Mountaineering experts have warned of the dangers of rockfall following a fatal accident in the Northern Corries area of the Cairngorms. The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) has serious concerns over the state of the cliffs in this popular climbing area. Yesterday there was a fatality in the Aladdin’s Buttress area of the cliffs in Coire an t-Sneachda, after a climber was hit by rockfall from above. And earlier in August, considerable rockfall was noted in the area above the Goat Track, in the same corrie. Mountaineering Council of Scotland’s temporary Mountain Safety Adviser, Monty Monteith, said: “This is particularly…

An important footbridge for walkers in the Cairngorms has been washed away in the torrential rain and flooding. The footbridge across the Derry Burn at the foot of Glen Derry – an essential link in the most commonly-used route through the famous Lairig Ghru Pass – was lifted from its foundations and swept downstream. This now means that, until the rivers fall back to normal levels, the Lairig Ghru is impassable by the main Luibeg branch of the track. The Mountaineering Council of Scotland has warned that for the foreseeable future anyone considering using this route should assess the situation…

During the summer of 2014, The Nevis Landscape Partnership will lead an innovative project to survey previously unexplored areas of the North Face of Ben Nevis. The project, funded by Heritage Lottery Fund, Scottish Natural Heritage, The Highland Council and Mammut aims to find new topographic, geological and biological data. “This exciting project brings together film makers, botanists, climbers and geologists to discover some of the mountain’s remaining secrets. We will also raise public awareness of mountain environments, their arctic-alpine habitats and the threats posed by climate change” said Nevis Partnership Manger, Tristan Semple. The North Face Survey will provide…

A new high level route for the Great Glen Way will be officially opened by Cameron McNeish on 5 August. The new route, which takes walkers above the treeline for over 10 miles between Fort Augustus and Drumnadrochit, provides a fantastic alternative to part of the main route, offering great views over Loch Ness on this popular long distance trail. The route has been under construction since 2013 and is suitable for all users of the Great Glen Way. The low route, which runs mainly on forestry tracks on these sections, had suffered sporadic disruption from forestry harvesting and some…