Ski Touring, Helvellyn area 19-03-13

Today I went for a ski tour over Helvellyn via Swirral Edge, after a few descents I ended up at Red Tarn and went over Catseye Cam to finish with a descent back to Greenside.

There was a fair bit of snow about and above Red Tarn the slopes were well loaded up, in particular the north facing slopes, the north sides of Striding and Swirral Edges were holding a lot of snow.  There's a lot going on up there, some areas scoured to the old snow (top of Swirral is hard old snow for a few metres), some areas of wind-slab, some areas of deep fresh snow that hasn't yet been wind blown, soft cornices etc.  I doubt that much of the fresh snow that's there will blow around too much as its heavy and slightly damp snow generally.  It felt much warmer than forecast on the summits and I'd say it was only just freezing on top.  There was also next to no wind blowing, so no fresh slab forming today.  That said it has been windy at some point and there are drifts and definite areas of older slab, some of this easily slipping away on the old layer of hard snow below.

The skis today were the way to travel and it would have been hard going without them.  I had fresh tracks shortly after leaving Greenside for the whole day and saw no one all day bar a few at Greenside.  Its not often to be the only person up to and out of the Red Tarn area all day, and with everything snowed out and no track anywhere to see it had a nice wildness about it today, great to have the hills to your self occasionally in the Lakes....

 Greenside

 Route to Red Tarn

 Helvellyn Trig point

Helvellyn X bench 

In terms of climbing, the old snow/ice will still be good but very buried.  The easy mixed is also buried and I'd not be totally sure about the turf?!  The steep rock was black on Viking Buttress as far as I could tell.  With careful route choice a moderate mixed route might be an option, steep enough not to be buried but not so steep as to have shed all its snow etc, hard to say...  The approach and exit slopes from routes will also be worth treating with care.  Ski touring will be great, despite the snow being a little heavy there's a good covering, better viz tomorrow will help for the big turns!

 The bottom of the crags above Red Tarn.

Viking Buttress base, the steeper wall of the crag just visible above.

All in all there is scope for a great winter day out but with fairly careful route choice and flexible planning required... and probably some trail breaking!

Last Friday...
Last Friday we had a great day out with 2 Intro to Snow and Ice climbing courses running and a Navigation course also.  Steve and I went up to Great End for the climbing which gave a full winter experience once above the freeze line!  Kate, Sophie, Donal and Mark all took the full winter experience in their stride!  Steve went up Central Gully Left III, and I climbed SE Gully III.  Both were in good condition but will be loaded up now I'd guess...  Alex also had a good day out with Ellen navigating.

Here's a photo Mark sent through of the crag on Friday, the weather cleared for the walk out.  Theres been lots more snow since this was taken!

Winter Courses still Available

There is still good winter conditions in the Lake District and Scotland so we will continue offering these courses and days out over the coming month.  Some courses will be possible for longer so get in touch for details or to discuss conditions...

Visit our site for other courses/info -  www.mountaincircles.com

Dry Tooling Performance Weekend Course 26th-28th April 2013

This will be a unique opportunity to receive coaching and instruction from top performing mixed climbers. Whether you want to learn about the best ways to train for winter climbing, get into dry tooling specific climbing or just want to have a go and try out the latest equipment, this could be for you!  No prior experience required...

The diverse new dry tooling dedicated venue, The Works in the Lake District will be the venue for the days out with full board and accommodation included as well as evening lectures and much more...

Please get in touch for full details...

info@mountaincircles.com

Mountain Skills - Expedition Medicine

Great weather on the fells today, blue skies to start and cold all day.  Easy routes good around the Lakes for winter climbing, Great End looked great, Gable looked black and surprisingly thin on snow cover.  The snow line has generally risen today across the Lakes and the Pennines certainly looked a lot whiter.

I was out doing a general mountain skills day with www.expeditionmedicine.co.uk as a part of the great week course they run in the Lakes each year.

 Great End and Gable today

 Gable

 Rope Stretcher

ML level rope-work 

The Cairngorms 05-08/03/13

I've been working all week in the Cairngorms running a winter climbing course for www.tollymore.com

Its been a great week of changing conditions and climbing and the team have been good crack and met the winter challenge head on...

A change in the weather on Thursday brought all the steep mixed routes back into great condition, most other routes were already looking good, though there is now a reasonable avalanche threat in many areas.  We moved away from the Runnel on Thursday due to the amount of fresh debris at its base.

A selection of shots from the week below.

Patey's Route IV/5 **

Abb descent...

 The Vent

 Looking at ice threads

 Lead climbing instruction

Steep mixed looking good again!

 Good ice on The Vent

The Seam IV/5 ***

Celebration brawl at the top... Concentrate! 

Cairngorms 04-03-13

First day today of a 5 day Climbing Course for www.tollymore.com

Great day in the Corries today and after a freeze overnight the snow was hard and well frozen again.  Easy to moderate mixed routes looking OK and gullies and ice routes generally were good, steep mixed not in...

