Joe just above the crux, Central Right Hand, Ben Nevis

Out on the Ben today with Joe. Friends had climbed Italian Right Hand yesterday so that was plan A but looking across the corrie it seemed to have quite a bit of fresh snow on it, it mat have been an illusion of eyesight but we carried on up the Corrie. Teams were out on Green & Comb gullies and friends climb Cascade, apparently quite steep at the moment. Others were about but the cloud have set in by then so we couldn’t see where they were. We headed on up to Central Right Hand on Creag Coire na Ciste which was quite different to when I climbed it 3 weeks ago, a lot fatter and easier, maybe soft touch IV now rather than hard IV or even V then. Dave with his Plas Y Brenin clients headed up the left hand variation and also found good snow ice. We made use of the hard work someone has done putting a big slot into the cornice in Number 4 gully descending as light snow flurries fell.

A day of benigh weather and more settled weather for the next few days, lovely!

There is ice building on higher routes, even Mega Route X is getting there maybe? However there is quite a bit of fresh snow in places and it is burying some of the ice which may not be as good quality underneath or perhaps as thick as you would want. Being selective in route choice is probably  wise.