Conditions/ News Winter but Spring is coming

Mountaineering in the Cairngorms with a spring feel

Its been a great and busy March with plenty of winter for delivering winter courses. Although there has been a few hints at spring in the last couple of weeks the mountains have hit back as we end the month with some new snow and low temperatures. Its been a great winter with some great cover, certainly compared with last winters very low snow levels we have what felt much more like a normal winter.

Spring mountaineering in the Northern Cairngorms

Over the last few weeks its been a mix of winter skills in the Cairngorms and also our Nevis skills and summits has been busy delivering essential winter training along with ascents of Ben Nevis. These have varied with some up the Mountain Track and some along the CMD arete. We also made an ascent via Coire Giubhsachan from Glen Nevis. This is a route you are almost guaranteed not to see another sole until you hit the summit. It gives a great alternative if the winds are suggesting the exposed CMD might not be a wise option.

Heading onto perhaps one of the UK's finest ridges the CMD on Ben Nevis

Although its been officially winter in terms of our courses we have moved about a little with some spring and sunny days we have also been out delivering some climbing and scrambling. A day at Comic crag made a nice change from gloves and heavy boots and gave a taste of the season to come.

Skinning into an Arctic landscape of the Cairngorm Plataue

Jo and I also managed a superb day in the Cairngorms on the ski’s. We took advantage of the recently changed rules that ski tourers could by a one way ticket to the top to give us a boost. A tour to Ben Macdui and out via Lurchers gave some superb snow at times especially in the gully which was perhaps the best snow I have skied on in Scotland.

Happy teams on the UK's highest point Ben Nevis

Looking forward we have the last of the winter courses over the weekend and into next week before we wrap up for the season and start thinking summer climbing and Cuillin Guiding. As it stands in the hills at the moment though things are pretty wintery. The Cairngorms has plenty of snow and certainly higher up could well last long into the spring.

Getting some early rock in at Comic crag on our mountaineering course.