Conditions/News: The last Dance
- Dan Goodwin
- Mar 17
- 4 min read
The last dance! The weekend of skills and adventuring on the West Coast this weekend brought our winter season to a close. A nice way to end it to with Ellen, Brett, Andrew and XX joining us for a skills and summit weekend on Ben Nevis. Jo and I also managed a couple of days out last week in the Northern Cairngorms where the winter made a return. Never try to predict to much what will happen in a Scottish winter. We headed to Sneachtda which made for some nice winter pitches. Although people seemed quite surprised to see a wintry return it was still only early March which isn’t at all unusual for cold snaps and snowfall. What is unusual though is that during our ascent on Sunday of Number 4 that the bigger ice lines like Green Gully, Comb and Point Five are most likely not to see ascents at all this season.
Brett, Ellen, Andrew joined us for our last winter course of the season on the West Coast. We headed up to Meall a Bhuiridh in Glencoe for our skills day which worked well with albeit lean snow it was good firm stuff perfect for getting the crampon technique sorted. We even found the odd ice bluff to reenforce the front pointing ahead of Sunday’s bigger day. We headed up on Sunday to the CIC hut and then up through Number 4 gully to gain the summit a good clear day and where joined by Simon Verspeak for the day along with Tom Hutchinson who also came along. Although I was there only a week ago it had become much more icy this week after a week of low temperatures and a smattering of new snow. It was though getting a little thin but with the cornice slumped back into the slope its not to steep to finish.
As things stand at the moment I would say slim pickings and wandering down of the Ben it felt like spring had arrived. There is snow in the hills but I think the measure of that was shown in the big numbered gullies of Ben Nevis which at this time of year should be full with lots of snow but they are very thin now. The Cairngorms had a little more but even so it's fairly superficial now as each snowfall through the season was wiped back to nothing each time so a build up never really happened this season. Although we are not taking any more booking for the winter season we can of course adapt and feel free to get in touch should there be some meaningful conditions appear. There is of course the ‘lambing storms’ which you never know……
Our winter has been a tricky one and I don’t think you can gloss over the fact that conditions came and went all season. I was certainly pretty shocked to see Creag Coire na Ciste on Ben Nevis appearing almost how you would expect to see it in early June. It's easy though to be negative and lament over the lack of snow but that would be to ignore all the great alternative adventures in the Highlands. It would also show a bit of a lack of imagination or perhaps to be unable to adapt to the mountains and conditions they present and be unable to deliver a mountaineering experience.
We taught cramponong on ice bulges and climbing high rock routes within just a few days of each other and went to the crag or opted into classic ridges like the CMD or Ring of Steal giving great mountain adventures. I was climbing, skiing and walking in the winter mountains long before gaining a winter qualification and even that was now over twenty years ago and am not surprised by a poor winter however there is no denying the overall trend and effects of the climate are taking hold. They where always good ones and bad ones and this was certainly not a classic for conditions. It seemed somehow also fitting that the funicular fiasco would bring the train back to life just when it is a low snow winter was in full swing. Perhaps the last laugh from Highland and Island Enterprises.
That said we did have a ski tour or two, climbed road side ice and enjoyed a very high number of days working with our guests covering winter skills in a winter environment. A huge thanks to our guests who came and at times endured the wet and cold. Also those who helped us deliver courses over the season. We have certainly enjoyed the ride and as ever the second I put the winter kit in the loft until next season I will be wishing it was winter again. The Scottish winter was always fickle but it was always worth it as days in the winter mountains are hard to beat, you just have to be prepared to take the good when it comes and know what to do when it doesn’t.
For now though our minds turn to spring rock and scrambling with a busy season ahead with a large amount of that on Skye. To find out more about our Skye season please click here. Fingers crossed for a hot summer and to many of the named storms this season. As ever Scottish weather and conditions keep us on our toes. Have a look at the links below if you would like to join us over the summer.
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