I'm going back to An Teallach next month, with two friends who've not been up it before. I did a winter traverse many years ago and again in May about 4 years ago. We tried in a more recent winter but although there was very little snow, everything above about 3000 ft was covered in verglas and with the company we had then, it was a non-starter. Obviously conditions can vary hugely, but how hard have people found it in winter? The three of us are all pretty experienced in winter hills and not unfamiliar with situations where a-rope-would-have-been-a-good-idea! I can't remember if we had two axes all those years ago - would a second one be useful? We'll have shortish walking/mountaineering axes. What are the conditions like at the moment? Many thanks.
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 I've done it solo in winter Rob, but living up here, i am able to choose a 'good' day. With hard packed snow and ice, it is pretty straightforward. I've carried 2 axes before, and only used them because i had them. One is enough if the conditions are good. Conditions seem to be pretty bare all over just now though. This winter hasn't really started yet. It could start next week of course. If i was travelling up from the south, i would bring everything, and decide on the day what to carry. I should add that i've only ever done the round clockwise, avoiding any possible abseil going the other way.
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Thanks Mike. I think when we did it many years ago (1979?), we did it anticlockwise, but I'm not sure. I wasn't even sure if we'd done the whole round, hence going back that May to be sure, for my Munro completion. In the early days, we simply went to hills above 3000 ft as they promised better snow conditions, so I had to do some retrospective ticking... I do remember a slighlty dodgy descent though, ropeless, so maybe that was the abseil?
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Coming off Corrag Bhuide (sp?) at the end of an anti-clockwise round could be a brown underpant job. I would guess it's probably a Diff, maybe an easy V.Diff for 5 or 10 metres if taking it direct. Memory is going with old age. 
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It may well have been that - we were pretty relieved to have got down it. Not sure how brown though - we were young and foolish! But it was bloody good fun, a sort of sense that you could do anything. On that trip, we used the ruin at the top of Destitution Road as a doss (its roof was sound and we used the upstairs part), but had stayed at Shenaval before and since. I guess you know it well? Nice spot.
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You've got me on the ruin, Rob? What ruin is/was that? I first did an An Teallach round in the '70's too. It was a summer round, and i nearly came a cropper on the ascent of Corrag Bhuide. As you'll know, there was no internet, and very little written guidance at that time. There was thick cloud as i approached the start of the buttress, so i couldn't see the route ahead. It started to get pretty serious, and i thought i remembered someone telling me to head right (as you are facing it) if things get hairy, as that led to easier ground. I was totally wrong! I should have headed to the left. To cut to the point, i ended up tiptoeing on narrow ledges above the Toll an Lochain(sp?) corrie, and had a horrible reverse mantleshelf to escape. It still sends shivers up my spine. As you say, the fearless nature of youth.,
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Just looked it up - it was Fain. NH138792. Grand views from there - it faces AT and is at 323m. I have, somewhere, a nice picture of my car parked outside, in the snow. We used it for a few days I think.
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 The ruin is on the right hand side of the road as you head from Braemore Junction to Dundonnell, Mike, near the straight part of the road where it is level up the top. views from / to Sail Laith
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| Edited: 14/01/12 17:46 |
Never used that Rob. The guys i used to go out with insisted on a pub being nearby. 
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I know... We used the car to drop down to Dundonnell. Good times. Another handy doss was a few hundred metres up from the hotel at Ledmore Junction, where we got absolutely wrecked one New Year's eve - the Altnacealgach Hotel. Another good place lost!
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 when will you be there Rob? I'll be in that area too, mid Feb. Be useful to compare notes.
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Weevil, driving up overnight, Fri 3 Feb, walk into Shenaval Sat morn, unless conditions are not favourable for AT, in which case, we'll walk into the Fannichs and camp around where the old bothy at Nest was, or thereabouts. Then back to AT a few days later. Or something like that! Back home too soon on 12 Feb, short trip this time. You?
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| Edited: 15/01/12 17:58 |
Very nice! I wonder if anyone's been there recently and can report on the conditions? Obviously much can change in the 3 weeks until we get there. I guess that where one skirts round to the left to avoid difficulties, it's a south-west facing slope so probably doesn't hold too much snow - and it's not far from the sea so will be a bit milder.
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| Edited: 15/01/12 18:48 |
I have some rather nice pics of my own, too, from Feb 2009, I think, and May 2009, but I've never managed to work out how to put pics in here! Cracking mountain tho, whenever you see it.
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Thanks for the piccies Alex, awesome Rob, I'll be going up on the 10th or 11th, so only the tiniest overlap. Pray for snow, the temp has certainly dropped down south. will you be able to post fromup there?
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Weevil - won't be able to post, but if you want an update, PM me and I'll give you my mobile number. We coould communicate by text.
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thanks - you have mail
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) 
, dry with a slight breeze on top of a hill, calm lower down. 
