2 Strikes
22nd March 2023
(Above) A winter mountaineering skills group enduring the maelstrom whilst under instruction at the base of Easy Gully in Coire Ardair this morning. The weather was foul with storm-force winds, sudden gusts and persistent showers of snow and graupel right through the morning and into the early afternoon. Very nearly breached the threshold on my ‘3 Strikes And You’re Out’ rule (blown over 3 times) which would have meant an early exit and ‘WFH’.
Operating my camera had it’s challenges due to the overhead conditions. Could only manage a bit of crappy phone video in the Inner Coire where it very much felt like I’d entered the belly of some terrible roaring beast:-
(Above) Same Easy Gully group but later. Impressive staying power exhibited by these hardy souls. Whoever was instructing them earned his/her crust today!
Quite a complicated pattern of stability/instability. Strong counter winds did a fair amount of lee slope scouring however windslab was building in very sheltered locations above 950m. Saw frequent spindrift avalanches pour down the NE-facing crags and gullies of the Inner Coire, too.
Winds are expected to drop back a bit but snow showers will continue more or less right through until late Thursday afternoon so anticipate more widespread windslab build up on the same N to E aspects as today.
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Keith Horner
22nd March 2023 7:29 pm
See – even with no name, you got well and truly ‘pack drilled’ today – good effort to get into the Inner Coire though.
meagaidhadmin
22nd March 2023 10:53 pm
Re. Pack drill. Felt like it today!
Ruth Love
22nd March 2023 11:40 pm
You guys! Hats off. And I’m sure they were!