ally63 wrote:Thanks for that jmarkb. I will have the appropriate climbing aids and safety gear but only attempt it if conditions suit. I've been following the weather and avalanche reports over the past couple of weeks. I seem to remember Heather Morning (Glenmore Lodge) telling me during a winter skills course a few years back, that she'd climbed one of the gullies with her dog (Meg, I think). Not sure if it was Aladdin's. Anyway, I appreciate the feedback
It's Millie. Not Meg. With such a poor grasp of mountaineering basics you should maybe stay at home.
The crucial factor, as mentioned above, will be the avalanche forecast, which you should pay very close attention to, and not just on the day of your trip.
Also, you say you will have all the appropriate climbing aids and safety gear... It's true that it's not one of the harder grade 1s, and is certainly soloed often enough, but if it's a first venture into winter climbing a more knowledgeable companion and that rope might be well advised. Conditions can be so variable, and while good neve can make it a joy, deep powder or unconsolidated smush can make it a horror-fest. I also climbed the nearby Crotched Gully once when the entire corrie was covered in a glassy layer of water ice over smush - highly dangerous conditions and six rescues from the corrie that day. It's one of the reasons a more experienced companion is advised: you don't know what you don't know.