Applecross- Meall Gorm

Turquoise Gully our route for the day!

A good weather forecast was enough to get me out on the hill today, Davey and I headed upto Meall Gorm on the left side of the Bealach na Ba Road in Applecross. When we arrived at 8am the road was closed, due to drifting snow just past the Kisshorn Junction.

We forced the car as far up the pass as we could, but was still left with a good hours walk up the road. So much for Scotland’s most accessible winter climbs.

Conditions were far from perfect with the dry powder blown off the buttress and 10ft deep in the gullies. Anyway plans for anything difficult, were soon out the window and we went for a mountaineering romp up a ** III gully called Turquoise gully. The first pitch went from 10ft deep powder to unconsolidated and broken ice to a little neve, from then on it was a romp to the top.
Things warmed up as the day went on and I think a day or two of slightly warmer weather, would help to settle things down. With this much powder about it would be criminal not be skiing really, so that’s the plan for tomorrow.

The snow covered road leading upto Bealach na Ba.