Ben Nevis (1344m). Ascent from Torlundy, via Red Burn. Descent SE via Carn Mor Dearg arete into Corie Leis and Allt a' Mhuilinn. Back out to Torlundy and North Face car park. Skins on at 900m in Red Burn - able to ski to just above CIC hut in Allt a' Mhuilinn at 700m. Total descent 650m (50% skiability!).

Grand beau!!! Cloudless and windless. FAFL around 1100m.

Left car park at 06.45; summit at 10.30. Initial intent to ski No 4 gully (return trip for me after 13 years or so!!!) but had discovered that it had been recently side-slipped leaving a death-trap trench right down the centre. Sun bathed on summit until the SE slopes leading down the CMD arete were baked to perfection and then dropped in. Perfect corn at a 40 degree angle for 250 m or so, followed by the headwall into Coire Leis on a NE aspect. Superb corn throughout whole descent, following E bank of Allt a' Mhuilinn. Conditions likely to remain skiable for a week or two yet! No. 4 will be a great ski once the current tracks melt out or there is a little more snow. No. 5 gully looks to be in good nick too, but has a more crucial narrow section. Cornices are not too massive, but a rope willl be useful to enter the gullies.

Pete Davis

KINTAIL
Carn Ghluasaid,Sgurr na Conbhairean,Sail Chaorain
from Loch Cluanie.

Chill Westerlie 15-25mph, sunny spells, mostly cloudy summits, light snow and freezing level>1000m.

On strips of snow at 650m and skinning on widespread cover by 700m. Ice and brakeable crust on W facing ridges but mostly nice firm base with a bit of soft on top.

Clare Hyder, Sarah Montgomery,Martin and me

Sgurr a Phollain near Struy Strathglass.

Parked at Inchmore by Struy and went NNW skirting Loch na Beiste to just below the summit of Sgurr a Phollain. Was hoping to make Beinn a Bha'ach Ard, but the weather was deteriorating and daylight running out so more or less retraced my route back.

Weather was sunny and the temp was well above freezing at Struy. The wind increased with altitude and the freezing level was reached about 750 metres. Cloud came over and the visibilty became quite poor around that height.

I was about 12hours too late doing this tour! The 8 inches of snow that had covered Struy had melted so it was a case of walking about 2miles till about 400metres altitude. Skinning was initially on patches of slush between heather but the snow became continuous about 600m although very soft and heavy. The last 100m altitude had icy firm snow.
I was able to snow and heather ski down to 250 metres.

Helen

h11lly at hotmail dot com