Winter Walking & Avalanche Debris in the Mamores
Ronan & Toby descending from the summit of Stob Ban, Mamores, 27/2/2010
The roof of our Fort William house avalanching and a fine cornice on the garden shed were distinct clues that a prudent safe travel strategy in the mountains was required this weekend. So despite Ronan and Toby having travelled from London and Dublin for their anual winter climbing trip, we went hill walking. As the West Highland cloud base finally rose today it revealed a stunning set of white hills with a snow distribution reflecting the powefull blasting the easterly winds have delivered.
The North Ridge of Stob Ban in the Mamores had been stripped back to good stiff snow, ideal for cramponing. Lower in the valleys and corries there was some serious trail breaking to be done and high on the West Faces of most peaks there was a superb, pristine whiteness that, depsite it's appeal to the skier, needed to be resisted. Huge avalanches occured today both on the West Face of Ben Nevis and Meall a Bhuiridh in Glencoe.
Down at 300m on the West Face of Sgurr a Mhaim a seriously poweful avalanche had destroyed mature birch trees and left a trail of debris about 10ft high! (Avalanche Debris Photo link) A visual reinforcement, as if one was needed, that the last couple of days tea drinking, 'personal admin' and sitting out the storms had been a good idea. The forecast more settled weather should see the snow pack slowly stabilise but without a major thaw significant instabilities will persist anywhere that has been sheltered from the strong easterly winds, so the need for careful route planning remains.
Should be another good wintery week in store though, maybe see you out on the hills....
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