Lochnagar: The Stuic

There are a couple of obvious options on this face, both with steep starts through the upper band of crags, and both finding a way through the lower crags.  The line described is the most gully like.  Start just a few metres to the South of the summit of The Stuic.  Traversing in from skiers left may be the best option to get in below the cornice.  The angle immediately relents, and you will find yourself on a big slope which appears to come to an edge.

The edge is the lip of an awkward steep sided scoop about half way down.  It's worth scoping out the possible entry into this scoop from below if possible, as the entry is above steep craggy ground.  It appears that skiers right holds onto the snow the longest, and can offer the last way through the rocks.  It may well be that in good conditions, it's possible that a deviation is not required.  Once into the scoop, the descent is very easy all the way down to the loch.

The need for care in approaching the scoop means that it isn't as satisfying as other lines, but it's still a nice place to ski.

Directly below the summit of The Stuic is a line of crags that are about 80m at their highest.  Heading West from the summit, they diminish in height until short snow gullies can be found to give access to the slopes below.  The line described descends the descent gully often used by climbers.   It is characterised by a rocky pinnacle on skiers right at the top ("Stegosaurus Rib").  The angle is considerably less than the companion North-East flank, and gives an excellent ski to the corrie floor, trending slightly left once out of the short entrance gully.

This is a short gully to the West of the main summit.  It can provide a short easy introduction to gully skiing if in the area.  It is in reality a shallow runnel at a corner of the cliff line rather than a defined gully, but is worth doing if in the area anyway. 

I've labelled it "Feadaige Gully" for the sake of identification, as it is located in Coire Lochan na Feadaige.  The buttress on skiers left is called "Feadaige Buttress", so it seemed logical to use the name "Feadaige Gully".  There is another short, shallow gully on the other side of Feadaige Buttress.