This last week or so has seen a welcome return to winter conditions with high pressure in control. I've managed to get out of the office and into the real one a few times with friends on both the west and east.

The highlight was last weekend when I joined the Northumbrian MC on their winter meet at Black Rock Cottage in Glencoe. Michael did his first winter route (Dorsal Arete II) on Stob Coire nan Lochan as well as the Zig Zags on Gearr Aonach. We were joined by a good friend (also called Tim). In the past Tim famously jumped off the top of this mountain with a parachute which equally famously failed to inflate. Nothing good happened.

A return to storm cycles this weekend should increase the snowpack and improve conditions long term. I was in Coire an t-sneachda yesterday (friday) and climbed 'Invernookie' with Sarah in wild conditions, with lots of fresh new snow being deposited.