After a clear night with temperatures well below freezing and an Alpine start (6.45am) I was confident the snow on the face would be solid enough to climb, some evidence of previous slides down the gullies had actually compacted the surface and made for an easy ascent. Some good neve was to be found in the places that the sun doesn't get to.
As the sun warmed the surface it became soft very quickly and I was glad to summit before the full force of the suns started to make a very noticeable difference.
The large double fracture line around the summit was evidence of the previous warm days, and were the cornice has overhangs it's only a matter of time and before they go for a big slide.
No:1 Gully is not complete in the middle
No:2 Gully is almost most complete with just a short section of turf (frozen at 8am) in the middle
No 2 gully (left finish looking thin in places)
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