31st March Red Tarn Cove

Fifty Shades of White      (monochrome images from  the whiteroom)

I've never seen Helvellyn and Red Tarn Cove looking so perfect, just sooo tempting to go and play in one of her gullies, and slide up the ice on the buttresses.

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Red Tarn Cove and Helvellyn

Red Tarn Cove and Brown Cove Crags conditions:
Striding Edge is in full winter condition and while crampons and axe are compulsory a nice track has been ploughed across the arete and it is well stepped out on any ups and downs, its a simple but fantastic classic winter outing right now.

 Big crowds of climbers were expected to descend/ascend on the crags and gullies of Red Tarn cove this weekend, the winter conditions turned up but the crowds didn’t, probably put off by the fact that much of the snow has yet to consolidate into some nice hard neve, and crossing any open slopes meant risking the wind slab which is wide spread.

Evidence of high winds and possible wind slab

Nethermost Cove,Striding Edge and Helvellyn

Nethermost Cove and Striding Edge

Striding Edge with Nethermost

No. 2 & No. 1 Gullies

I only saw one pair on the face in No.2 gully.

Netermost Gully, with the Chimney Variation (center)

Also Available in Colour

Catsty Cam

Catsty Cam Gully in the centre

Striding Edge from Nethermost

Brown Cove Crags had several parties out, I descended Broad Gully (mixed soft and hard snow, with a small amount of ice at the usual place near the bottom).

I climbed Central Gully along with a couple of other pairs, the short ice pitch at the bottom is good and the rest is easy grade 1 to the exit.