Snowfall arrived in the afternoon

Beinn Mheadhoin from the SE side of Cairngorm just before the bad weather arrived.

Looking towards the fords of Avon

Drifting at 800m as wind and snowfall on Southerly winds arrived during the early afternoon.

A fleeting glimpse of Coire an Sneachda between blizzards.

Poor visibility at times with a breakable crust underfoot.

Snow showers from the North-West

Snow drifting over Fiacaill Sneachda ridge

Colder with rock hard snow patches.

Looking West from Cairngorm to Sgorans
Coire an T Sneachda, Cairn Toul Beyond
Looking toward Creagan a Choire Etchachain
Hells Lum and Ben Macdui
Coire an Lochain
Coire an t Sneachda

Very Windy and Warm

Looking at the Norther Corries from Glenmore
Snowpack that remains is hanging on by a thread in this warm wind, it was 8 degrees c today at 750m, max gust in last 24hrs 140mph !!

Getting colder with some snow tomorrow.

Happy Christmas from North Cairngorm

Our pit today was rather soggy and water logged at ground level. Mild conditions with maximum gusts of 137 mph on Cairngorm summit.
Gale force winds over Cairngorm summit. If you listen carefully you can just about hear the distant ring of Santa's sleigh bells!

Coire an Lochain.

Coire an t-Sneachda. The dusting of new snow soon melted as the freezing level rose to above the summits around midday.

Thanks to our sponsors for our nice new jackets. I ended the day home and dry. It was a good test day for them in the strong winds and rain (gusts of 108mph over the summits).

Re-freeze after the thaw.

A flock of Ptarmigan march across the chais ridge. Not a lot left in the Corries
Today's snow profile was on the Chais ridge at 1000 metres. Soft snow under a hard crust.

Stripped to the Bare Bones !

looking up to the Northern Corries from Glenmore - a depressing site after the good snowcover and conditions of a few days ago
Looking at the cliffs of Coire an Lochain - a very windy and mild day that has eaten the snow away !!

Bitterly Cold and Windy on the Tops

Looking toward the Spey Valley
Corrie an t Sneachda
Looking West From Cairngorm

Wind on the Tops

Heading towards Windy Col with the cliffs of Coire an t Sneachda beyond

Looking over the Coire an Lochain


Todays snow profiles was at Cnap Coire na Spreidhe on an Easterly aspect.


Snow cover is good in places, but quite rocky and icy in some areas.

Thick cloud developed quickly over the Cairngorms turning the day into a real pea souper. The snow pack is very cold and dry with a steep temperature gradient near the surface. Walking conditions in Lochain were generally good but we avoided the watery boulder section just North of the Lochans as any lurking ice wasn't frozen enough to walk on.

Stanley dog is thrilled to assist whilst the snow profile is being dug.

Cold and Clear

Mess of Potage crag sneachda


Coire an Lochain
Looking to Aviemore from Sneachda
Coire an t Sneachda
Coire an t Sneachda from Cairngorm
Heading toward Loch Avon

Lovely conditions in the Cairngorms today, very cold light winds and sunny.
Views looking across SE side of Cairngorm.

This overturned lorry on the Cas car park was part of the destruction caused by yesterdays storm. Summit winds were gusting over 157mph! Thankfully today was much calmer.


Stanley pays attention



Ice building on the buttresses