Cooler calm and sunny

A few routes were being climbed in Lochain today, underfoot conditions on the approach slopes are becoming quite firm.

Some old avalanche debris above the Lochains

Calm, and sunny

Lots of people were taking advantage of the great weather, ski touring, climbing walking.....
The plateau with shelter stone above

Even Scooby Doo managed to crawl out of his kennel... mabe he was looking for Shaggy!

Mild with light winds

It's feeling very spring like in the Cairngorms

Some sizeable cornices are still looming over the Corries, which could potentially collapse during these mild conditions.

Spring like, Cloudy and Hot !

Snowprofile site SE Cairngorm
Very poor visibility in the morning but clearing in the afternoon - a muggy hot day - snowpack is disappearing fast low down - but still a good cover at plateau levels.

A Sunny Day for Chris

Lochain
Shelterstone
Beinn MacDuibh beyond Hells Lum

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy,
The chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness,
Concerning all acts of initiative and (and creation)
There is one elementary truth,
The ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans;
That the moment one defiantly commits oneself,
Then providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur that would never otherwise have occurred.
A whole stream of events issues from the decision,
Raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings
And material assistance which no man could have dreamt
Would come his way.

I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe’s Coupltes –
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

By W.H. Murray, “The Story of Everest”

Sunny and Cold

Beinn Mheadhoin from the nr the saddle of Strath Nethy
Fiacaill a Choire Chais and Fiacaill Coire an t Sneachda
S side of Cairngorm looking toward Carn Etchachan
Snow is firm and icy in places with a dusting of new snow- this has formed weak windslab in isolated places where it has accumulated as a result of the recent wind. - Steep areas and convexities.

Cold and icy

Conditions in the Northern Corries today

Conditions after the thaw

Looking across to Coire an t-Sneachda, still plenty of snow around after the thaw.
3 ptarmigans shuffle around in the rocky landscape...not so good for camouflage.

A blustery day

Its been another mild and windy day with occasional rain showers... very spring like apart from the 90 mph gusts over the tops.

Spring ?! Warm and Windy

Northern Corries
Coirrie an t Sneachda
Very dry winds have reduced snowpack but it remains fairly dense and compact - good cover throughout.

Warm and Windy

Coire Lochain
Coire an t Sneachda
Snowpack is pretty saturated with many cornices collapsing and triggering surface avalanches.

Otherwise the snowpack is generally stable. Horrible weather tomorrow then cooling on friday with freezing levels at 500m - hopefully the thaw will not not go to deep.

A Change in the Weather !

Large cornice over Jacobs ladder climb Coire an t Sneachda
Clouds pouring into Sneachda

Snowpack has improved a lot in stability but some weaknesses remain good cover on the plateau.

Wet weather and very warm for tomorrow !

Drifting

This firm chalky windslab was sitting on a weak facet layer at 930m on a NW aspect.

Strong winds and drifting have continued in the Cairngorms for most of the day.

Another stormy day

Clear skies elsewhere but the Cairngorms have been shrouded in this billowing mass of spindrift and storm clouds for the whole day!

The storm arrived.

The storm was at its most active overnight with heavy snowfall and winds of over 90mph.
Heavy drifting in Coire na Ciste this morning

Poor viz - Big Storm Coming!

Storm Force winds developing over Northern Cairngorms.

Very poor visibility today - lots of new snow and windslab build up - this seemed to be well bonded low down in the moist and warmer conditions - high up though large cornices loom !

Fine day on Cairngorm

Lighter winds and sunny weather gave good conditions on the tops. Excellent snow cover on the Cairngorm plateau. Soft cornices and deep powder snow in the corries require care.

Cold, Snowy and Windy

Strong winds with much drifting snow gave very unpleasant conditions in the Northern Corries

Conditions in Coire an t Sneachda - No current avalanche activity noted in the corries. Very poor vis -

tech problems uploading clip - no image today sorry

Life as an avalanche forecaster

Sometimes we can't see a great deal but we try our best...

Blizzard conditions on the hill today; snowfall for most of the day accompanied by strong Southerly winds.

A day for Avalanches

After last night's stormy weather and all of the avalanche activity it turned into a pleasant day.
There have been several natural and human triggered avalanches today in the Chais headwall area and Northern Corries. This photo is of a triggered avalanche below the Fiacaill Buttress with an unpleasent run out through the rocks.

The large crown wall at the top of the Goat Track.
The debris from the triggered avalanche on the goat track this morning. Two people were carried down.

Precipitation arrived during the afternoon.

Precipitation clouds build over the Northern Corries as the expected front arrives from the South-East. Significant snow is expected during Friday night.

A Sunny Day !

Coire an t Sneachda from 1141m cairn
Carn Etchachan
Hells Lum
Bein Mheadhoin from Stac an Fharaidh
A good cold day with great conditions for climbing and skiing ( although a bit firm- just enough grip exists on the surface)

Warm Windy - Poor Viz

Northern Corries from Loch Morlich in afternoon
A much warmer day with no rain has improved conditions - All gone soft again today with another re-freeze for tomorrow !

Soft weak layer

As the winds increased on Monday a firm slabby layer developed. This overlies the soft snow beneath leading to snow pack weaknesses.
In this photo you can see the mixture of blue snow ice and windslab deposits. (Mess of Potage and Jacobs Ladder)
A tap test revealing the weaker soft layer.

A dry day in North Cairngorm

Moody looking conditions over South Cairngorm and Beinn Mheadhoin

Less windy and cooler

Spindrift blows across the Fiacaill Coire an t-Sneachda
The icy conditions underfoot left someone with a broken ankle.Alladins Buttress today

Stormy weather.

A real mixed bag of weather in the last 24 hours. Heavy snowfall, winds of up to 114mph, then the temperature rose quickly by 6 degrees C during early afternoon, leading to rain at all levels.

Blizzards and Windy

Slab release - blocks on test slope at 750m

Conditions before Snow arrival

Strong winds and drifting snow produced weak slab

WET!

Looking into Coire an t Sneachda

Buttresses getting black - Blizzards and colder temperatures on the way though

Very windy - Bullet hard snow !

Snowpack has re-frozen everywhere and is solid, very small areas of thin new snow can be found on East aspects - If you can stand up in the wind (gusts over 100mph today) great conditions