After a morning of skills and ice axe arresting we climbed The Mirror Direct IV/4 which gave a great first taste of winter climbing and the chance to look over an abb retreat from the top of the main pitch.  Good easy conditions on the route with big hooks all the way...

The Mirror Direct IV/4**

Lakes Conditions, Dollywaggon and Tarn Crag. 28-02-13

Once again the weather spoilt us today,  surely its time for a bit of clag, wind and sleet?!  Blue sky and sun in soft-shell is getting too normal....

In terms of conditions there is still some great climbing to be had, the bright sunshine is still taking its toll on some routes and anything in the sun is basically in summer condition.  But out of the sun its a different story, the snow and turf is still frozen hard after another very cold night and there is still plenty of ice.  The rock is continuing to strip back and even out of the sun on Dollywaggon there was a bit less general whiteness than 2 days back, this said some routes were still in great condition.  I was out with Jill who was keen to have a look at a Cold Climbs route so having been up 2 days ago I new Chock Gully would be good.  It was definitely a case of keeping the faith as the crag looked sun bathed but once on the route and into the gully itself the route was in great condition, frozen solid throughout and with great ice on the main pitch.  A great route with interest on every pitch and tricky for the grade...  After that we headed to Dollywaggon and climbed Thrash Corner, another brilliant little route with good ice and turf throughout and a thin icy corner, its given IV/5 but is easy for the grade with the ice on the corner...

2 great routes and classics of the Lakes!

Chock Gully IV/4 (5?)**

 Chock stone after the main crux pitch down below this one...

Thrash Corner IV/5**

Pitch 1

 Crux corner

Scafell Ice 27-02-13

Today gave another fantastic day out in the Lakes, ice climbing and bright sun gave a continental feel to the day!  When will it end?

Ed and I headed up to see what was looking good on Scafell Crag,  I was surprised at how much was stripped away.  Bar the easy gullies there was very little to consider climbing unless in rock shoes! I had thought perhaps Steep Ghyll or Moss Ghyll might have been good but both were far too thin to get on.  The one definite exception was the ice to the right of the Shamrock, The Direct Route cascades looking great from a long way off.  We headed for there and climbed 2 different pillars that had touched down out of the gully on the left.  Both were really good pitches of steep ice and well worth the trip.  All said there was probably more choice in the Helvellyn/Dollywaggon area yesterday with some mixed options as well.  

Another great day of good ice and sun with everything well frozen in the shade.

Thanks to Ed Luke for the photos.  www.edluke.com

 Abb descent back in for a 2nd route...

Ed on the 2nd route

Lakes Conditions, Helvellyn area. 26-02-13

Still some great conditions to be had, mainly gullies and ice but some mixed holding on in!  Due to bright sunshine anything that catches any sun is suffering a bit.  Out of the sun the snow is frozen hard and many routes are in great condition.  Today I went to Falcon Crag and Chock Gully which was thin until into the gully proper, there was then good ice up to mixed moves around the crux chock.  After that I did Thrash Corner on Dollywaggon North Crag which was in great condition, bomber snow, turf and ice, others were on Dolly Mixture which looked good also.  Then it was over to Jogebar Gully on Nethermost Pike which was OK where steep and shaded and had some good ice but the lower part was suffering in the sun a bit.  Then a quick visit to Helvellyn and Bladerunner was well worth it with some of the best conditions on the route I've seen, lots of ice in the lower groove.  All the gullies looked good, V-corner was climbed also, VB looked quite stripped but could be OK just about via the classic line? certainly the turf and snow on it will be good.  All this was topped off with another day of bright sunshine...

 ?!

Dollywaggon North Crag

Viking Buttress Area, Helvellyn

Lakes Conditions, Blea Water 23-02-13

 Blea Tarn Gill, left hand fall

 2 pillars on crag at top left of the main Gill

 Mad ice formations

 Looking down the right hand pillar

Birkett's Gully, upper section

Some good ice about the Lakes and the snow condition is generally good and well frozen.  Great End is meant to be good with ice etc forming well, Central Gully and variations possible and Window Gully and the Icefall finish climbable.  Lots of other bits around I'd guess, routes on Tarn/Falcon crag have been climbed, ie. Chock Gully, and also routes on Dollywaggon Crag.

Today I went for a quick look at the Blea Tarn Icefalls, a few routes were climbable, the ice varies and is thin in places but was also very good with a bit of selective route choice.  I climbed the upper part of Birkett's Gully (the narrows upwards) and it was generally really good, plenty of good ice about to link up and snow fairly solid.  I also did the left hand main icefall on Blea Water Gill, the right hand option looked thin...  Above and left of the top of the Gill is a small buttress with 2 pillars, the left was thin with a big ice umbrella at the top but the right one was good, I climbed that at about III and the ice was very good.  The ice pillar on the same level as the main falls of Blea Water Gill and out to the left was not doable just yet.

Lots of other bits of ice around the Cove which could be worth a look.  Access to the car park is possible despite the road closed signs.