Unsettled weather..

It has been a varied week for me back in the UK, with some quite unsettled weather in recent days.

This week I have largely been involved with providing climbing wall training in my role as Technical Advisor for Derbyshire County Council and Rockcity Climbing Centre.

While I have been inside it appears that many folk have been quick of the mark, making use of the recent snowfall in the Scottish Highlands. Ian Parnell and John Winter climbed a new direct start to 'Prore' (VII,7) in the northern cairngorms while Tim Blakemore and Steve Ashworth repeated the modern classic 'Sioux Wall' (VIII,8). More recently Rob Jarvis and Nick Carter have been out in the Cairngorms again today.

This suggests that the winter could well be shaping up for a colder than average start. Reports from the Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) are due to start on Friday the 14th December (check out the links on the right)..