Sunny, Clear and Cold

Coire Lochain
Looking toward Carn Etchachan and Ben Macdui


Good snow cover and generally fairlly stable conditions - large amounts of debris at the base of Hells Lum

Milder temperatures.

Winds were much lighter today and it was mostly dry with the odd light shower.
Below Lindsay steps onto her Rutschblock. After several bunny hops it eventually sheared on a soft graupel layer.

Coire an Lochain below.

Yesterdays Avalanche

Yesterday there was a large avalanche on the Cas headwall. The crown wall stretched the full length of the head of the Coire. This was caused by the strong Southerly winds and snow that arrived early Friday morning. There was also a temperature rise during the day. Today the snowpack surface has re-frozen but there is a large amount of spindrift blowing about in the strong winds forming new accumulations on lee slopes.

Today's pit was dug on the Chais ridge on a NE aspect. The top layer sheared very easily on a softer layer beneath.

Views into Sneachda.

Kathy

Snowfall overnight

We've had plenty of weather action over the past 24 hours. There was snowfall on strong winds overnight. The hill was storm bound during the morning but winds eased in the afternoon and the road opened again. Tomorrow should be mainly dry but its forecast to be a big wind day with gusts up to 100mph.

Localised surface sluffing below a small cornice at 550m.

Who needs to go abroad!!

Below Rupert enjoys sun and skiing on the South side of Cairngorm.

With good views of Carn Etchachan and the Shelter stone, Loch Etchachan and the Southern Cairngorms.

Kathy

Calm and fine

The Cairngorms were very pleasant today. Calm and mainly dry with great views which was a real treat after the recent arctic conditions. The plateau has very good cover, you can just about ski anywhere you like within reason.

The Northern Corries today.

Kathy

Temperatures still very cold

Snowpack temperatures are very cold at the moment (as low as minus 8.5) this along with the large percentage of graupel does not help consolidation. Many weakly bonded layers were noted within the snowpack today.

Kathy

Minus 9 on the summits

Multiple weaknesses seen here during a block isolation.

Deep drifts in places.

Alladins Buttress above with Mess of Potage below.

Flat light in the Cairngorms

This tent is covering a snowhole in the Sneachda moraines. Due to poor visibility and the shelter being completely buried under new snow I managed to fall in the hole landing on the shelter, luckily nobody was underneath, although we did check inside for bodies! infact where are our mystery snowholers?!

Below is Coire an t-Sneachda. Many people were climbing today, snow accumulations are variable from wind scoured to deep drifts.

Kathy

Northerly airstream

Its a cold wintry scene in the Cairngorms. Temperatures have been minus 7 on the summit and with the strong winds that's a high wind chill. At higher elevations during the morning it was more or less whiteout conditions. The snowpack is very cold at the moment and a large percentage of this is graupel. Kathy

White out conditions

Visibility was very poor at higher altitudes in the strong winds and snow showers. A lot of new snow has accumulated on mainly Easterly to Southerly aspects. A large proportion of this is graupel leading to a very weakly bonded snow pack. Sizable graupel seen on crystal card. Kathy.

Good Winter conditions

Looking to Bynack More and Strath Nethy
Fiachail Buttress
Aladdins Buttress

Good conditions on N aspects - freezing level rising to summit levels in the night then a refreeze in the day.

Frequent snow showers

This steep convex slope on a South-East aspect at 1100 metres triggered easily, note the small crownwall.

The Moraines in Coire an t-Sneachda, and below the Northern Corries.

Kathy

Calm and overcast with light snowfall.

Looking across towards Loch Etchachan

Clean easy shears at 19cm in the colder, unconsolidated snow. This was on an Easterly aspect.

Old avalanche debris on an Easterly aspect at Cnap Coire na Spreidhe.

Good Conditions

Generally conditions in the Cairngorms are very pleasent at the moment. There is Plenty of snow around especially on the plateau and winds were fairly light at lower levels with a few light snow showers.

Looking over towards Coire an t-Sneachda.

A Fine Winters day

Looking toward Aladdins Buttress and the Trident Gullies in Coire an t Sneachda

Snowpack conditions and stability generally improving but some instabilities in sheltered areas where the drifting snow is collecting, mainly in East facing areas.

Very Strong winds and Snow

A rare glimpse of the hills looking at Cairngorm and Coire an t Sneachda.

Drifting snow with instabilities in the new accumulations

Good conditions in the Cairngorms

Coire an t-Sneachda, with Mess of Potage, Alladins Buttress and Fiacaill Buttress below. Kathy

Heavy snow showers

More snow arrived than expected on strong South-Westerly winds. At higher altitudes new accumulations are quite deep in places from heavy drifting.

Recent avalanche debris in Ciste Mhearad.

Kathy

Blustery snow showers

Temperatures were much cooler in the Cairngorms today, with blustery snow showers at times. The old snowpack surface is quite variable with rock hard neve in some areas and a breakable crust in others. These groups were working on the sheltered side of the Fiachaill a Choire Chais ridge. Although it looks very white, the new snow at this time around midday was in pockets. Heavier snow showers followed in the early afternoon and the outlook is for more snow but winds are to continue strong .
Kathy

Mild, wet and windy.

It's been another mild day with rain during the morning. This is how the Northern Corries looked at midday today, the buttresses are back to bare granite again but the gully lines are still holding the snow. Temperatures are going to fall overnight and more snow is expected tomorrow..fingers crossed .
Kathy

Very windy and Mild

Looking To Coire Lochan from Glenmore

A mild and very windy day, hopefully the thaw will not affect the area too deeply

Great Winter conditions

Looking toward Loch Avon

Conditions on the South East side of Cairngorm some knee deep drifts on this aspect otherwise firm underfoot.