Late Skiing

Leaving Sneachda

End of the line for Winter 09/10 for me

Top of Aladdins Couloir

Line rather kindly drawn in by Andy

Random in Jacobs Ladder

Winter finally came to an end with a visit to Cairngorm, on 15th May.. A good forecast, heaps of spring snow and a gully to be ticked were worth the lenghty drive north. And a chance to see if Andy's skiing skills have improved after a season in Val..

Andy packing up to walk out

Me speeding down Aladdins

Sunshine

Looking over to Coronation Wall

Looking up the Cas tow

Verdict? Top day out. Alladins Couloir skied in about the easiest condition that you'll ever find it, perfect deep spring snow for opening up the speed, enough on piste action to keep you happy (for mid May) with some bumps forming, and cracking weather. Coronation wall was well worth the hike a couple of times too. And Andy's skiing has improved!

Crianlarich Avalanche

Big slide..

Out for a mid week ski tour on wed 10th, and came across this massive avalanche debris, just above Crianlarich.

The slide looked like it came from almost the very summit of Ben More, with a crownwall visible just below the summit ridge.

Avalanche starting point, just below summit, crownwalls visible

All this occurred on a westerly aspect, probably about 5 days ago.. It travelled about 900 vertical meters, and would have been deadly! The only casualties appeared to be some unfortunate sheep..

The debris have in places pilled up to around 7 meters high, at a guess, and came down with such force that the slide travelled a short distance up the other side of the valley. Some fairly big rocks have also come down. Must have been quite a sight to see come down, and the debris look more Alpine in nature than Scottish!

Don't want to be buried under that

Debris tongue

Lots of debris

Ben More debris

Stob Binien slide

Debris on Stob Binien

The main force of the slide probably came down this gully

Blast debris on left

Rest of the tour went well, skis on from road to summit, with approx 1000m descent back to the car on a mix of soft spring like snow below 900m and harder packed snow above, great for skiing on. Gordon managed fine despite wearing jeans and trainers.. and never having used an axe before..

Another huge avalanche was spotted on the west slope of Stob Binein, this one almost running as far as the Ben More slide..

Top day out, and spring seems just around the corner!

Gordon makes first munro in 8 years

Summit views

Looking south

Perfect weather

Gordon using an axe for the first time

Clearly loving it

Nice spring snow

Me clearly loving it 2

Crossing the crown wall

Descent from Stob Binien summit

Ice Photo Dump!

Way too much climbing going on to write up, so picture tells a thousand words and all that.. Its cold here in Scotland..

Perfect training for El Chorro next week!

Sundown from Beinn Udalaih

Eas Anie

Eas Anie

Top of Sunshine Gully

Sunshine Gully

Beinn Udalaih vista

Random on Quartzvein Scoop

Paul atop Beinn Udalaih

Peter Pan Direct looking good

South Gully of the Black Wall

Quartzvein Scoop

Quartzvein Scoop p2

Al on a wet Oui Oui

Oui Oui

Travels in the fridge

Al takes (another) tumble

Powder turns above the home road - this is usually full of boulders the size of cars

Hoping the fragile ice holds up on the Steall Falls - 1st time climbable in 8 years

Steall Falls 2nd Jan

Steall Falls

Steall Falls first pitch

Steall again

Dave atop the Falls

Steall Falls 3rd pitch

Pete and Dave come up second pitch at Steall

Top pitch on Steall Falls - note water

Monolith Grooves Crux

The Monolith

Monolith Grooves pitch 2

A fine peak - Beinn an Lochan