Scottish winter conditions - Ben More and Stob Binnien: First winter trip of the season! 10th November, 2013.

The steep slog up from Ben More farm!

Alpine (ish) conditions as we get near the sunshine and the summit of Ben More.

Ian and Willy nearly at the top.

Add caption

Ian enjoying the sun on Ben More, with Stob Binnien to his left.

Poppy.

Quite alot of snow on the descent to the bealach between Ben More and Stob Binnnien, with some cornices already forming on steep eastern slopes.

Looking across to Loch Tay.

Willy and Ian on their way up Stob Binnien.

Add caption

Stob Binnien summit.

Stob Binnien, 20th May 2012.

Add caption

Add caption

Add caption

Add caption

Add caption

Add caption

Add caption

Add caption

Add caption

At last! A view of Ben More and Stob Binnein!

Ater some deliberation over the road (dodgy), snow (deep) and avalanche (Cat 4) conditions in the Northern Cairngorms (Coire an t'Sneachda), Myself, Gordon, Mark and Willy, decided to head for either Ben Lawers or the Tarmachan Ridge as alternatives. When we could only get 50 meters up the Lawers road, we headed for Ben More instead! At 1174m, Ben More became the first, no doubt of many training "slogs" for Mont Blanc!

As there had been Northerly winds for the previous 2/3 days, we had good neve for most of the way up - even icy in some places.

Mark having the first of his crampon malfunctions shortly after dropping his axe which fortuneatly only went for a short slide!

Prior to this, Willy had thrown himself down the mountain whilst trying to create a large snow-ice ball to launch at Mark, resulting in an entertaining display of a self arrest!

Don't know if this is me or Willy near the top? Could be me surounded by my "aura".

Once at the top of Ben More, we were back in the sunshine with great views over to Stob Binnein and beyond.

What a difference from two weeks ago when we sheltered in this hollow out of the wind and spindrift. Now we had a perfect lunch spot amongst the rimed up boulders around the trig point.

Looking down from the summit over Loch Tay with Ben Lawers just to it's left. Spot the "face" on the rimed trig point.

Heading down to the bealach before climbing Stob Binnein.

Mark having more crampon issues! It turns out that his feet are the wrong shape-or something?

Attempting to take the faster way down, although it can get sore on your backside after a while.

Gordon approaching the 1165m summit of Stob Binnein.

Me having a rest whilst Willy "carved something" in the ice before we headed back down to the bealach and the car.

We told Gordon there was a weight limit!

Ben More, 24th Januray 2009

A very wild and windy day today as myself, Stevie and Willy, ventured up Ben More (1174m). After studying the SAIS forecast, we opted for a simple walk rather than attempt any gullies. We started a short distance east of Benmore Farm, on the A85 to Crianlarich. See map. Our ascent took us staright up the north-west shoulder, making sure we kept to the north-east of the hanging corrie on this side of the mountain. As we got higher, we had to struggle to stay on our feet and visibility would change from "just about", to zero in seconds! Spindrift was also another enjoyable part of our climb and it was a relief to find shelter in a hollow, just below the barely visible trig point at the top. As invisible as the trig point was, it didn't help that the inside of my goggles had frozen! At this point I did attempt, after changing gloves, to take some photos but my hands and my camera were too cold! So after some hot tea/soup and very cold sandwiches, we had to map read our way down the ridge connecting Ben More with Stob Binnein, to the bealach at GR 433236. It was only then we got any view at all our surroundings and fleeting glimpses of Ben More summit and nearly the top of Stob Binnein. From the bealach we descended west through, deep snow (almost waist deep in places), into the valley and follow the Benmore Burn back to the farm.

I had to "aqquire" this picture of Ben More summit, but imagine another couple of feet of snow and no view.

This too, would've been the view back down to Ben More Farm!

You can see the enjoyment all over our faces!

And again - why do we do it?

We used the Crianlarich map from the Harvey, Superwalker series - available from Amazon.

Alpine Scotland from Ben Lawers, 29th November 2008

Almost alpine conditions across Scotland today, as myself and the Gunner (Stevie), took a trip up Ben Lawers, see map, our first "proper" winter day out this year. After a testing drive up towards the Lawers Visitor Centre, and some time spent helping a couple of drivers stuck in the snow, we finally set off for Beinn Ghlas. Until we stopped at it's summit, we broke the trail for the (only) eight or so people that followed. From then on, we let another older but sadly fitter chap lead the way! We had hoped to maybe find some grade I/II gullies in Beinn Ghlas's eastern corries to run through some simple ropework. However as there was so much fresh snow around, easily up to three or four feet in some drifts, we decided against it and went for Lawers summit instead.

As the clouds cleared, we got to see the summit of Ben Lawers from the ridge betweeen it and Beinn Ghlas.

The southern buttress's of Ben Lawers covered in fresh snow.

On the final slopes up to the summit with Beinn Ghlas in the backgound and the Tarmachans to the right.

The summit with it's first visitor of the day enjoying his lunch!

Ben Nevis and the CMD covered in snow, and sunshine!

360 view from Ben Lawers summit; snow as far as the eye can see!

Stevie enjoying the afternoon sun on the descent .

Watching the sun set over Stob Binnein and Ben More as we headed back to the visitor centre car park.