Climbed Brewer's Buttress on Castle Mountain yesterday. 4C with fog and some sleet at the hut (2390m) at 0600 meant the first couple of pitches were a bit sloppy, but the clouds slowly opened up after sunrise under intermittent light west winds. Although the conditions throughout the day remained amazingly atmospheric, the rest of the route was totally dry except for a few metres of seepage near the top.
Despite the wintry look just a few days ago, by yesterday there was nothing left of last week's snow on either Goat Plateau or at the summit. Likewise, the descent gully was dry but had just enough moisture in the scree to hold things together and keep the footing sticky.
There is still plenty of water to be found near the hut as well as in the approach and descent gullies and there are still 4 full fuel bottles at the hut.
Enjoy!
Carl Johnston, RG |