof and climb some balancy slabs with a bit of a run out.  The 2nd pitch climbs a stepped groove with some awkward moves.  A great route that packs a bit of a punch!

 Tom having a good go at the crux pitch which ended when a tool ripped

 Me having a go, and keeping my face away from the axe which was ready to rip again but didn't!

 Crux pitch on the arete 

Preparing to pull through the roof out onto the start of the slab section

Some great shots from today on the Epicentre Facebook Page.

Helvellyn Conditions 17-12-11

Was working on Helvellyn today for www.mountainguides.co.uk with Matt and Simon who were out to try the Helvellyn classic V-Corner.

The Red Tarn area was very quiet for a Saturday, there was a team on Viking Buttress, didn't seem to be many others climbing at all.  The conditions were great, there was still plenty of soft snow about but it felt a lot more stable than earlier in the week.  That said, some caution is definitely still needed, there is still wind slab up high and some of the largest cornices I've seen on Helvellyn due to the prolonged west winds we've been getting.  Also a lot of debris below the headwall that looked like cornice collapse debris...

After a look at the cornice at the top of V-Corner we traversed out right to a small buttress were there was a break to top out.  The already drooping cornice is definitely going to need some respect when things start to warm up, especially above Gully 2.

Once again it was a great winter day, the ridges were in good condition and V-Corner was in about the best condition I've climbed it in despite the soft snow.  It had good ice, solid turf and snow ice with some mixed moves thrown in.

 Making for some good ice, V-Corner area

 Matt on his 2nd route ever!

Lots of good ice variations to V-Corner

Well done to Matt and Simon, cheers for a great day!

Great Gable 16-12-11

Engineers Slab was in great condition today for mixed routes.  Frozen turf and snowed up well frosted rock.  Engineers Chimney looked great with a line of icy neve down the back, don't see that often!

 Ennerdale looking snowy

Engineers Slab looking great!

Jabberwock was climbed and we made the first winter ascent of Angel of Mercy, it went at about VIII/9.  Routes were also climbed on Green Gable and it looked good.  Still plenty of soft snow about but not on the steeper routes.

Some air miles being clocked up on Jabberwock (sorry, couldn't flip video)

 Steve Ashworth on the first pitch, as for Troll

 Great climbing up typical Gable cracks on the first pitch

Me on the first pitch, Tom Greenwood below (we were 3 today)

 Gaining the hanging slab, this provides the crux of the route as you move right

Moving rightwards along the slab with the undercut overlap above,

some technical moves across here

 The slab section

Through the overlap to gain the crack system

So plenty to go at on Gable, all the steep mixed lines being in and will be climbable tomorrow.

Check out the Epicentre Facebook page for more info.

Blea Tarn and Highstreet 15-12-11

Today I was out in the High Street area with photographer Dave Willis taking some shots.  There was a lot less snow in this area than over at Helvellyn, that said there was still some big accumulations of freshly blown snow up high and signs of cornice collapse in many places.  The day was perfect for a winter walk and not too much heavy breaking trail was required up Riggendale.  We returned under the ice falls and whilst there were signs of ice forming in many places there wasn't anything significant to climb, water was running down the main ice lines.  Today felt warmer and with the slightly lower altitude of these ice falls some colder weather is needed to bring them fully in.

 Riggendale

 Blea Tarn

 Main ice fall area, a bit buried 

Snow lower down felt stable, higher up though still had large areas of wind slab

Great winter walking conditions on High Street but no complete ice climbs yet.  Much less snow though for those wanting to avoid breaking trail in the central Lakes.

Routes were climbed on Helvellyn today and conditions were meant to be good, with a bit of swimming about  (exit slopes will still need careful consideration!)

Also, routes were climbed on Cambridge Crags today, it looked good on there in the photos.  Bowfell Buttress looked good... no idea about turf etc though, so would need to go and have a look.

See the Epicentre Facebook page for photos of that area.

Helvellyn Conditions 14-12-11

Went up to Helvellyn today to see how things were looking.  Today was another wild day out, lots of fresh snow blowing about and breaking trail all the way, the main track to Red Tarn was buried and the snow was about 14 inches or so with some much deeper drifts.  Skis would have been great with a descent possible all the way back down afterwards!  The old snow that had just started to freeze now has a big load of wind blown snow on top, so route choice is crucial and there was a lot of spooky snow on the headwall area and the approach.  There was numerous crown walls around the headwall and across the gullies...

 Deep drifts above Red Tarn, that poles fully extended...

 Viking Buttress and No.1 Gully, the rock was well snowed up 

Viking Buttress, looking white with ledges buried

I climbed Gully 1 Buttress and some of V-Corner, with both routes I descended the face afterwards rather than top out as the exit slopes were showing the warning signs, big cracks appeared either side of me when having probe at it!  Lots of stuff slabbing away under foot also...  The routes are very buried now as the snow has been dumping down the face, some of the ledges on Viking Buttress are turning into snow slopes, if they'd freeze it will soon be Grade 2!  The V-Corner area had some great ice formed and some perfect snow ice where it wasn't buried.

 A bit damp with swimming about...

