Strong SE winds, Severe drifting

Looking toward Coire na Ciste and Coire Cas - As good as it gets !

A very windy day with persistent snowfall and heavy drifting above 800m - windslab lies on top of  the soft snow layer of Monday making for a weak snowpack in places on West through North to East aspects. Gusting over 70 on tops around midday.

Poor Visibility Day - New Snow

In Coire an t Sneachda with Alladins Buttress in the background.

The snowpack is becoming more stable due to the fluctuating temperatures helping the various layers bond together. New snow fall with strong winds will change the picture somewhat, creating areas of unstable windslab on many aspects.

A clear day

   At last good views with lighter winds;  This is looking towards Aladdins Buttress, cornices overhang the corrie top.

Coire an Lochain; light drifting at this level.

The Goat track and Fiacaill Buttress.

  

Evidence of Ptarmigan having a sleep over in this drift.

lighter snow showers with strong winds.

 Very strong WSW winds above 1000 metres today.  This is the Fiacaill a Choire Chais ridge.  Drifted    snow has been piling in on N to W aspects.  Recent loose snow avalanche debris was observed       below the steep NE facing slope of the Coire rim.

The wind is back

Cold with drifting snow above 950 metres

Milder conditions at lower altitudes with soft wet snow

Calm weather for a change

Travel on Ski's can be fun if you pick your route

Interesting ski descents - a mixture of soft and hard wind slab with a hard crusty surface in exposed areas.

A rare moment of sunshine

Conditions were so pleasant that we even had time to stop for a  boxing day chat

Happy Christmas from Northern Cairngorm

A glimpse of Coire an Lochain between heavy snow showers

At 650 metres, strong winds with blizzard conditions

Snow piling in during heavy snow showers

                Thawing snow with "pin wheels" indicating surface instabilities on a North aspect at 550m

Storm force winds with heavy snowfall above 350m

Clear spells between prolonged heavy snowfall, winds in excess of 100mph over the tops

Punchy underfoot at 650 metres after last nights brief thaw.

A small avalanche in Ciste Gilly at 570m on a West aspect.  This will have happened during the night in the milder spell.

Storm Force Southerly winds and Blizzards

Looking toward Lurchers Burn area from Loch Morlich

Very poor viz above 600 m , a lot of drifting in Southerly winds - knee to waist deep where the snow lies - Unstable wind slab accumulations on most Northerly slopes as can be seen in photo.

Deep drifts developing

    Snow showers during the morning but these became more prolonged during the afternoon with     heavy drifting and white out conditions

A brief thaw followed by new snow with drifting

Avalanche debris from yesterday with an impressive crown wall on a North  aspect at 1095 metres.

Moody conditions with brief glimpses of winter sunshine and snow showers

Deep drifts in lee areas

Unsettled weather continues.

      Views into the Northern Corries.

     Extensive windslab on N to E aspects

    Deep drifts on lee slopes, scoured in wind exposed areas.

Windy and Mild

Northern Corries from Loch Morlich

A wind cowl hangs over the plateau indicating very strong winds !

Windy with Sparse Snow Cover

Coire an lochain

Sparse snow cover but with accumulations (which are poor to moderately well bonded) mainly confined to wind sheltered places such as coire rims, hollows, gully tops and pockets below crags as clearly seen in the photo, all these areas are easily avoided.

Wind Blasted Landscape !

Less windy than previous days but still 60 gusting occasional 70 mph - wintry and cold with snow but blasted bare !

Looking toward the Northern Corries from the flanks of Cairngorm.

The Faichail ridge of Sneachda with corrie floor below

Very windy with snowfall

    Knee deep drifts on this North aspect at 825m

     Drifting snow turning damp and sticky as the freezing level rises

     The Cairngorms with localised deposits of windslab in lee areas.

A wild day with sleet and very strong winds

 Southerly winds of up to 114mph with heavy rain and wet snow above 1000 metres.  This is looking towards the Cas Headwall.

                                                    Bracing conditions at 990 metres

Mild wet and windy

                        Patches of old stable snow.  This was on the South-East side of Cairngorm

Warm and Windy

Norther Corries form Loch Morlich -

If you look carefully odd snow patches can be seen

Snow and sleet over the tops.

Mild conditions at present with a forecast for cooler temperatures and more snow down to 600 metres during the early part of next week.   The main event at present is the potential for the Great Slab in Coire an Lochain to release.  Note the large crevasse  developing below the buttresses.

Mild with a spring snowpack

Looking down Coire Raibert with Ben Macdui in the distance

Coire an t-Sneachda still holding on to some large snow fields and snow filled gullies.

Coronation wall and the Cas Head Wall

Warm, Sunny but Very Windy

Looking into Coire an t Sneachda 

Recent avalanche debris due to cornice collapse below cliffs

diminishing snowpack

The pictures do not tell the whole story of course - in this case the winds on the plateau were storm force South-Westerly and up to 80mph - The snowpack is very soft due to warm temperatures, mainly surface instabilities on steeper slopes, progressively getting worse as the temperatures rose during the day. Still very good snowcover on the plateau.

Very windy - becoming milder.

Heading toward the saddle - a frozen Loch Avon below.

A lone skier heading toward Cairngorm Summit on the South side

Coire an t Sneachda with large cornices overhanging slopes

Generally a very good snow cover but winds getting increasing stronger made progress quite difficult later in the day.

Winter still hanging on!

A glimpse of the Cairn at Summit of Fiachail a Choire Chais

New snow on all aspects above 950 metres, thinly covering many rocky areas though. Very little wind, quite muggy !. Could not see enough to get an idea of cover on the plateau, but would expect it to be quite good. Very soft snow, some surface releases on steep slopes.