Warmer and thawing

Heading up to North Ridge of Cairngorm from Strath Nethy

Old snow remains hard, Snow dissapearing from buttresses, rain on the tops today

Blue sky day

Sandy Allan on "The Escalater" Hell's Lum.

It's been a fantastic day in the Cairngorms with dry sunny weather and freezing temperatures in the shade. Lots of routes were being climbed in the Northern Corries. Hells Lum is becoming nice and icy although some routes weren't complete and diversions had to be made. There is a nice covering of new snow on East to South slopes of the plateau and conditions underfoot for walking are pleasant.

The Shelter Stone and Carn Etchachan.

Kathy

Snow at last

The snow arrived at long last this afternoon. We've had a cold day and conditions in the Northern Corries are limited but the turf and neve is well frozen. It's now snowing down to around 600 metres which should improve conditions in the Cairngorms!.

Snow followed by warm temperatures.

We had some fresh snow last night above 900 metres but today the warm temperatures and strong winds have started to melt it a little. Cold conditions are forecast again for tonight and tomorrow so it should repair the damage.



Looking out across Loch Morlic and beyond.


Coire an t-Sheachda taken today at 12.00.

Fierce winds and colder

Coire An T Sneachda midday today.

Coire Chais

Diminished snowpack, but what remains is rock hard and ice glazed. Some snow forecast overnight !

A wet, warm and very windy day.

Trident Gully area - Coire an t Sneachda

Coire an t Sneachda 11:00 hrs

Clear in the morning becoming progfressively warmer, windier and wetter. Good climbing conditions on Christmas day in snow gullies - still dry elsewhere on buttresses. Trident gullies looked in a 'healthy' condition today. Mild forecast will affect this though.

Merry Christmas

Topping out on Crotched Gully

It was a chilly day in the hills... Minus five on the summit of Cairngorm. Our pit was dug on the Chais Headwall but first we thought it would be a good idea to check out conditions in the gullies and yes the neve is nice and solid! Time to go and open my presents and eat some turkey. Merry Christmas everyone!

Kathy

Cold on the Tops

Upper photo : looking into the Northern Corries from Cairngorm

lower photo : Ground conditions at 1100m

Below freezing temps on the tops, frozen ground with seepages of ice above 900m.

Snow aprons in corries rock hard with poor runouts.

Dry buttresses with a dusting of snow.

Have a good Christmas !!

Windy conditions

Its still cold in the Cairngorms and very windy with gusts of around 100mph recorded over the summits today. Its forecast to be wet and windy overnight but clearing again for Christmas eve and less windy. This is a picture of Coire an Lochain taken this afternoon.

Kathy

Sunrise

The temperature inversion has now gone and has been replaced by a strong South-Westerly airflow. It is still cold in the hills and there is generally little change in conditions. This photo of the Cairngorms was taken at 9am today.

Kathy

Farewell nice weather

It's been another great day in the mountains, there have been reports of people heading out to climb some of the many frozen water courses in the Cairngorms, some have also been snow holing in Ciste Mhearad, (stick of dynamite recommended for the first half metre) and ski mountaineering on the plateau. Tomorrow the weather is turning belly up as a humungous front moves in.
Kathy

Fiacaill Buttress

Looking into Coire an T Sneachda from windy col.

Good but lean conditions, very firm walking underfoot, good for cramponing practice !!

Looking toward Beinn MacDuibh from Cairngorm

Firm snow on SE Cairngorm

Good cover on plateau, with sparse cover in corries with ribbons in gullies- icy patches and areas developing.

Warm air in the mountains

The fantastic weather is still with us in the Highlands. Freezing temperatures are affecting the valleys, but we did notice the layers of warm air as we gradually ascended into Coire an Lochain. It looks lean in the picture, well thats because it is, but on a positive note there is some sport to be had on a few routes and ice is continuing to develop on the easier angled ground.

Kathy

Pleasant conditions in the Cairngorms

The settled weather is continuing with much lighter winds today. Today's photo's are Loch Avon, Carn Etchachan and the Shelter stone and some nice burn ice formations. We did notice that some of the water courses are beginning to turn quite icy in the Loch Avon basin.

Variable conditions

High pressure is still with us in the Cairngorms. Here are a few pictures of the winter/summer sports in Coire an t-Sneachda seen today. Some brave, hardy people where seen doing a mass rock climbing ascent of Magic Crack (not White Magic) then slightly to the right some even braver people were on a very thin Alladin's Mirror! The most popular climbing venue today was the Trident Gullies.

Things are firming up

Heather, Michele and search dog Millie

It's been another stunning day in the Cairngorms with some interesting cloud formations. Even though summit temperatures were well above freezing the snowpack has turned quite frozen and hard in places. Kathy

A mild start to the season.

It has been a suprisingly good start to the winter with dry conditions and only moderate winds. There was plenty of snow for our pit today (over two metres) which was dug in Ciste Mhearad. A trace of new snow which fell overnight had bonded by morning. Kathy and Blyth

See you next winter

We had a walk into Lochain today. There are a few crevasses appearing in the top sections of the Great Slab. It was a happening place for wild life, the Ptarmigans are changing into their summer plumage, here a male and female chase each other around the Corrie. Part of the reindeer herd were wandering about too, they came over to say hello which was great. This is the last blog for this season from us, see you next winter and thanks for all your support from North Cairngorm.
Kathy

Where's the food dude?

There is still snow out there

Today's pit was dug at 1050m. There was a suprising depth of snow in the mild conditions, (plus 9) but the snow is still fairly firm at higher altitudes. Jacobs Ladder.

Happy Easter from North Cairngorm

Thumper

Where's the sun gone!?

We had much cooler conditions in the Cairngorms today with the chilly North-Westerly wind. Here is Sneachda looking a little bare as the slow thaw continues.

Spring in the hills

This is Coire an Lochain today. There is still a bit of ice around especially on the easy angled slabs, but we did notice that it was falling off in places. The snow is very spring like on the sunny slopes and still quite firm in the shade higher up. Lots of Ptarmigans were seen chasing each other around the corrie...it must be springtime.

Kathy doing the temperatures

Don't forget your sun cream.

Wow another stunning day in the Cairngorms.... It's never dull, these two Chinooks gave us a fabulous display of formation flying which was very impressive... Red Arrows eat your heart out!

The ski touring on the plateau is pretty nice; spring snow on a firm base.

Kathy

Warm and Misty

View into Coire AnT Sneachda
A warm day - remaining snow is firm and hard in Corries. Some stonefall noted. Ice remnants on crag and in flat areas.

Today's boys

It has been another glorious day with spring snow conditions on the plateau. Here Dave and Derek pose by our melting pit on the South East side of Cairngorm.

Ben Mheadhoin.

Hibernation

After a long winter season this clever little avalanche mole was seen coming out of her burrow near Hell's Lum.
She must have known that tomorrow British summer time begins.
Hell's Lum is still holding onto some very fragile looking ice in the warm temperatures. The plateau is covered in large linkable patches of spring snow.

Blue sky day

What a day...blue skies, amazing views as far as the eye could see, warm, good conditions underfoot and chicken sandwiches, my favorite. Take a look at the Northern Corries, we still have conditions, there is some ice left seen below on Alladin's Mirror Direct although a bit thin and firm snow in the Trident gullies.

Views of Carn Etchachan and Shelter Stone with Ben Mac Dhui behind. Kathy