SAIS Avalanche Hazard Statement 26 February 2010

There will be a high avalanche hazard in all of the mountain areas of Scotland for the start of the weekend- in particular on slopes that are to the lee of the prevailing wind which is forecasted to remain strong North-East to Easterly.
Therefore slopes that face South -South-West, West, North-West and Northerly mainly above 400 m will be affected with very unstable windslab . Slopes of moderate steepness are currently unstable ( over 15 degrees) Natural avalanches will occur and attention should be given to avalanche runout zones in corries and glens.

The snowfall will lessen over the weekend but the snowpack will remain weakly bonded and the hazard may well remain High due to the continuing cold temperatures and strong winds.

Good route choice is required when travelling in all mountain and hill terrain, and walkers, skiers and climbers should choose appropriate objectives and carry out good travel practice.

Scottish Avalanche Information Service

The tragic accident on Buachaille Etive Mor yesterday is being followed by large snowfalls forecast across much of the Highlands. Some of this snow is falling onto a layer of surface hoar which can lead to a very high risk of avalanches.

We would urge all walkers planning to take to the hills to take heed of the latest forecasts from the Scottish Avalanche Information service. The forecasts for today (Thursday) include a high risk on slope aspects ranging from north through west to south in all areas. You can access their forecasts via this link. Take care.

Police have confirmed that the two climbers swept away by an avalanche on Buachaille Etive Mor have died. The two men, who have not been named, were swept up in the avalanche shortly before 5pm today while climbing on Curved Ridge on the mountain in Glencoe.

The two climbers in Glencoe were with a third man, who escaped being carried down the ridge. A group of walkers behind saw what happened and called the emergency services.

The leader of Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team, John Grieve, told the BBC: “Two of the party set off a very small, slab avalanche that just took them off their feet, they fell a long way. It was very steep ground and they fell about 1,500ft, right down almost to the bottom of the mountain.”

He said the other group of climbers met the uninjured member of the party. “They climbed all the way down the mountain, checking areas where the two might be, until they found their bodies,” he added.

Earlier in the day a man was injured on the north face of Ben Nevis after apparently being swept from his climb by an avalanche. A man was found in Coire Na Ciste after falling several hundred feet from an ice climb. He was given medical attention on the mountain before being flown to hospital in Fort William and subsequently, to Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital.

Many trip reports submitted to Walkhighlands recently have mentioned the amount of hoar frost visible on the snow surface; such a layer once covered by fresh snow increases the danger of avalanches. Other climbers have reported seeing a lot of wind slab on the tops and therefore the Scottish Avalanche Information Service should be consulted before any trip into the hills in the coming days.

The proposed hydro-electric scheme for the Urlar Burn at Aberfeldy has been rejected by councillors.

Planning permission for the scheme, which is likely to affect waterflow over the falls at the Birks of Aberfeldy, a popular walking and tourist attraction, was passed in April 2009. But the town’s Common Good Fund, which owns the land, said it would not allow the development to go ahead unless certain conditions were met. The Fund wants to see the developers, Green Highland Renewables, reduce the length of the proposed lease and look into the affect on tourism.

The development would affect the River Tay Special Area of Conservation and Birks of Aberfeldy Site of Special Scientific Interest. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) had previously raised concerns about the Birks of Aberfeldy’s small cow-wheat, a nationally scarce plant which is protected by law. The population at the Birks is the second largest in Scotland and provides seeds which are being used to establish new populations at other locations.

A spokesman for Perth and Kinross Council said: “The committee rejected it, but left the door open for the company to come back with a revised scheme once these criteria have been met.”

Neil Fraser, of Green Highland Renewables, said: “We will be happy to work with Aberfeldy Common Good Fund Committee and Aberfeldy Community Council to address the various issues that have been raised and we are confident there will be a positive resolution.”

Scotland Before Pylons and the Beauly-Denny Landscape Group have written to energy Minister Jim Mather asking him to reopen the Public Local Inquiry into the Beauly-Denny line. The groups want clear answers to outstanding issues raised by the decision to approve the new transmission line.

