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Creag Meagaidh - Sun 6th Mar 2011
Posted by: AlTodd at 07.18hrs on Wed 9th Mar 11

View Photos
:: Route(s)
The Wand
:: Route Grade
Grade V
:: Weather Conditions
Cloudy most of the day, freezing circa 900m.
:: Climbing Conditions
Ice on the route in first class condition. Other routes affected by the recent thaw to varying degrees - 59 Face route totally gone and crux of Smiths looking blank. Post Face thin especially South Post. Last Post climbed the previous day and Centre post looking fine. Staghorn broken and the lower section of South Pipe Direct melted out. Pumpkin in condition but thin as was Diadem. All other inner corrie routes fine other than overhung by massive sagged cornices in several areas especially to the right end
:: Climbers
Al Todd / Pedro Tavares
:: E-Mail Contact
alistairtodd at tiscali dot co dot uk

Creag Meagaidh - Sat 6th Feb 2010
Posted by: AlTodd at 17.48hrs on Mon 8th Feb 10

View Photos
:: Route(s)
Diadem
:: Route Grade
Grade IV
:: Weather Conditions
Low cloud, no wind, freezing level circa 600m but rising during the day.
:: Climbing Conditions
Good nick on all routes with multiple ascents of many of the lines especially popular being Staghorn, Smiths and the pumpkin. Icing covering all the rocks above 750m.
Complete snow cover for touring above about 750m with an obvious good descent line dropping well down into the coire following the burn lines at grid ref 454 882

:: Climbers
A Todd / R Plenderleith
:: E-Mail Contact
alistairtodd at tiscali dot co dot uk

Creag Meagaidh - Sat 12th Apr 2008
Posted by: AlTodd at 09.00hrs on Mon 14th Apr 08

View Photos
:: Route(s)
Skied around the tops with good views into the Coire
:: Route Grade
Not Applicable
:: Weather Conditions
Intermittant cloude with some fresh snow. Freezing level 650 - 700m (foot of the routes)
:: Climbing Conditions
See attached pics and make your own mind up. The Post Face looks very banked with Centre and South Post Direct Probably no harder than 3. Last Post and North post looked in good nick with particularly good looking ice on the crux of North Post. Staghorn and South Pipe Direct were similarly banked out. On the Inner Coire Pumpkin, The Wand and Diadem were all there and looked in good nic although unable to determine the quality of the ice. Smiths and Ritchies were both loaded with snow and almost certainly all ice is buried under vertical powder. The Fly and 59 Face route incomplete. Route of the moment is definately the Crab Crawl which looked magnificent
:: E-Mail Contact
alistairtodd at tiscali dot co dot uk

Creag Meagaidh - Thu 25th Mar 2004
Posted by: Guest at 17.15hrs on Fri 26th Mar 04
:: Route(s)
Coire Ardair Inner Coire. Route climbed Diadem. Access path clear until the lochain then snow up towards the window. Great cover on the plateau for ski touring. The post face was plastered so it was hard to make out the ice on the routes...some such as Last Post and Centre Post certainly looked ok from the distance. South Pipe Direct had a nice blue ice pillar and looked easily climbable although Pumpkin was very very thin and not fully formed. All the easier lines were well filled with snow but many had corniced exits.
:: Route Grade
Not Applicable
:: Weather Conditions
Temperature was higher than forecasted with rain and sleet at the foot of the route and some worrying wet snow slides and stone / moss fall off the buttresses. The coire was pretty sheltered from the winds.
:: Climbing Conditions
Reasonable trail breaking up the Sash on wettish snow which consolidated instantly on kicking steps. Some minor but worrying wet snow slides running down the gully made us almost turn back....Fiona thought she'd been avalanched! Spindrift on the route! The Wand looked excellent and had some good ice that would take ice screws. We elected to climb Diadem as I hadn't climbed it for years. It looked very snowy so I thought I could say it wasn't in nick and retire gracefully...but plan foiled...it actually had great single swing ice axe placements and good ice after clearing in places underneath. The ice took one good ice screw and several tied off screws. Good rock gear on right wall was there just where needed or the ice thinned on the steep corner pitch...it's steeper than it looks and feels very similar to the Wand! The final easy pitches to the plateau had a horrible overhung cornice and were Fiona's....but thankfully they were easily bypassed on the left exit ;-)

Very quiet with only one other party climbing in the Coire on Glass Slipper and a couple of hillwalkers heading towards the Window.

I was actualy surprised at the amount of climbable ice on Meggy as many reports had suggested otherwise..........whether it will still be there after the forecast milder spell and refreeze remains to be seen...nice walk though!
:: Climbers
Ron Walker and Fiona Chappell

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