La Grave - climbing and skiing - part 2

 Colere du Ciel with the direct start of Diabolite on the left

 Colere du Ciel

 Colere du Ciel - the upper pitch - the left is steeper than it looks

Colere du Ciel - the top bit

Ice to the left of Les Noeuds du BCA

 Les Noeuds du BCA

 Ice Bille

 Chacal Bondissant - a big swim through the snow to reach the route

 La Croupe de La Poufiasse



La Grave - climbing and skiing - part 1

 Symphonie d'Automne  



 

 Symphonie d'Automne 

 Les crapauds langoureux (the languishing toads!)

 Les crapauds langoureux

 Stalactus pitch 1 

 Stalctus pitch 2

 Upside down at Les Deux Alpes

 Hot chocolate

Wild and windy days at Cairngorm

I was to be working with Ron's Talisman Mountaineering with Nottingham University Munro Pineapple Society this weekend but when the students got stuck in the Lake District on Friday because of all the wintry weather, we were able to re-schedule to Sunday and Monday.
Both days were very windy so we sought out relativley sheltered areas to visit to practice winter skills and go on a bit of a journey each day.
We found good ice yesterday for the crampons, slippy slopes for ice axe arrest and today, deep drifts for some emergency shelters and cornices.
Ron has photos on his blog here. My camera was hiding from the weather!

Creagan Choire Cha No

Ron and I climbed Fingers and Thumbs  and then abseiled down to climb Anvil Gully. A geat day out then the wind picked up a lot on the way down!

Climbing at the German's Helmet, Slochd

A wee jaunt out from Ron's house to his local icefall. It doesn't form very often so the opportunity to climb it had to be enjoyed. George and Hannah were there before us and Ron took some great photos which have made it on to the BBC. pictures here, click on the link http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-21181048
We climbed up the ice and enjoyed sun, good ice and then back to the house for a cup of tea and some bananas!

Coire an t-Sneachda - even less snow

 A lot less snow around. Mirror Direct has fallen down and lumps of the ice are now to be found on the corrie floor. 

 Ptarmigan in the corrie. Why do they always move just when the picture is taken? 

 Kevan, David and Thomas on the last day of the Talisman Mountaineering course. 

 Climbers in Red Gully. 

 Digging... 

 and disappearing!

And now off to La Grave for some climbing and skiing :-)

A change in the weather

 

 Carron and I walked into Coire an t-Sneachda to see how the changes caused by the thaw. We found great snow in Half a Gully which we wandered  up then back across the plateau. It was very gusty as we came down the ridge from Point 1141 almost blowing us off our feet at times.

Folk were climbing Mirror Direct which had a plume of vertical spray blowing off it - it didn't look very appealing!