The groups have asked Mr Mather to respond to questions regarding procedural errors in the handling of the decision, the need for a Strategic Environmental Assessment, and an inconsistent approach to undergrounding. Two legal points have been raised by the decision to approve the 137 mile Beauly-Denny line. The rules governing Inquiries state that if the Minister has differed from his Reporters in a number of material respects, then parties involved at the Inquiry should be allowed further representation. In his decision, Mr Mather chose not to follow the view of Reporters on areas it was recommended that consent be withheld. By deciding to overrule his Reporters without consulting local authorities and other bodies, Mr Mather acted outside of his powers, under rule 21(4) of the Inquiries Procedure (Scotland) Rules.

The absence of a Strategic Environmental Assessment for the scheme could be a further legal barrier to development of wind power in the Highlands. The groups also believe the Energy Minister had the power to specify undergrounding along the route of the line. Section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 allows the imposition of any conditions which the Minister sees fit to impose.

David MacLehose, Chairman of Scotland before Pylons said: “These are important issues that must be answered. While they are left in the air, there are no winners in this process, only unanswered questions.”

“The decision was clearly an indication of short term panic, not the long term strategy which Scotland’s energy potential requires. There are effective alternatives to OHLs including sub sea cable which the European Commission has supported, and under grounding which is an
established good practice for transmission”

“This Public Local Inquiry process has demonstrated the need for a UK-wide transmission strategy. Pushing ahead with the Beauly-Denny line is allowing the private sector to put shareholders’ influence and short term benefits before national heritage and the health of
generations of Scots.”

“We are calling on Mr Mather to consider our observations and to reopen the Inquiry so that these matters can be resolved.”

Helen McDade, Chairwoman of the Beauly-Denny Landscape Group, and head of Policy at the John Muir Trust, said: “It is vital when there have been 20,000 objections to a development that the proper procedures are followed and the concerns of objectors are dealt with.

“Some of our most important landscapes depend on Mr Mather taking our points on board and reopening the Inquiry to examine these issues fully. The objectors believed that a Strategic Environmental Assessment would show that the proposed Beauly-Denny line is an unnecessary cost to hard-strapped electricity consumers.”

David MacLehose said: “The Minister has been disingenuous in saying that he has no power to require undergrounding. There would have been no extra cost to the developer as this would have been built into the amount of funding approval to build the line.”

“It is inconsistent that there are no proposals for undergrounding in the Cairngorms National Park, or across the Ochils, where the line will affect the view from the Wallace monument.”

The Beauly Denny Landscape Group is made up from Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland, the John Muir Trust, the Mountaineering Council for Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland, Ramblers Association Scotland and the Scottish Wild Land Group. Scotland Before Pylons comprises the community groups who objected to the application.

The future of two bothies in Galloway is uncertain due to a long series of episodes of vandalism and problems at the two open shelters. Forestry Commission Scotland is currently looking for the views of hill walkers and the general public over the future use of Back Hill o the Bush and Shiel of Castlemaddy bothies both located in Galloway Forest Park.

For many years, the Commission has worked closely with the Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) to provide the Back Hill o the Bush and Shiel of Castlemaddy bothies to hill walkers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

Unfortunately, both bothies have been subject to continued misuse and vandalism. In light of the on-going problems, the MBA has decided that it can no longer maintain these two bothies.

Rob Soutar, Forestry Commission Scotland said: “We have been working with the MBA and the police over a number of years to try and address the issues of misuse at both these bothies.

“Unfortunately we are now at a position where we need to think hard about the future use of the two bothies and we need to have input from hill walkers and the public on a practical way forward.”

Back Hill o the Bush was where the idea of a national bothy maintenance organisation was first mooted and led to the formation of the MBA shortly afterwards. The bothy is very well known to the outdoor community.

Because of its historical value and strategic location, the Commission will begin managing the bothy until further notice. Doubts remain over the importance of the Shiel of Castlemaddy building and whether it is a viable resource to keep open. The MBA will continue to maintain two other bothies at White Laggan and Tunskeen, within the forest park.

John Arnott, Chairman of the MBA said: “Our volunteers in the South of Scotland have worked long and hard over a number of years, repairing damage and maintaining the bothies as a safe place for people to visit, but we have now reluctantly decided, after consultation with the Forestry Commission and other local interests, to relinquish our interest in these two bothies.”

The Forestry Commission is asking for views by Thursday 18th March visit the website to add your comment.