Thawing at all levels

Heading for the Ciste car park with Loch Morlich beyond.
Although it's thawing at all levels there is still plenty of snow and ice around, and freezing are expected to fall again tomorrow.

Recent avalanche debris

This avalanche was on a North aspect at 555 metres. From the evidence of the footsteps to the left it looks like it was triggered and happened yesterday.

Snowfall cleared to leave another stunning day

Looking across to the Cairngorms from Loch Morlich

Fantastic skiing and climbing conditions due to the continuing cold temperatures and top of fresh snow over the past few nights.

Snowfall cleared

Snowfall and strong SW winds cleared to leave a dry day with light winds. Views looking into Sneachda and over to Lochain

Heavy snow cleared

Several centimetres of snowfall arrived this morning before clearing at midday. There is newly drifted windslab affecting mainly South and East aspects which contain some very weak layers.

Snow and cloud cleared to leave a stunning day.

Spindrift billowing on the corrie rim.

Snowfall and mist cleared at around midday.

Ski tour conditions are fantastic

10cm of new snow is overlying yesterdays wind slab accumulations. Weaknesses were found mainly in the old wind slab on this South-East aspect.

Stunning day in the Cairngorms

Looking across to Carn Etchachan and the Shelter Stone

The Northern Corries are in good shape

Cold with Drifting Snow

Picking a way down the Goat track in Coire an t Sneachda
Cairngorm Plateau with Sneachda cornices visible on right

New snow accumulations of soft slab are present, deep in some places which gives some suspect slopes. generally the soft snow can be avoided at present, but the stronger winds with more snow will make the windslab accumulations much more significant.

Snow arrived in the afternoon

The Northern Corries are looking good.

Buried rime ice exists within the snowpack leading to a weak layer.

Cold and Windy - Firm snow

'Steaming' up Aladdins Mirror Direct
Coire an t Sneachda
Good Climbing in the Corries - a very windy day with not much new snow to speak of - stayed pretty cold - great conditions for climbing.

Cold with firm Snow

Northern Corries from Loch Morlich

Conditions remain good for climbing, snow arriving with strong winds later in the day Monday.

Rime ice on snow surface makes it easier for travel.

Frozen hard snowpack

Good placement on the ground !
In the colder temperatures the snowpack has frozen pretty hard - very slippy ! due to the drizzle of early morning providing a nice frozen glaze everywhere above 600 metres. Breakable crust in many places - but the climbing will certainly improve - for skiing off piste or touring !!!! difficulty in holding an edge in places, crampons felt great!

Happy New Year !

Avalanche Debris

This two day old avalanche debris was on a North aspect at 1110 metres. It released on the weak facet layer which was sitting on top of the ice.

Slow thaw

We have mild temperatures in the Cairngorms with the freezing level above the summits. Its not all doom and gloom though as it's still looking very wintry in the Cairngorms and the weather outlook is suggesting cooler temperatures for over the new year.

Strong winds with heavy drifting

Looking down the Ciste Gully whilst braving the Strong South winds. Drifting is very heavy at higher altitudes. The terrain is still hard and icy on exposed slopes with accumulations of windslab in the more sheltered areas.

Working in today's wild Conditions above the Ciste Gully on a North aspect at 790 metres.

Windy with drifting

Wind starting to arrive at Fiacaill Buttress
Bad weather approaching from the South
Wind increased in speed dramatically around midday with very strong SW winds at plateau level.

Recently scoured areas very hard and icy.

Change in the Air!

Coire an tt Sneachda
slab cracking underfoot very easily - !!
New windslab is very weak as it is forming onto buried surface hoar which is pretty evident when you travel around as it will crack and block away underfoot.

The new weather system of southerly winds which will be gale force form sunday evening will drift new slab onto the surface hoar in many areas, so be wary of any new slab , and have a great day working off the turkey !!

Poor Viz

Looking toward the Spey Valley -

The best view once descended from the clag - Good skiing and climbing to be had, new snow will lie on a weak layer of surface hoar and will be unstable where it accumulates into windslab on East aspects.

Merry Christmas to all !!

Another cold day

Poor visibility up high today. A thick surface hoar layer is developing in the calm and very cold conditions.

