Glen Coe. 24/3/15

[Phil]

Went up to Coire nan Lochan on Tuesday; carried my alpine skis and boots up.
Climbed NC Gully 120m II.
Skied down Broad Gully- I nearly creamed! It was so fluffy
Hiked up the north ridge of the corrie and dropped off the side.
I need to invest in ski mountaineering gear! Alpine gear is exhaustingly heavy!!!

[John Workman]

Phil.
Good one. I'm impressed. Carrying boots etc. Its a pain having to change boots isn't it, plus the lighter the sack the better the skiing?
Only one criticsism. They may hike up mountains in the US and Canada but in Scotland we  never do. OK?

In the family gear locker we have two sets of ski-mountaineering boots, skis and skins - sizes about a big 7 to a small 9. If you want to try anytime.

Took a day off work yesterday. Biked from Arverikie up to a pass heading for Loch Pattack. Walked up Sron na Tarmachan then onto Geal Charn - the one with the fairly famous Lancet Edge - not far from Ben Alder. Managed to ski from the summit most of the way down to the end of the snow line. Snow was pretty good and not too fluffy - to use your technical term. And far less steep than Broad Gully I would guess.
Looking back I could see my lonely single tracks and turns on the snow fields. Made me feel like I'd been on Ski Sunday!

Try and get a day out together before it all goes for another year? I can take mid week days.

John

[Geoff H]

Great stuff guys. John that trip sounds super, that's why I got ski touring gear last year. So I'll defo be up for some days out next year!

Maybe there's a ski section of the Polldubh club?

Geoff

[John Workman]

Geoff.
Yeah. A skiing section -sounds good. I may yet get one over on John MacLeod?

I still missed what actualy happended to you?

John

[Phil]

John: I'm a size 8.
Well up for more days out like that!
You're right- can't understand why the Scots don't really combine climbing and skiing that often.
I normally get Tuesdays off; also I (consequently) normally go solo on Tuesdays.

Geoff: How's the leg?
Still sore I guess.
I was wondering what's wrong with your van..

[Geoff H]

John, somehow while coming down Flight I broke my left femur. Nice clean break, no misalignment no other injuries. As to what exactly happened to break the femur I really don't know!

Phil, the exhaust gas return valve unit has broken (into pieces) & is waiting on parts to fix.

So generally the leg is recovering, 2 weeks in the six for the bone to knit together over the titanium tube. Pain is slowly receding as is the swelling & amazingly boredom hasn't set in, yet!! I'm getting some movement on the knee with the reduced swelling. As they say to nurses, please get rid of the pain but leave the swelling - oooooo matron.

Cheers guys

[John Workman]

Flight ! Never heard of it.  I had to look on the piste map to see where it is. One of those steep Black Runs. I tend to give those a miss these days. Reds are quite sufficient thank you.
Hope your weekend goes OK Geoff. F/c is crap so your not likely to be missing anything.
I for my sins am likely to be chainsawing logs and splitting 'em. Aiming to still have two legs, two hands and ten didgets on Monday.