North Buttress (no), NE Zig-Zags (no), well must be Curved Ridge

Alpine start saw us ahead of everyone on our way to do the North Buttress of the Bookle.  We met our usual Royal Stag on the way, just beyond Bridge of Orchy - saw him last time too, so he must have a wee howff nearby.   Glad we never saw a dead deer on the road on the way home tho.

Walk in with headtorches hid the fact the snow is collapsing around us.  We had a nice scramble up to the NB but it was bare so we headed for the NE Zig Zags, which we hoped might have something on it worthy of attack.  Sadly, our efforts on the first pitch came to nothing and Mark backed off after clearing the old snow ice that was there...it was just desperate stuff.

 Bare NB

Desperately soft snow on the 1st pitch of the NE Z-Z

We traversed over Crowberry Gully which has plenty of snow but it is all so soft.  We checked out Shelf Route on Cr-Ridge but it is stripped nearly bare with numerous black sections.

View up Crowberry Ridge - very soft slushy snow

Running out of options, it had to be Curved Ridge for the third time this winter.  It always good sport and has a real mountaineering fell to it.  We heard voices in the mist but saw no-one, and headed round to the foot of the first steepening.  It was very black and we headed up and finished off at the top of the open book corner then ab'ed off on three raps to the line above the Water Slab.  Huge amounts of snow but real waterfalls flowing and lots of flowing water under the snow.

 Rannoch Wall - ice was collapsing off it with frightening regularity

Havin' foon! 

Ab'ing of the open book corner pitch.

All in, a great day out but winter is a real burst balloon just now with little evidence of things improving with our ongoing weather of wind and rain....grrrr.

Anyway, some mountain biking for me next week, so the weather can do what it wants, as long as it's sunny with no wind!