I’m heading up in the dark tonight to wild camp and get an early start to do Beinn a’Bheithir (Sgor Dearg and Sgorr Dhonuill) since I won’t have enough daylight to do the route I want if I leave on Saturday morning.

Has anyone had visibility of the munros up Glencoe/Ballachuilish way over the last few days? I’ve not been up in a couple of weeks.

I REALLY don’t want to carry crampons/axes etc if I don’t have to, especially given MWIS are predicting a cold spell, so I’m already carrying winter camping kit.

Has the last of the snow finally disappeared?

Stand by while I look out of my bedroom window…

…can’t see much snow.

Thanks!

(pics please) 😉

Pics through my bedroom window?

yeah, if you can see pretty hills! 🙂

If I can find the camera…

I’ll have a drive up there later and see from the other side, but there’s really very little snow anymore. You’ll probably find small, walk-roundable, patches on the top.

Where are you going to park/camp?

Kingshouse webcam
http://kingy.viewnetcam.com/CgiStart?page=Single&Language=0

thegreatape – either pitch at Invercoe/Red Squirrel if the weather is really grim or we’re too tired (although I spend every other weekend there, so getting a bit bored of them), or dump the car in Ballachulish and hike up to Beinn Bhan ridge (which is why i don’t want to be carrying any more weight than necessary, I hate that initial bit!).

To be honest, if there weather is really grim (visibility wise), I’ll end up just camping at Red Squirrel and going for a blast up the Pap or Sgorr Bhan, then head to Ice Factor for a bit of ice/rock mucking about. Then get pissed in the Clachaig. Beinn a’Bheithir is a bit of a slog if you can’t see anything 🙂

TandemJeremy cheers, but for some reason i’ve not been able to see the Kingy webcam for over a year now. Don’t know whether it’s my work laptop or something. That said, there’s a nice young lad (from dundee i think) just started there a couple of months ago and he’s getting quite used to my phonecalls asking if he can look out the window and tell me how white/snowy Curved Ridge looks from where he is (I have a thing about BEM in winter, coming back off is like Avalanche City).

His first ever response was quality “Erm, what mountain is Curved Ridge” I explained that it’s the route/face you can see from the Kingy on Buachaille Etive Mor…to which he replied…”oh, is that the really dark grey one near the hotel?” I told him that it was and he said “erm, i don’t really know mate, it’s absolutely chucking it down with snow right now and I can barely see past the car park”

😆

Kings House Webcam is working. Basically grey skies but good visibility – the summits are cloud free and visible. Patches of snow at summit height and in the gullies but otherwise clear of the white stuff.

You could try the webcams on here:

Winter Highland

Cheers rebel12.

Definitely a problem with my work laptop then, just tried it on my VPS and i can see it fine.

Nae crampons or axes this weekend then 🙂 Might even start to wear shorts soon 8)

That Winterhighland pic is a tad misleading ‘cos its taken from the uplift track where there’s no snow;-)

100m further left and it looks more like this:

http://www.winterhighland.info/pix/displaypic.php?id=20711,776#start

It’s a bit cloudy up there now, but from across the loch earlier I could only see snow in a few north facing gullies. Def no crampons/axes needed. Are you not wearing shorts already? It is summer.

Might be worth phoning the Ice Factor. They are having some building work done, and not all of it has been open all the time the last week or two.

Grim viewing 🙁

DH track will be clear though 😉

It’s a bit cloudy up there now, but from across the loch earlier I could only see snow in a few north facing gullies. Def no crampons/axes needed. Are you not wearing shorts already? It is summer.

Might be worth phoning the Ice Factor. They are having some building work done, and not all of it has been open all the time the last week or two.

Much appreciated 🙂

Yeah I’ve spotted the building work going on in the Ice Factor for the last couple of months, think it’s just where the sauna etc used to be that they are working on, the walls have still been open. I’ll give them a ring anyway.

Think I might have a new plan anyway…drive up tomorrow morning (early doors), have a look at BEM on the way past. Climb Curved Ridge if doable, if not then up the gully (provided there’s no major snow build up at the top), then pitch at Invercoe/Red Squirrel, round to Ice Factor for a quick blast on the walls, then to the Clachaig for dinner and getting pissed. Same old, same old 🙂

The thought of heading up tonight in this greyness isn’t as appealing as it was earlier.

I’ll be in the Clachaig tomorrow night for beers if you live around there.

There were new lights going up in the ice and climbing walls too, so there was scaffolding in them at times, may be finished though.

Beers are tempting. Sadly I’m working all weekend 🙁

I’m looking out at the ridge of Beinn Bhan now and there’s no snow there. Forecast reasonable for the weekend. No snow on Bidean either. Have fun.

Wow. Just wow.

What a weekend. Climbing in t-shirt, only sticking on an outer layer for summits and brief snow showers.

Mountains were deserted, the winter climbers have called it quits for the season and the summer brigade haven’t even reproofed their boots yet.

Some of the best weather I’ve had all season (if you consider that I was actively trying to avoid crampons and ice axes this weekend i suppose!).

Many thanks for the snow condition help – it was spot on. Loved the climb without the additional weight of all that metal 🙂

How are the conditions? I am up to do the Ring of Steall on Sat, and (leg/hangover/outbreak of bagging virus dependant) something in Glencoe on Sunday.

I was slightly further south than the Mamores duckman, and there was limited snow/ice left. There was a fresh dusting on Saturday, but nothing to warrant the use of crampons. That said, you could find routes up that are still winter(ish) climbs if you look for them, but seems to be isolated to smaller pockets and gullies. If your legs are up to it Beinn a’Bheithir would be a good shout for Glencoe at the moment.

Have you done the Ring of Steall before? I’d take my crampons and axe for that, there’s some fairly significant arete exposure and a bit of scrambling. Definite chance of a tumble if you’re not careful.

That’s an epic route though, one of my favourties. Only ever walked it in spring/summer though.

Thanks for that Peter, I haven’t done the Ring of Steall, but I have done the Anoach Eagach and Liathach at this time of year, there was a lot more snow last year at this time. TBH, I was hoping snow would be gone as there are a couple of people who will not fancy it if there is dodgy conditions.I have been told there is a wee bit of a airy scramble up to the 1st Munro, and one squeaky bit on the devils ridge,but nothing too worrying. TBH it strikes me as one to be saved for a long Summers day, but my Munro rash is itchy just now.I will start to study the pics on Walk Highlands as soon as I have chewed through the huge pile of marking in front of me. 🙁

For the most part, all of the snow/ice I came across was easily avoidable.

I tend to err on the side of caution in winter though, particularly on exposed ridges or unfamiliar routes. Don’t like the idea of having nothing to stop me sliding other than a big rock 🙂