Fun & Sun…

Great day out in the Backs with Swampy today a Glorious day with the sweetest spring snow what more could you ask for….

We hiked up the front of the hill up through the Park area on the summit and across to Easy Gully, the drop-in was relatively easy onto the sun baked spring snow.

Slid down Easy and out into the expanse of Coire an Lochain and traversed over towards Summit Gully to have a quick look in to see what the snow cover was like which has great cover high up but on the mid slopes there was not much cover.

We then slid down to the wee Lochain and had lunch before hiking up to the ridge up into Coire Dubh and then up towards Chancer which is still holding masses of snow. The snow cover in Coire Dubh is the best cover in all the corries around Nevis Range very wide with some good descent.

The walk out wasn’t bad at all with no snow cover or ice walking around the Nid, it made it an easy walk back.

Had a real good day out with Swampy cheers dude, I look forward to another good weekend of Fun & Sun soon.

 

Back Corries 19.02.12.3

 

Happy days…

Brian finding his lines in Summit Gully

Paul delighted with his slide down Summit

First thing this morning the cloud had claged in with no wind and drizzle the order of the day.

By midday the Summits were beginning to clear letting the sun soften the frozen saturated snow from yesterday, that was our cue to head to Summit Gully to make the most of Braveheart Chair running.

The entrance at Summit had frozen up quite hard a shiny slippery surface shining in the sun was quite interesting but once in it was sweet.

Also took a look in at Brian’s Back Door an area where very few venture which looked good but was a wee bit risky with the icy conditions high up in the Corrie but will ride it once the conditions allow, cheers Brian for showing us your hidden bowl.

All in all a real good day riding with Niki, Brian & Paul.

Paul delighted with his slide down Summit

Brian finding his lines in Summit Gully

 

Join our Facebook Community…

We now have a Facebook page which went live on Wednesday night which has already got a community of 135+ friends and growing quick.

We decided Facebook would be the best platform for people to share their photos, experiences, information and to ask questions if your a Back Corrie Virgin.

We also want to keep you save when sliding in this amazing expanse of Back Country, so we will be continually adding links to Avalanche Awareness, Back Country Skills, Avalanche Reports and as much info we can fire at you to keep you save.

Wherever you slide stay safe…

Join our growing community now on Facebook

 

An Epic Adventure…

Wind shifting the snow into the Backs again

Kris ready to drop a wind loaded Cascade

A knarly looking Easy Gully

On the way to Summit Gully

Swampy on the hike to Summit Gully

Looking down a wind loaded Summit Gully

Mike Swampy & Bridget enjoying some fresh down Summit Gully

Swampy enjoying a peaceful moment

Never ending POW

Coire an Lochain looking up to Easy Gully

Hiking out over into Corrie Dubh

Over into Corrie Dubh looking at Braveheart Chair

Swampy hiking out, but we can smell the bar from here...

Looking up the line at Braveheart

Catching the traverse back to Pinball

What an afternoon thought yesterday was good but today….:)

First drop was with Kris in at Cascade, the strengthening Southerly’s were continuously loading cascade with wind-packed fresh which made for some real sweet turns.

We then headed down into Pinball Alley for some rock drops and some sweet alley hoops in the pipe like bowl then onto the traverse back to the restaurant which is complete all the way back to a very icy Alpha.

My second and final drop was Summit Gully, I hooked up with Swampy, Mike & Bridget for the hike across the Summit Plateau.

The winds were shifting so much snow off the Plateau and firing it down Summit Gully & Spikes we knew we were in for a treat.

The snow conditions compared to the front of the hill were unbelievable it was if we had dropped into a different country, the snow was some of the best this season with amazing cover.

We slid down just short of Braveheart drive and hiked up into Coire Dubh up to tower five on Braveheart the traversed out back to Pinball for another ride through some fun rock drops and pipe like walls.

It was good to see the restaurant in the distance the hike out is a real bitch for us snowboarders, hopefully Braveheart will run at the weekend to save the hike and allow me the energy to do multiple drops at Summit Gully.

It was great to Ride with Swampy who is usually busy working also great to slide with Bridget for the first time and that other guy on ski’s… what’s is name oh yeah Mike.

Not forgetting Kris my brother from another mother who is always a pleasure to ride with. It was also great to see Colin up with his crew of shredders keen to put down some fresh lines.

Weather conditions are set to change, some more snow due in with the winds to pick up but its looking good for the weekend for all those who have missed on two of the sweetest days of the season so far.

Its time to crack open the cider…:)

 

Bluebird day at last…

Back Corries this morning 6.02.12

On the way to a great day...

Mike the bike trying to look cool on his skis

Looking in from Chancer

Mike ready to drop Chancer

Mike putting down some lines

Kris pointing out his line

Kris high up on Cascade

Slasher...

Sun going down over the Ben

Last drop of the day at Chancer

Looking towards Braveheart Chair from a loaded Cascade

Not sure what to say, maybe nothing just let the pictures do the talking…

 

Here comes the wind again…

The Back Corries this morning 03.02.12 (Click image to enlarge)

The Back Corries this evening 03.02.12 (Click image to enlarge)

Well its been a great week for cold weather and sunshine but as the weekend approaches its all about to change.

