Winter Training 21 February 2004
Cairngorms - Glenmore Lodge
(page created 23/2/04)
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The log cabin, Glenmore Lodge. Sleeps 12 and has a fabulous drying room - photo taken on the Sunday morning after an overnight snowfall |
| The gang musters on the Friday evening - first arrivals at 1700hrs the last arrival at 0100 hrs the following morning |  |
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Well the evening went well and Karl, the Team Leader's son, even managed to teach Rob Scott a few chords. [Pity he couldn't teach him to sing!!] |
| Heading out the following morning for the Cairngorm Corries. Not much snow low down but at least the forecast was for blizzards the following day |  |
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Dehydration is a terrible thing.... |
| ....but when you have a full day ahead and the temperature drip higher up is sufficient to freeze the water bottles in your rucksack........fill up now. |  |
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Colin sets up his ice axe 'T' belay while Rosie generally barks at everyone that passes by. Stephen is coaching snow stability / avalanche scores in the background. |
| Richard is unsuccessfully trying to pull out his snow bollard belay which wouldn't budge even with four trying their best. Sue is comfortable in her bucket seat belay higher up the snow slope. |  |
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Sue in the bucket seat belay, a very secure and stable position for a traditional belaying technique. Unfortunately it was so secure that we had to leave her there overnight. | |
| John, Sue's husband looking particularly satisfied with the mornings work on the high slopes of the Corrie. |  |
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Rob Scott - well chuffed with the snow conditions - hard as nails [ the snow I mean] | |
| Summit of Cairngorm - blowing a gale and five below freezing, not a place to hang around. |  |
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The following day brought new snow, higher wind
speeds and lower temperatures. There are at least 10 classic winter
routes behind them.
We had climbed up central gulley which is to the right of Rob's shoulder but turned back when we got to the ice pitches higher up on the face. The gulley was chock a block with climbers, all roped up. The rest of the group were climbing the Runnel (Grade I / II) . Jacob's Couloir (Grade I) is just to the left of Adam and has two climbers just finishing the rock step.
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| Sue and John Noakes, well togged up with air temperature at four below and strong winds. Warnings were being announced that morning of -30 on the Cairngorm plateau with blizzards due that afternoon. We hit the blizzard as we were walking out. The rest of the group would have been climbing out on to the ridge at about that time. |  |
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Would you buy a used car from this
man?
Adam heading back, into the fierce northerly wind |
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| One common thought.....let's get down to the ski station and tuck into an all day Scottish breakfast or deep fried Mars bar |  |
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It was more like being at home in the Lakes... we kept on bumping into other Mountain Rescue Teams, Penrith (16 team members) , members of Langdale & Ambleside MRT, Bolton MRT, Royal Air Force MRT. The car park was full. | |
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| Well here's to next year - a great weekend, good conditions and we met up with the Penrith Team in Aviemore on the Saturday night. Oh........and we did reinforce our snow and ice techniques so when the snow does eventually get to the Lake District we will be able to respond with added confidence. | ||
