Out in Coire an t-Sneachda both yesterday and today. On Monday afternoon I went for a journey around the coire going up to the col on the Fiacaill Ridge, up the ridge, down The Goat Track, up Central Left-Hand, down Jacob’s Ladder and up the Slant. Snow conditions were generally very good with firm/well consolidated snow. There is the odd crusty area and a few small patches where a weaker unconsolidated layer still exists within the snow pack. Fiacaill Ridge had lost a lot of snow low down, but there’s hard ice/snow on the upper section. Very light winds, some sunshine and temperature below freezing out of the sun on Monday.
Today I was out with Al, Peter and Sarah. We climbed the bottom section of Central Gully, before breaking out left on to the rib for a pitch or so and then finishing up the nice water ice near the top of Central Left-Hand and a steep snow exit on the right. The ice seemed to be the highlight of the day with a line of about III being taken. We then descended Fiacaill Ridge keeping to it’s easier West side near the top.
Snow conditions again were generally very good, with just the odd patch of crust and a notable hollow/weak area around the rib between Central and Central-Left Hand (probably a hangover from the facetted layer talked about in earlier avalanche forecasts). Overcast today, with very light winds and temperatures below freezing at crag height all day.
Many thanks to Al, Peter and Sarah for making the day as stress free as possible.
