A festive conditions and news post after whats been a busy December. Santa has perhaps not delivered us a white Christmas but has delivered some good winter days through December and hints are at temperatures dropping for the end of the Christmas week into the New Year. As I type the hills are snowy but this has come with some fairly heavy weather and high winds. A wild weekend before Christmas which did bring some snow and has begun to fill in the bigger gullies on Ben Nevis and even saw the Cairngorm ski area open for those who enjoy skiing on a tiny slope in high winds at great expense. It does look like a thaw over Christmas itself but indications are temperatures are set to drop over New Year and into January.
Its been a busy month with various days out both for ourselves and also the first Highland Guides winter skills course of the season. Campbell joined us for some skills in Glencoe which produced a good day for practicing various skills on Meall Bhuide before a very unpleasant Sunday saw us on more classroom based learning in the Glencoe Mountain cafe.
Earlier in the month we had a week of spectacular weather with good winter conditions and some very impressive inversions. Jo and I had a day in the North West Highlands on Sgurr Ruadh which gave one of the most impressive inversions I think I have witnessed in the mountains. The images perhaps speak for themselves although don't give justice to it. We enjoyed a couple of nice days out with a climb at Cha No and also a early morning ski tour on Cairngorm. Although the pictures make it look idyllic it was pretty firm and lean for the skis. Remarkably Cairngorm Mountain have officially opened for the season of snow sports. I have to admit although a keen skier and happy to enjoy some life assisted piste skiing I’m beginning to find Cairngorm Mountain a bit of a joke not Scottish Skiing but the way this area has set itself up. Scottish skiing is great but completely hit and miss sometimes good sometimes terrible but certainly far to unreliable to justify the resort style infrastructure that Cairngorm Mountain is trying to offer. Glencoe Mountain has opened for a day or two of skiing as they have a much better set up with less infrastructure and the ability to switch it on and off much quicker and take advantage of when the snow drops. The huge snow cannons and snow making factory at the foot of the Cairngorm slopes is ridicules and must surely have some pretty negative environmental effects. Surely the tiny slope at the bottom could just have dry slope matting on it and when it snows great if doesn’t no matter. The amount of energy and power going into this tiny slope is absurd. The defunct railway adds in my mind to a real calamity of a set up where some very poor decisions have been made. Anyway its Christmas so I should stop ranting.
The wonderful week of snow and sun was a stark contrast to the final week of military adventure training I delivered for the year in high winds and nearly constant rainfall. A keen team caught between seasons with some wild weather but not quite cold enough to warrant axe and crampons. We did have a good night out at the Sheneval bothy which sits in a wild location behind An Tealach in the North West Highlands. We did however leave in the morning to some snow arriving on the tops. I have not been to this bothy which has a great outlook over Beinn Dearg Mor.
We also had a day prior to wrapping up for Christmas with our Highland Guides induction/training day which we had in the Cairngorms. Unfortunately it was not the blue sky and icy day that I was hoping for and instead a very wet and windy day. That said as a training day and one for sharing ideas and discussing the topics we deliver on courses its perhaps no bad thing when the weather is poor and makes the decisions on whats best to do difficult. As with any Scottish season winter or summer the weather often doesn’t play ball and so getting creative and being able to deliver the course objectives when everything is stacked against you is an important skill to have in the Highlands.
We are now looking very busy over the winter months with people coming through on various winter courses. Get in touch if you would like a place before they all go. We are also ahead on bookings for the spring season in the Cuillin but first its the winter and fingers crossed for a good and snowy one.
For now though Happy Christmas and a great New Year and see you in the mountains.
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