Great snow ice showing through at the base of V-Corner

Great ice in the V-Corner area, the central fall giving a short steep pillar 

So its another dose of full winter up there, with route choice important, on many aspects, especially NE-E-SE were there is deep snow accumulation.  Anyone who skis will find awesome conditions tomorrow I'd think.  Climbing wise, today the ice was good, the turf I could see was good and there was good snow ice in places, but all with some swimming about thrown in.  Steep routes that aren't buried and without exposed exit slopes could be the way forward.

Running Helvellyn Area 12-12-11

There is still plenty of snow cover around the Helvellyn area, the old snow that had a thaw is starting to freeze again and firm up on the surface.  There was a little new snow blowing about from last night with some pockets a bit deeper in places.  The turf up high was also showing the early signs of a freeze and there is some ice coating the exposed rocks up high.

The effects of the rapid thaw were clear to see with a number of large full depth avalanches, one into Brown Cove from the headwall between Helvellyn and Lower Man in particular had left a massive amount of debris all the way into the Cove.  There was also a fairly large one into Keppel Cove with a crown wall of about 2 metre (see photo below).

 Piles of wet snow and grit washed across the path from the stream

Large full depth avalanche in Keppel Cove

The Helvellyn Ridges are still really good, the rock now has a thin layer of ice coating it meaning a bit of care was needed without crampons.

Running down Swirl Edge

See also Steve Ashworths report from today at - https://www.facebook.com/EpicentreAmbleside?ref=ts

Pinnacle Ridge, St.Sunday Crag 11-12-11

Yesterday was another great day out, though was a big contrast to Saturday.  A lot of snow had gone and the rivers were high due to a rapid thaw on Saturday night with rain on the summits.  With so much snow about and a thaw with rain, we were keen to avoid anything with big snow volume or cornice exposure, it seems that water beneath the snow has caused a number of full depth slides around the Lakes, including the Helvellyn headwall were we saw the fracture line on Saturday (see photo on previous post).

More info on Helvellyn avalanche here - http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=486009

Pinnacle Ridge gave a great scramble yesterday, no crampons were needed though an axe was useful in places as there was still the odd patch of snow on the ledges.  Once on the top of the route there was still lots of snow on the descent side of the hill for some more snow skills.

Traversing the Pinnacles 

A good freeze now is needed for consolidation and to bring the turf harder.  With so much water and the ice that had started in places a freeze could bring some good ice in quickly.

Helvellyn Conditions 10-12-11

Was out on Helvellyn Edges and around the Red Tarn area today running a Winter Mountaineering Course.  Today gave a great winter day again and there was plenty of snow still being blown around in the wind.  There looked to be ice forming in the usual spots on the crag and exposed turf was frozen.  The ridges were well snowed up and in great condition, the gullies however looked to be a bit of a swim and some parties turned around after a probe.  A party climbed Bladerunner and mentioned that the turf was not deeply frozen in places.

 Snow low down still

 Plenty of snow up at Red Tarn

Wind still blowing

Lots of people heading out with skis again to Raise.

The headwall was also well loaded up with snow and plenty of wind slab about, there was as much snow as I can remember at the top of Striding Edge.

 Great conditions on the Ridges

Full snow cover at the top of Striding Edge complete with cornice

Whilst people were topping out safely from routes, the snow conditions felt quite serious in places and on a range of aspects.  A block test we did on a 35 degree slope, not steep, released as a slab with only the back cut of the column being made and no pressure applied....

 Block test suggests risky layers in places

This fracture line runs around almost the whole length of the cornice on the summit plateau, probably due to the thaw on Thursday

All in all still great full on winter conditions in the Lakes with a bit of good route choice called for.

Ski Touring - Lake District 06-12-11

Having been out yesterday and finding that a lot of the mixed routes needed a freeze I decided to go for a look around the Helvellyn area on the skis.  Today gave a fantastic day for ski touring with dry powdery snow up high.  That said, a bit of thought was needed as to where to go.  The snow we have had has come in on a W - NW wind so areas E facing have had snow deposited down their slopes.  Also gullies, river beds and any other depressions in the terrain have become cross loaded with good snow build up.  Whilst some areas up high are scoured to the ground, there is accumulations of a few feet in places.

Today I went up from St.Johns in the Vale towards Raise, for anyone who knows that route, I was able to skin from before the sheep fold and descend back to there afterwards without any scrapes!

I also stopped at the ski club tow and had a few runs, the snow there was fantastic and due to perfect loading by the wind was near the tops of the snow fences in places! The guys reckon its some of the best coverage in years.  Perfect start to the ski season for the tows, its well worth the trip up there at the minute, updates on the snow and tows are available on the ski club website at http://www.ldscsnowski.co.uk/ and there is a webcam on there too.

Looks like tomorrow will be worth getting out and then its just a matter of seeing what happens on Thursday with the weather that is forecast.  Might be worth noting that there was evidence of a couple of full depth avalanches today and a lot of wind slab about, despite the thin feel to the pack there is some areas of deep accumulation...

Great to see the Lakes looking the part with a full on winter feel even if the climbs aren't all there yet.

 Skins on at the sheep fold

 Brown Cove Crags looking well snowed up

 Some evidence of avalanche, full depth probably due to wet ground below wind packed snow

 First tracks of the season

 Natures signal as to where the wind as been coming from

 Scoured tops with lots of accumulation on East facing aspects

 Top of Raise

 Alpine Piste conditions on Raise tow! Get there...

The Raise Resort - now with members toilet!