Am Buachaille Scottish Sea Stack Video

Late last Spring a team congregated in North West Scotland and went on a brilliant little adventure. Thanks Dave for putting it together in digital! 

The classic Am Buachaille sea stack in Sutherland, the far North West of Scotland. The Shepherd is one of the coveted "Big 3" sea stacks in Scotty along with the Old Men of Stoer plus Hoy and is the most remote and serious of them all.

MEGA

I've unconsciously started using the word "Mega" a lot this week, conditions have certainly been very good. Having had dump after dump of snow to road level, the mountains were starting to feel like hard work again. But then the magic started to happen, a steady thaw in the mountains, just above freezing on the summits for two and a half days. I was transfixed on the forecasts. Could it happen? Could this be what we hope for? Scotland can dash hopes (and often does), with savage weather beating you up again and again with poor "conditions", but this time things seemed to be aligning. Every time I checked the forecasts another cog turned in time with another. The lower slope snow disappeared, the higher snow consolidated but stayed, the forecasts suggested cold dry weather. It was going to turn very good.

Last week I've had the company of two very cool chaps - Diggy and Kev, while I was working for West Coast Mountain Guides on an Advanced Winter Climbing Course . Everything seemed in condition and we were spoilt for choice. Here are some photos from our week and a few from before with friends Alex, Miriam and Dave C. Absolutely Mega...

Snow

Good snow, bad snow, too much snow, not enough snow. Soft snow, hard snow, wet snow, dry snow, warm snow, cold snow. Weird snow, normal snow, fun snow, tough snow, horrible snow. Windy snow, calm snow, stinging snow, loads of snow, no snow. 

Some photos from the last couple of weeks in Scotland.