All I want for Christmas is.... WINTER!!!!

Mag's on the Creag Meagaidh plateau, top of Raeburn's Gully in the background

Well. It's been a while since my last post, however, alot's happened. MIA training.. trips to the Alps.. Lofoten.. more Alps... Scotland..

Back to business. Mags and I are in Scotland consolidating for WML assessment and getting some climbing in. There's been a big thaw since Christmas day, and we with a break in stormy weather we opted to go as high as possible thinking that's where the snow might still remain. We opted for Creag Meagaidh. Things seem pretty sparse after unseasonably high temperatures and oodles of rain. The Posts are all but gone, for now at least, the butresses black. Only the easy grade I and II routes look in.

We opted for Raeburn's Gully.

Mag's Walking into Creag Meagiadh. The Post Face looks Black!!!

Raeburn's Gully was almost complete, and showed signs of recent avalanche and some stone fall. There was a large gap near the top, where the gradient changes sharply, I deemed it impassable and skirted around on the turf and rock to the left. The top of the gully showed signs of the thaw, with a lot of water running down.

Mag's in Raeburn's Gully. .. Yes.. that is the remains of Ritchies route in the background.

The plateau itself was pretty soured and bare of anything but bullet hard snow. A thoroughly enjoyable day where we managed to make the most of the conditions and get some practice on steep ground for our WMLs.