Last report for this season

A stunning day to finish on.  This is the last blog for this season, thanks for all your support over the winter, and look out for our blogs and forecasts which will begin again next December.

Will leave you with these two photo's, one of The Great Slab in Lochain which is still hanging in there and the other a happy forecaster.

Spring snowpack

Ski tourers enjoy the spring snow on the South-East side of Cairngorm.

  Its the season for full depth avalanches.  This one slide down the granite slabs on Stac an Fharaidh 

A real novelty this winter - goggles and gortex jacket have been cast aside!

Clear and Sunny, Firm and Icy snow conditions

Coire an Lochain with the 'Glacier like' great slab centre

A Climber ascending a gully in Lochain amidst an Alpine and glacial scene 

Braeriach and the plateau of Sron na Lairig from Cairn Lochain

Creag Meagaidh in the background with Sgoran Dubh Mor and the corniced Sron na Lairig ridge in the foreground

Surveying Glenmore from Cairn Lochain

Coire an t Sneachda with Cairngorm beyond

The benign Cairngorm Plateau with Ben Macdui at its head, Cairntoul, Sgor an Lochain Uaine.

Cold, Firm and Icy snow conditions

Looking toward Braeriach and the Northern Corries from Cairngorm

Very hard snowpack

hard snowpack requiring crampons and axe - serious run outs into rocks

Light snowfall

Widening glide cracks on the great slab Coire and Lochan 

Coire an t- Sneachda

Large patches of spring snow on the plateau

Skiers and mountaineers head into the corrie

A male Ptarmigan in hot pursuit of this female

Light snow showers

Coire an Lochain

Spring snow with thawing cornices on the East side of Cnap Coire na Spreidhe

A Colder and Brighter Day with a Firm Snow Surface

Toward Ben Macdui from Cnap Coire na Spreidhe

Bhein Mheadhoin

Slumping cornices and snow glide cracks on an East aspect

Cooler temperatures - Less Windy

Northern Corries from Cairngorm

Coire Cas headwall ( note creep lines below ridge summit)

Creep lines on headwall

Snowpack is pretty firm after a re-freeze overnight - softening in the day - the snow mass is slowly gliding down the slope - it may or may not release as an avalanche at some point !!

Sunny in the Glens, Cloudy in the Mountains, Windy!

Cloudy and windy in the mountains looking up

Sunny with less rain in the Glens looking down

Poor Visibility - Mild

Northern Corries from Loch Morlich

Poor visibility above 900m - a grey day

Thawing at all levels

A diminishing snowpack with large patches remaining at higher levels.  This is looking across to Beinn Mheadhoin, with Loch Avon below.

Loch Etchachan still frozen.

Slumping cornices hang over Coire an t-Sneachda

Oppressive clouds to the North

Mild and Windy

Northern Corries from Loch Morlich 

It feels like spring

Although warm and sunny a bank of cloud hung over the Cairngorms for most of the day.  This is looking towards Coire an Lochain.

The main paths are mostly snow free at Coire levels - looking out of Coire an Lochain.   Extensive patches of  firm snow-ice  surround the coire back walls. 

Mountain hares are beginning to change colour.

The loch in Coire an Lochain is still full of snow and ice.

Ptarmigan are changing colour too

Mild with some light snow

Glide cracks at the top of the Chais Headwall

Soft thawing snow on the Coronation Wall

Looking down the ski area from the top of the head wall

Looking South across Coire Raibert

The Fiacaill Buttress, with Lochain behind

Warm, Windy and Clear

Cairngorm plateau and Northern Corries from the top of Coire Raibert

Coire an t Sneachda with surface instabilities in the foreground (yesterday's late afternoon)

Looking West From the Northern Flanks of Cairnorm

A grey day

Coire an t-Sneachda - looking like a black and white photo in the grey conditions. 

Cloud cleared by early afternoon

Coire an Lochain

Cloud lifted by the afternoon leading to mild conditions with hazy sunshine 

A murky morning looking into Coire an t-Sneachda.