An early season winter wander!
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- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- 2nd December 2023 - Early season winter climbing conditions in the Cairngorms.
The Northern Corries are in thin early season photogenic Instagram nick and as usual have been very busy.
One of first rules in ice climbing is never climb below other's. Popular classic routes are best avoided unless you are first on a route or enjoy being hit by debris, love hypothermia and frost nip!
Amazing frosty weather with lot of rime, hoar frost and frozen vegetation so great for photos.
There's a good but generally thin cover of powdery snow with a thick growing hoar frost layer on top but with no real base for skiing and it's not that useful for gully climbing either, nice weather though!
Good mixed conditions on the harder routes although loose blocks and many belays aren't cemented in despite the thick rime!
Ice is slowly starting to build on seepages and water courses but needs a lot more snow melt and wind drifting to fatten.
We really need some big winter storms and drifting for the gullies to fill in and survive the next thaw, but with such unpredictable winters we need to enjoy it while we can!
The mixed route in the video is Novice Rib and Chimney and Side Shoe Shuffle Rib.
Got to admire your enthusiasm Ron. I’ve heard it’s all a bit thin and powdery. Will wait a while myself. 😂
It's my own wee venue up on the east of Cairngorm so good to boulder and try out some new variations and lines that require frozen turf before it all gets buried.
The mixed rib of rime rock was unhelpful for axes on the left traverse but I've been down it clearing some large blocks and knew it was possible, maybe calling it 'side shoe shuffle rib' !
Not been that well recently so I need the motivation of a new line to get up there, one step at a time!!!
Hi ron great to get back out on the scottish Highland mountains again it looked really well frozen but mostly thin overall cover what mountain was it you were going up there ron it looked a bit scary near the to though
It's the east of Cairngorm away from the crowds!
What do you use to tape the upper part of the tools?
Self amalgamating tape from Screwfix which at around £3.49 for 3 metres is a lot cheaper than buying the rubber tape from Petzl, see !www.screwfix.com/p/self-amalgamating-rubber-tape-black-3m-x-25mm/2115V?tc=BE8&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAjrarBhAWEiwA2qWdCHQVBF6suaxIU2K7aeZgkLNtUuNCG_9vPYpYxUWrHhG0t0qPiKBFLRoCvUwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
@@RonWalkerCairngormGuides Thanks for reply. Gonna give it a try.