Tag Archives: Simon Richardson

All The World’s A Stage

On Sunday February 6, Forrest Templeton and I visited Glen Clova. It had been warm during the week, but we had a hunch that it was just cold enough to freeze the turf above 700m or so, and Corrie Farchal … Continue reading

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January Update

January has been disappointing month for Scottish winter climbers. The weather has been dominated by warm high pressure systems and any snowfall has quickly disappeared with sudden thaws. The dry air and associated wet bulb effect has allowed the remaining … Continue reading

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Iron Man Ridge

It’s been an unsettled season so far, but Wednesday January 5 offered a possible opportunity to escape the recent gales and storms. The weather was clearing from the west, so at first glance, the Central Cairngorms was not a logical … Continue reading

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Princess Cut

During the first Coronavirus lockdown in spring 2020 when we were only allowed to venture away from our homes on foot or bike, Mark Robson discovered an unclimbed crag on Ben Wyvis. The 100m-high Diamond Buttress is situated on Glas … Continue reading

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2021 Winter Catch Up

Now that winter is over, and lockdown largely behind us, I have summarised activity from January 4 until the end of the season. The Cuillin: Big news from Skye was the first winter ascent of Mongoose Direct (VIII,8) on Sgurr … Continue reading

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Updated Mini Guidebook to Creagan Cha-no

Just in time for the new winter season, the Scottish Mountaineering Club have published a new edition of their mini-guide to the easily accessible Creagan Cha-no on the east side of Cairn Gorm. The guide is fully comprehensive and includes … Continue reading

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End of Season Wrap Up

With settled high pressure and cool nights, winter climbing conditions have looked superb over the last month, but with the hills close due to Coronavirus, it is all been rather academic. However. I thought I’d take the opportunity to catch … Continue reading

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International Winter Meet Day 6

Two new routes on Garbh Bheinn was the big news from the last day of the winter meet (February 28). The South Wall is very rarely in winter condition, but continuous storms had plastered it in snow making it a … Continue reading

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International Winter Meet Day 5

Heavy snowfall overnight on strong westerly winds resulted in dangerous windslab conditions on the fifth day of the International Meet (February 27). On Ben Nevis this confined teams to wind scoured cliffs such as the Minus Face, where the three … Continue reading

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January Scottish Winter Diary

It’s been a tough January in the Scottish mountains with almost non-stop winds and long periods of thaw. Conditions on the mountains have changed day by day and have often been completely different from east to west. Here is a … Continue reading

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