Lakes Mountain Conditions - Helvellyn & Climbing

Helvellyn above Red Tarn

It looks green in the Cumbrian valleys but if you head upwards you'll find a good amount of snow and ice.

Photos are of Helvellyn above Red Tarn at 7.00 this morning. Number 2 gulley, V-corner etc look like they could be fun tomorrow morning - but I'd advise starting esarly for the best conditions and no crowds. It gets light around 06.30. The weather forecast is for a clear and cold night which should see a nice freeze.

Number 2 gully

On the tops the snow has blown across and the ground is well frozen so I'd expect great winter conditions with nice views for early risers. Don't forget your crampons though.

If you're looking for some "flat ice" to practice winter skills and especially crampon use (but possibly step cutting too) then I found some good sheets of ice above the path whilst walking. I was dashing down but if you are map reading or practicing your navigation I think you'll find it around Grid 355 158. But beware - always look at the ground below where you do any practicing and consider "what if" you trip or slip.

Striding Edge 12/3/10

I'm available for Winter Skills classes as well as Navigation, Scrambling, and Rock Climbing - but not this weekend. I can be contacted at info@MountainInstructors.co.uk

I'll be going rock climbing in the Lake District. Developing a climber who wants to progress to severe climbs, do retrievable abseiling ,and top ropeing. We'll also do some navigation, route finding, and although it will be chilly I expect to see a fair amount of sun.

Have a great weekend.

Beinn Dearg, North Scotland - a missed opportunty

We headed further north hoping to climb Emerald Gully IV.4 but I woosed out. A blister is coming and I have winter clients arriving in 2 days so need to be careful, also we heard warnings of gullys full of snow and  the recent news of avalanches. So we walked in optimistically but I felt in need of a rest and we turned around.

We had great views of a very white An Teallach, but this is a picture of todays objective, Beinn Dearg (not reached... this time)

We headed back south, breaking the journey for a nice lunch at the Mountain Cafe Aviemore 

There's loads of snow around and a few days ago Aviemore was snowed in with Tesco's running out of some foods.

More blue sky!

Forcan Ridge & The Saddle & Sgurr na Sgine

Late Entry - Paul and I did this a couple of weeks ago

A great day mountaineering with Paul in Glenshiel.

Just past a small bridge on the Glen Shiel road we parked and climbed uphill to the Forcan Ridge where Paul put his crampons on. We scrambled along the ridge, ice axe in hand, snow and ice on the rocks, to the Munro summit of The Saddle 1010m.

Paul led on, practicing his navigation across the snowy ground, and we climbed up to Sgur na Sgine 946 for our second Munro of the day. We walked down to collect the cars and stopped the night in the bothy bunkhouse by Kintail Lodge hotel - wonderfully welcoming and warm after a winter skills mountain day.

A cold winter day in the Lakes

Monday was a wintery morning in the Lakes with frosty pinpricks and a solid veneer if ice on the car. Winter climbing looked good for the evening.

The day was nice and a bit of lower level navigation practicing map reading skills was very enjoyable, scrambling up through woods and looking over to High Street; a wonderful long ridge walk across a whaleback of a mountain.

Adventures were shortened today as Dan and I decided not to ice climb at night but opted for mugs of tea and talking about rock climbing, instructor and mountain leader skills, whilst outside it drizzled.