Winters up and running!

Stunning conditions on Forcan Ridge

I’ve been across in Scotland for four weeks now, and after the slowest start to winter I’ve ever witnessed things have really started moving in the right direction, and not a moment too soon!

Winter skills, despite the lean conditions

Scottish winter can be frustrating at the best of times, but when conditions are so lean you really have to put the effort in to try and find a bit of winter. Thankfully although the over all picture was pretty bleak, there were still a few little spots of winter hanging in, and just enough to still make winter mountaineering days possible….climbing was a slightly different story!

Beautiful day on the summit of Cairngorm with UUJMC

Since arriving I’ve had a great mix of work, from winter skills with a few of the Irish university mountaineering clubs, a mountaineering course for peak mountaineering, and a number of private climbing and mountaineering bookings.

Climbing on a wintery Mess of Pottage

Ive spent the last few days in Glen Sheil and on Ben Nevis, climbing Forcan ridge and Ledge route with Paul, and Castle ridge with Julie. With a combination of great weather and winter conditions coming together we had a few days of Scottish mountaineering at its best, thankfully a few days like this makes all the frustration of poor conditions worth while!

Stunning views over Carn Dearg from Castle ridge