The first image shows how the high pressure as kept the weather fine and bright all week, that was this morning, the second image shows the high pressure giving way this evening as the clouds start to roll in on South Westerly wind.

The winds are due to increase through the night with gusts of over 60mph forecast over the summits with light snow showers but by mid morning turning to blizzard conditions for a few hours before easing slightly.

Sunday is looking like the best day for possible uplift on the mountain with winds decreasing to around 30mph with some light snow showers.

Hopefully I can get rid of the flu which I have had for the past few days and get out on the hill on Sunday for a slide.

Where ever you slide ENJOY

 

Backs are Back

Quad Chair Nevis Range

Walking over to Chancer first drop of the day

Large soft cornice build up around the Corries

Here looks good....

Braveheart from Chancer

The slopes of Chancer looking towards Coire an Lochain

Looking up at Chancer

Braveheart Chair in a loaded Back Corries

After fresh snow mid week the Back Corries were shaping up nicely for the weekend and with the weather good and no winds at all we craved for powder.

First drop of the day was in at Chancer, It all looked sweet with around 6 inch of even fresh snowfall well that’s what I thought when I dropped in then slid 150ft on my backside before hitting the powder, from then on it was sweet snow with some old avalanche debris higher in the Corrie which kept you on your toes.

The traverse out is good down into Pinball Alley which was good fun then on to the top of Rob Roy to catch the unpisted run back to the Alpha Tow.

Its a shame that Warrens hasn’t really got the snow for uplift so you could get the Lower half of the Corrie Wingers, Casscade and G&T where the snow cover is huge.

Today, Sunday the winds have picked up again and the visiability isn’t great so thought I would give it a miss today and get out midweek, hopefully a few light snow showers over the next few days with cold temps keeping the snow in good shape will make for some good sliding Wednesday, Thursday.

Back Corrie Video Clip from Saturday
Pictures from Saturday Nevis Range Facebook
Video Clip from last week Avalanche in Easy Gully Nevis Range

 

Fresh Snow…

Fresh snow over the past week has improved conditions on the front of the hill with the Backs looking sweet, its sure to be a good weekend if you can get out.

Sunshine with light winds are the predicted forecast and with over 6 inch of fresh snow in the past 3 days the Backs are sure to be busy.

As the sun goes down tonight the temperatures have quickly fallen back to minus 1 Celsius at sea level and summit temps at minus 5 Celsius with light North Easterly winds.

Where ever you slide this weekend ENJOY

(Click image to enlarge)

 

A Sneaky Friday Afternoon

Drifting on the Quad Road at the Restaurant

Avalanche Practice in the Transceiver Park

Switching on the Transceivers in the Park

Warrens Top Tower Loaded with Ice

Top of the Corrie Walking Back to Warrens

Dropping a Cornice at Back Track

Looking Down into Braveheart into the Abyss

Braveheart getting Battered in a Blizzard

Looking Down the Side of the Warrens Uptrack

Pow Pow Pow loaded in the Goose

Managed to get a sneaky afternoon riding as the winds allowed us a rare opportunity of late to get out and ride.

Set out from the restaurant at midday towards the Quad Chair as Alpha was not running and there is no traverse across to Goose, but there were some large drifts around from the strong winds and fresh wind blown snow.

So access up on the Quad Chair then across to the Goose with uplift from tower 4 then to the Summit drive.

First Run was down a loaded Goose along side the Gully which still hasn’t filled in properly but the snow build up to the side was around 20ft above the base of the Gully, Only a handfull of folk were out so loads of fresh tracks.

After a few runs on the Summit we headed of to have a look in the Back at the top of Warrens, The traverse from the Summit to Warrens is minced I have never seen such little snow on the way across to warrens due to the Severe westerly winds ripping up the snow a shifting into a already loaded Backs.

Took a look into the Backs from Back Track but the ever increasing winds were blowing massive amounts of snow off the front of the hill straight into the Corries which was making visibility near impossible. Pushed a few cornices down to check out the snow conditions, it looked so sweet loaded with fresh POW but it will have to wait for another day as I could barely see my feet never mind were I was going.

We decided to head down Warrens uptrack then spend a hour in the Transceiver Park, Warrens was very interesting a combo of ICE – POW – ICE – POW made for some tense moments sliding down on the ice heading towards the towers but all was good.

The Transceiver Park is a great place to practise your Transceiver skills, you can search from 1 burial up to 10 burials. There is loads of information on the signs as you walk into the Park, this is a great place to spend some time when the upper hill is to windy. The Park is situated at the top left of the Alpha Tow.

Nevis Range now hire out Transceivers so there is no excuse not to use the Park or to be safe in the Backs. Nevis Range again this season are doing the Back Corrie Workshops which is a great day workshop based around back country safety and avalanche awareness which I can highly recommend.

Well the weather…. Who knows… currently very windy hill closed for the day, Sunday winds will probably close play but with the snow building the Backs loading we will have to wait a wee bit longer, it will come good, but when, who knows.