Cold and Clear

Looking toward Carn Etchachan whilst heading down Coire Raibert
Great conditions for both climbing in the corries with boiler plate snow-ice and ski touring on the plateau - but watch out for very hard snow ice hidden below powdery shallow snow.

Bright and Sunny and calm

The cloud cleared at long last and what a stunning day. A few centimetres of fresh snow fell last night which has left a blanket of snow over the hard icy layer....nice for ski touring.Views looking across the Plateau and into the Northern Corries. In the picture is the RAF sea king they came over to drop the stretcher off from yesterdays rescue.
Here is a mixture of surface hoar and new snow.

Poor visibility in the Cairngorms

Still very cold with snowpack weaknesses on many aspects. Facets are developing due to steep temperature gradients within the snowpack. This small cornice didn't

take much persuasion before it collapsed
The views were not so great today

Very cold with bright spells

Some avalanche debris was noted just below Jacobs ladder on the right of this photo and below mess of potage below the crag apron. The snowpack very cold and weak on many aspects.
Tap test revealed a weak faceted layer just above the old hard snow ice layer on a NW aspect at 1050m.

Still bittlerly cold but a brighter day

Clouds lifted around midday to reveal the crags in the Northern Corries. The approach slopes are mainly very firm and icy but there are a few patches of weakly bonded wind slab mainly in steep sheltered locations.

It's forecast to be another cold day tomorrow (minus 9 on the tops) so wrap up warm and have a fun day.

Bitterly Cold and Windy

At the snow pit site on the South East side of Cairngorm - bitterly cold and windy !!
The old snowpack has refrozen completely and is very hard, the new snow is building very rapidly in the strong winds and is pretty poorly bonded in itself, surface cracking when walking, indicating weak layers below. Layers of Graupel are the culprit. So the new snow is pretty weak wherever it is lying. The old snow is providing really good snow ice and good climbing conditions.

Getting colder!

The cliffs of Coire an Lochain

Snow is a bit easier to get through today - has become more crusted above around 700 metres, pretty pleasant but windy first thing - cooler temperatures have started to firm things up, looking promising for climbing with the expected colder temperatures.

Very windy - Deep moist snow

Looking at Aladdins Buttress with two folk heading towards Aladdins Coulouir.

Hard walking getting to the corrie thigh deep in places with wet snow at lower levels - just moist above 700 m. Getting colder from tomorrow which will really improve the conditions both for climbing and snowpack stability. Some cornice collapse evidence at base of crags.

Wndy, Heavy drifting

Exiting Coire an t Sneachda

A very cold day with strong Southerly winds and heavy drifting, North facing slopes getting loaded with new snow, cross loading onto East and West slopes too. On a number of aspects windslab overlies very sugary unstable layers, surface cracks and slab releases occurred when descending the Fiacaill of Sneachda on West facing slopes. A wild day !!

Cold, Deep Snow, Blizzards

Leaving the cairn at the top of the Fiachaill a Choire Chais
Looking into Coire ant Sneachda

Crown walls of observed avalanche are just visible in the top left corner of picture. Avalanche released either yesterday or last night. Crown wall 1m deep in places and 100m across has travelled 350 metres with enough debris to bury a car (size 3 avalanche) NW aspect 1100m.

A respite in the storm gave us some visibility for a short while - closing in again later with heavyy snowfall. Snowpack remains weak on most aspects.

Deep snow - Poor viz

The only view ! Looking across Loch Morlich to Cairngorm.
Deep snow everywhere above 500 metres, hard trail breaking - really poor visibility today -

I expected more scouring of the snow from NW aspects, but this was not the case. Generally the snowpack feels spooky and unstable especially by not being able to see what is above and being unable to see any angles or definition in the flat light.

Colder with snow getting firmer.

Looking West from Cairngorm toward Northern Corries

Conditions shaping up to be very good for walking and climbing - the snow although still fairly soft is developing a crust which increasingly holds your weight as you ascend in altitude. Colder temperatures will continue to improve the situation.

Weekend Avalanche Reports start

Looking into Coire an t Sneachda fro windy col
Looking N toward Glenmore from the top of the Goat Track

Winter has arrived and it looks as though will be cold from this weekend and into next week at least.

Today the snow has been pretty soft and is generally moist, after much avalanche activity in the week the snowpack has settled in the warmer temperatures and become much firmer with good climbing conditions in prospect.