Self reliance is a fundamental principle of mountaineering. By participating we accept this and take responsibility for the decisions we make. These Conditions Reports are intended to help you make good decisions. They do not remove the need for you to make your own judgements when out in the hills.

Saturday 27 December 2014


While some people enjoyed a Christmas Day present of climbing Point Five Gully or Tower Ridge I was tucking into a turkey dinner! Today though I was back out on Ben Nevis with Jack and Jackie enjoying some brilliant weather after a wee fall of snow last night. With very little wind the fresh snow was light and airy and the older stuff underneath was quite well bonded where we were so the avalanche hazard is not too bad. In fact, what breeze there was came in from the NW so it was blowing up most of the crags.


All this made for great climbing conditions. Jack and Jackie are just starting out on winter mountaineering ridges after doing some climbing in Ecuador. Ledge Route is very well filled in with no ice at all and most of the rocks are looking white with rime. There were a few teams climbing Green Gully today and one in Thompson's Route as well. Apart from that it was quite quiet which was a shame because there are very many climbs in nice icy condition on Ben Nevis.


High pressure will give us cold frosty nights and calm sunny days for a wee while so make sure you get out climbing if you can for some middle of winter sunshine. Make sure to take sunglasses though!






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