Just had a week working for an Outdoor education centre in Coniston. Fantastic weather and a great bunch of young people. Lovely weekend with the family and off to Scotland on Monday morning for a few days winter climbing. I'll update the blog at the end of the week.

Paul Platt and Dominic Hoare have just had anotherawesome trip to Scotland winter climbing. As a friend said when I called him 'Scotland is showing off'. Our intention was to go straight to Torridon in the NW but we got wind that Minus 2 on The Ben was in. We had a very cold night sleeping in my van in the North Face car park and walked into the corrie in perfect conditions. Minus 2 was fantastic, the first pitch is getting a little thin after a few ascents and care is needed but thereafter it's just brilliant.

We were having a meal with friends in Loch Carron in the early evening with plans for an early start to climb on the fantastic Triple Buttress of Ben Eighe. Once again perfect conditions after another cold night in the van. A three hour walk took us into the corrie and we decided to do East Buttress, a three star 400m grade 4,5. Well it was fantastic with cloudless views out to sea, brilliant climbing and good company what more could you ask for. 

Our final day in the north took us to another Cold Climbs classic March Hare's Gully. I had to be back in the Lakes forthe early evening so we went light and climbed the 3* classic in a couple of hours and back at the van for 1pm. Another awesome route. The weather was changing and particularly grim when we drove through Glencoe.

Another rip-roaringly good day winter climbing in the Lake District. Ralph and I walked in to Scrubby Crag in Link Cove aiming for Pendulum Ridge. The recent marvellous weather has stripped this route of a lot of snow, so we climbed Pendulum Gully (lll) instead. This was in good condition – some soft snow around but nothing desperate. The more technical sections were well iced. No wind to speak of and azure skies for much of the day. We ambled over Hart crag and dropped in to below its North side  for a spot of ‘bouldering’, if that’s the right word, to finish.

Ralph & I visited Brown Cove Crags on Helvellyn today.  Top tip; the crags are not in Brown Cove ! The approach from Swirls car park is relatively painless and there were a good number of folk around, walking, learning winter skills, the odd skier and not too many climbers. We climbed Stepped Ridge (lll). It's in good condition, properly wintery with just a little soft snow over hard snow and turf. We reckon its at least twice the 100m the guidebook suggests and the photo-diagram hasn't got it quite right - where the red line goes straight up after half-height and then curves right, it should diagonal right and then curve left - easy to figure out in the good visibility we had because in this section you find the ‘window' in the picture. A top day out.