Arran MRT Cairngorms Training Ex

Its been a bitter tough week for our cousins in the Cairngorms MR teams, and it was with heavy hearts that a group of us from the Arran team set off towards Aviemore on Thursday evening for a couple of days training in the Cairngorms. The events of that day and the lives lost in the Chalamain gap were never far from our minds throughout the trip.  However it was a good opportunity to experience a full range of winter mountian conditions- not something we get often on Arran or for long, enabling us to train for those occasions when we might need a full range of winter skills to get around the Arran hills.

On Friday, we headed in to Glen Feshie and on to Carn Ban Mor.  Here the white room closed in for much of the day and it was a great opportunity to practice the navigation in a white out.

 Not much to see.

We also found an easy angled slope to look at the snowpack.  After some digging in wet soft snow we found a layer of very hard dry windslab overlying an extremely weak layer. Similar weaknesses were reported elsewhere by the SAIS at the time, and even now persist at locally above 1,000m.

On Friday we split in to smaller teams.  I joined Wally and Kirstie for some skills practice and a walk up on to the Fiacaill Coire an-t Sneachda. I wasn't on top form so I left them to it at the steepening and enjoyed a leisurely wander back in to the coire in mild springlike sunshine.  Kudos to Kirstie for climbing her first winter route in fine style.

Blue Sky Days

This week the island has been basking in unseasonal sunshine and dry weather. I've had two fantastic days in the mountains before the weather broke, in almost identical conditions of hot dry rock and a cool breeze- perfect for scrambling and climbing.

On Sunday, I was out training with Arran Mountain Rescue Team ( I am a probationary member), and we headed up on to the western slopes of Mullach Buidhe to practice some rope work and rock climbing.  Normally AMRT training sessions are hard work, but this had more of the air of jolly picnic on the beach, although we did do some top roping of some hard and highball boulder problems on the ridge, plus some abseiling and climbing on the biggest buttress. All quite leisurely really.

AMRT Jolly. 

Setting up for the ab and climb.

Top roping in the sun. 

Great views of Cir Mhor and Caisteal Abhail across Glen Sannox. 

On Tuesday a good friend stopped by on route to the highlands and we whisked him from the ferry into the hills. At this point I should provide a nice big plug for the company he represents, Mountain Hardwear, but as we lent him a load of non Mountain Hardwear gear for the day, he'd prefer to remain anonymous!

So it was back in to Coire Lan and up on to North Goatfell for a quick traverse of Stacach in perfect conditions.

The boys enjoying tremendous views from the top of North Goatfell. 

Heading off down the Stacach for Goatfell summit. 

Now it is Thursday and the rain has come at last.  It is sad to say goodbye to the sun for a bit, but the island was beginning to feel like a tinderbox in the haze from the mainland wildfires.  I'm relieved that we have survived the dry spell and the moisture will only help the wildlife. Good for gardeners too!