2 Day Winter Skills Course with 5 clients.
Day 1 - looking at movement skills. Westerley winds forecast, headed into Sneachda to find some shelter. Tucked in under the Fiacaill Ridge to look at some foot work before walking further up and doing some ice axe stuff. Continued along to ice patch beneath Fiacaill Buttress for some crampon stuff. Very windy in here, some fresh windslab building just above the area which we took a look at. Walked back to the bottom of Fiacaill Ridge to do some self belay and ice axe arrest then walked out.
Day 2 - Very string winds and snow forecast, especially in the afternoon. Got an early start from the Ciste car park. Did some bearing, timing and pacing work in the area, heading up to the notch on the ridge. Winds starting getting strong so headed back down the car park. Had a look at emergency shelters on the slopes by the car park and snow holes before doing a bit more pacing consolidation in the car park. Snow gates were shut on the way down! A couple of hours filled in the cafe in the afternoon revising avalanche theory and navigation strategies and generally shooting the breeze.
Area :
The Cairngorms
The Cairngorms are ‘a little piece of the arctic in Scotland’ according to the SMC Munros Guide and the area contains many of the tallest peaks in the East Highlands. Ben Macdui (1309m), Cairn Gorm (1244m) and Braeriach (1296) are probably three of the better known and the whole area is full of steep corries and high plateaux. Access to the mountains is typically from Aviemore or Braemar.
