Stunning conditions in the Cairngorms
This weekend I've been running some winter training for members of Langdale & Ambleside Mountain Rescue Team. They braved the journey north to the Cairngorms leaving behind a very snowy Lake District!
However by the time they got home on Sunday night a major thaw meant that a water rescue capability was probably more use! Saturday gave us blue skies but a strong wind that was moving plenty of fresh snow around. We spent a considerable amount of time looking at avalanche avoidance and rescue strategies. There was multiple layers of windslab in sheltered locations and we were able to trigger a number of small slides. We were also able to look at winter belays and emeregncy snow shelters
Saturday evening was the Association of Mountaineering Instructors AGM at Glenmore Lodge which proved very successful with 100% support for a number of measures to increase our professionalism.
The snow pack was much reduced on Sunday with the temperature having risen above the summits during the night but the remaining snow had refrozen giving us a very fast paced ice axe arrest session. A wee bit of winter navigation and goggles were donned for a trip to the top of Cairngorm in pleasantly full on conditions!
Working an avalanche probe line
Plenty of snow being moved around
Your stereotypical Mountain Rescuer!!
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