Scottish winter conditions - Twin Ribs, Fiacaill Buttress, Coire an t-Sneachda - 2nd March 2014

Ian, Willy and myself followed what seemed like loads of people into Coire an t-Sneachda, battling against the wind and spindrift as we headed towards the Twin Ribs. It wasn't until we got almost below the Fiacaill Buttress that we got some shelter form the cold southerly wind, whipping up the snow around the coire. 

Teams below Aladdins Buttress. No one seemed to be on the Mess of Pottage, Jacobs Ladder and Trident Gullies...for obvious reasons! We saw a couple of Teams head up to Faicaill Couloir, which looked okay, but not wanting to wait around, we stuck with plan A, and went up the Twin Ribs.  

We only saw two teams on the ribs (whilst we were on them), one roped, the other solos. Sadly the roped team got to the bit of ice first that I was hoping to use my new ice screws on! 

The snow was a mix of neve, small bits of ice and some powder, but not too much to be a concern through the broken ground up to the Fiacaill Ridge.  

Willy belaying on the Twin Ribs. When we gained the ridge we saw more teams traversing it and one team coming up from Coire nan Lochan. We attempted to get shelter on a snow scoop whilst we had some lunch, but the spindrift was getting into everything, so we put the rope away and move on to the plateau. At the end of the ridge, the wind was at it's worst, and I felt for the guy having having to belay his team out of the couloir, whilst he sat in the freezing wind!       

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We took a wide berth round the Goat Track, and headed east over to 1141. At this point things were pretty atmospheric as the wind transported snow was racing across the plateau.

Definitley a goggles day on the Cairngorm Plateau!

Looking back to Aladdins Buttress and Aladdins Couloir from near 1141.  

Fiacaill Ridge, with the Twin Ribs just left of centre below the low point of the ridge. Fiacaill Buttress and Couloir to the left. 

HD Video of the day.

Aladdin's Couloir, Coire an t-Sneachda, 4th January 2009

Mark and myself were in Coire an t-Sneachda today to do the grade I, Aladdin's Couloir. See map. Today the weather was milder than our previous two visits to Coire an t-Sneachda , however with low cloud we weren't treated to the same views. The forecast said occaisional light snow flurries, which turned out to be non stop! Although never too heavy to affect visibilty (the fog did that), snow was starting to accumulate on the route, but there were some small areas of windslab starting to form. The snow is set to continue overnight which will increase the avalanche risk.

Just above the start of Aladdin's Couloir, looking up to the corner and the small section of ice; about 2 metres which was easily negotiated.

Mark heading up the Couloir towards the area where Aladdin's Mirror joins the route. Looking down a deserted Aladdin's Couloir. We only saw one other party going up, although there were other teams on other routes that we couldn't identify from below. Once we reached the top (no cornice), we headed west to descend the Goat Track, and then back to the Ski Centre.

Coire an t-Sneachda in better weather! Aladdin's Couloir is the dog leg gully rising left of centre.

Snow Bunting enjoying a ham sandwhich near the stretcher box.

Snowman on Loch Morlich.

We used the Cairngorm map from the Harvey, Superwalker series, and the Cicerone guide to winter climbs in the Cairngorms, - both available from Amazon.

Fiacaill Ridge, Goat Track and Unknown gully - Cairngorms, 28th April 2008

Myself and Mark went up to the Cairngorms today, parking at the ski centre, and heading off SW, towards Coire an t' Sneachta and the Fiacaill Ridge.

Mark on his way up to the ridge, with Loch Morlich in the background (ski centre hidden from view to the right).

Our first view of Coire an t' Sneachta , still with plenty of snow in the gullies. The ridge is fairly straightforward at grade 1, although fully iced and in foul weather conditions it would be a different route altogether. We took the rope just in case, but apart from practising moving together and using natural belays etc , it wasn't needed. If you look closely at the snow gully , you'll see old footprints from a previous climb! (not us though!). The remainder of the ridge is more great, grade 1 scrambling, taking any line you want and is it was largely free of snow and ice proved fairly easy. Looking across into the coire with our line of descent, The Goat Track tucked away in the bottom right hand corner. At the top of Cairn Lochan, 1215m, we had some lunch, then prepared for take off at the top of The Goat Track.

Looking back up The Goat Track at our bumslide tracks.

However, we were beaten to the bottom by a lone skier, who then took of his skis and proceeded to climb back up again!

Mark on his way up a yet to be identified gully. The view across the plateau, with ski tourers and their tracks just visible in the middle distance. Still some big cornices waiting to collapse over the steeper crags of the coire. Mark pretending to navigate! Cairn Toul, 1291m and Sgor an Lochan Uaine, 1285m, as seen from across the plateau.