Any Winter Climbers? (Scotland)

A wee teaser from the new Scottish Winter Climbs North guide. Don’t get too excited it’s still a while away!

Glas Tholl, An Teallach.

Was up skiing at the weekend and had Monday free so I nipped into the lodge and asked if any of the staff happened to have the day off and want to climb.
Did the standard ” who are you and what’s the real reason you don’t have a partner to climb with ” dance with some random and then met up Monday morning.
Had a lovely chilled day in an t Sneachda doing a combo of Haston Line and Hidden Chimney. Really nice climbing and insane amounts of gear. She was exceedingly quick and competent and the ice was pretty good where needed. The cracks had been stripped of ice by the bright sun on Sunday evening, but the ice in the gully/ chimney was fine. Made for an excellent morning. Came down Jacobs and was back in the car driving home to Manchester by 14:15. Unheard of.

Apologies for the crap picture…

I might have missed this earlier in the thread but who are you and what’s the real reason you don’t have a partner to climb with?

)As in, what’s the answer I need to give to try that next time?)

Snow on Wyvis this morning. Just sayin’.

Very keen to get out this year….

Me too, fingers crossed it’s a better one than last year. Give me a shout if you make it to the NW or Gorms.

Thread resurrection time! Going to head out for a poke around on something non-turfy in Coire an Lochain tomorrow. Not holding out too much hope but it’s good to get the kit together and get used to the heavy bag.

If conditions come in this week I can take a day off should anyone need a partner. Not looking at serious grades, probably 4 tops.

I’m working all week unfortunately.

Just in and no more on the highest bits of Coire an Lochain today. Should improve over the next week though.

@spin Those photos are terrifying and inspiring in equal measure! Superb.

Fantastic photos, but honestly, looking at them lying on the couch, my stomach was trying to go into freefall!
I don’t mind heights, it’s being somewhere high with a big risk of an abrupt stop at the bottom!

Watched Ephemeral on Prime at the weekend. Great inspiration for the winter.

Watched Ephemeral on Prime at the weekend. Great inspiration for the winter.

Guy Robertson’s book is out at some point in the not too distant future. I think it’s called ‘Great Mixed Climbs of Scotland’. It sounds like the modern version of Cold Climbs, wee essays and inspirational photos.

Maybe, just maybe some scratching around this weekend

Not the best photos but an entertaining day in the NW. Not really in brilliant nick but we were rather limited in time and options.

Looks like lots of temperature fluctuations through the week so could be interesting by next weekend.

And a few slightly better shots…

slightly better shots…

Is one of them the Nose of Sg Chor? ( Spelling)

Anyone got any good video recommendations?

Watched some great Danni Arnold ( his accent is just amazing, could listen to him talk all day long!)

And a few from the godfather ( whose name escapes me, but he’s redbull)

But so many of the videos on YouTube are just shit. Morons who don’t understand that both the visual and audio bit are of great importance. Or even worse, photo albums to music.

So tell me

I finish work at 1.20 on a Tuesday so we went and did Hidden Chimney Direct. Turned on torches half way up the first pitch, 4hrs car to car. Splendid fun! Excellent nick too, the wee thaw over the weekend and refreeze put some excellent neve on the ledges. All going a bit mild from Friday though.

Is one of them the Nose of Sg Chor? ( Spelling)

Yes, the Chioch Nose on Sgurr a’Chaorachain. We did a VS to the left of the classic Severe.

Looking like a great start to the season, good work

All going a bit mild from Friday though.

Agreed. I was thinking of taking Friday off and doing the weekend, but warm 🙁

Agreed. I was thinking of taking Friday off and doing the weekend, but warm

Met office saying 5°C on summit of Cairngorm over the weekend then colder again from Monday. Might end up doing another Tuesday hit next week!

Had wee wander around on Cairngorm yesterday. Went up the Twin Ribs and was going to do Fiacaill Ridge but it was black so I wandered over to Coire an Lochain and did The Couloir. Back down into Sneachda and did Goat Track Gully and Crotched Gully. Excellent neve in all the gullies but it’s going to get humped by the temperature rise and rain tomorrow.

I’m in Aviemore with the family, fearing the FOMO.

Nice photos of conditions as usual @spin. Forecast looking a bit bleak for the next week unfortunately as you say – I’d hoped to sneak a day out before Christmas and doesn’t look like too much will survive.

I think it’ll be pretty much back to square one after this thaw.

Ditto southern norway . Plan to go out tomorrow but not optimistic

Ditto southern norway . Plan to go out tomorrow but not optimistic

Ooh wbo. Whereabouts are you? Bought the Setesdal and Lilliehanmer guidebooks to try to work out where to go in January. Setesdal looked too hardcore ( and unreliable) so we’re heading to Lilehammer.  Have you ever done Lettis , Godis or Hardis?

Looking for access info in case the hire car doesn’t have chains.

@spin Did you see a skier yesterday? Someone is reported missing and they we’re in that area yesterday

I saw the police thing about the skier. I did see one but I’ve managed to confirm it wasn’t him. Very poor conditions for skiing yesterday.

I’m on the west coast.  I haven’t done anything round Lillehammer, Hemsedal I’m afraid – I have a guidebook as well :-).  Conditions there are a lot more consistent, predicatable than round here .  You could come here in January and spend all your time bouldering in plus 5 degrees

Setesdal looks as hardcore as you want to make it.   I’m planing a couple weekends there in the New Year as it’s just inland enough to make booking accom anything but a random guess.

Your hire car will be on winter tyres, but I don’t know if on studs or not (piggdekk or piggfrie).  Ask and if possible request.  Very few people carry chains

Every time I hired a car during winter for Norway it had studded tyres.. Tbh I cant see how it would be possible without. Both rjukan and Tromso areas, rjukan was just ice roads

Every time I hired a car during winter for Norway it had studded tyres.. Tbh I cant see how it would be possible without. Both rjukan and Tromso areas, rjukan was just ice roads

Hmmm. When we’ve been in winter there has indeed been studs but the guidebook and various posts specifically mention that the Bomweg to the climbs is very steep and very icy and often needs chains. I think it’s an order of magnitude trickier than standard Norwegian roads

. I think it’s an order of magnitude trickier than standard Norwegian roads

Yep, fair point

Did you see a skier yesterday? Someone is reported missing and they we’re in that area yesterday

Sad outcome I’m afraid: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy9q0yzel3lo

Eh, which road, at Rjukan?  I’ve never been on studs there, just standard winters, ditto going Hemsedal etc . .

Just in case anyone was in any doubt it’s all gone a bit mild. Did Cruising in Sneachda today and although it was acceptably white on the bits that mattered everything was black by the time we got back down. Looks like that’s it for this year, hopefully 2025 brings some better nick.

On P1:

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