Saturday, March 31, 2012

A dusting of snow

Much colder temperatures today; minus 3.2 C at midday on the summit of Cairngorm.  A chilly wind from the North and a light dusting of snow above 900 metres.
Wandering towards the Ptarmigan

Looking more wintry than of late

Fiachaill ridge with Lochain beyond.

Rime beginning to form 

The South-East side of Cairngorm

Friday, March 30, 2012

End of the warm spell

The high pressure is expected to slowly decline with an outlook of much colder temperatures; light precipitation falling as snow tomorrow.
Coire an Lochain seen today with  dry buttresses and a  few patches of spring snow.

Looking across the Lairig Ghru towards Braeriach. 

The Lairig Ghru with Devil's Point in the distance.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Dry and Cool on the Tops

Good dry conditions underfoot but misty and generally poor visibility on the tops with a brisk wind. Slivers of snow remain but these are largely avoidable, sometimes they bar descent and the snow can be pretty firm, here an ice axe and crampons would be gratefully used !



From the lochans in sneachda

A male Ptarmigan on the Cairngorm Plateau

Looking toward Carn Etchachan from Coire Domhain

Lokking into Coire Lochain from the Plateau

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Warm and overcast

Looking down the SE side of Cairngorm towards Glen Avon, still enough snow  here for a ski run if your keen and willing to make the effort



Carn Etchachan and the Shelter Stone are beginning to look quite dry.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Windy and dry.

The Lairig Ghru and Cairn Toul

Looking over to Braeriach

Twin Burns and the Lochain buttresses

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Sunny and Clear

A frozen Loch Coire an Lochain Braeriach
     
Remaining snow is firm and solid
 
Sgoran Dubh Mor from Braeriach
 

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Coire Domhain looking very alpine

Evidence of creeping cracks at the top of Hell's Lum 

The shelter stone and Etchachan 

Coire Raibert and beyond

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Ice smears forming on rock slabs

Looking up into Fiacaill Couloir
Cold temperatures today,  smears of ice are beginning to form.  

Coire an t-Sneachda.  A few teams were climbing fingers ridge.

A male Ptarmigan wearing his transition plume 

Friday, March 16, 2012

Cooler temperatures

Patches of snow mainly on E aspects.  Some accumulations are a few metres in depth at plateau level.

A female Ptarmigan wears her winter plume

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Cool , Dry and Windy

Looking across the Northern Corries and the fiacaills of Chais, Coire an t Sneachda and Lochain

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Sunny and Warm

East side of Cairngorm looking towards the saddle and Beinn Mheadhoin

Monday, March 12, 2012

Very Spring like !

Coire an t Sneachda with snow remains near the Fiacaill Buttress

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Mild and windy

Although its mild the remaining snowpack is quite firm
Coire an Lochain

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Mild with drizzle

NE facing slope at Ciste Mhearad
Although the snowpack is limited, greatest depths are on NE to SE aspects above 1000m with over 4 metres in places.

Friday, March 09, 2012

Wet patches of windslab from the previous days snowfall and drifting are visible on the old snowpack.
Coire an Lochain

Thursday, March 08, 2012

Storm Force Winds

Coire Lochain crags with localised accumulations of new windslab

ferocious winds as indicated by the clouds; with a party battling the wind whilst heading to the fiacaill of Lochain summit 

Cairngorm summit with the ridges of; Chais and Sneachda, blown bare by the strong westerly winds

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Vicious Wintry Squalls

Vicious squalls at summit levels provide a stark reminder of how rapidly winter conditions can arrive in moments.
Not a great deal of new snow but the heavy showers keep building it up - the old snowpack is bullet hard.

Monday, March 05, 2012

Cold and Clear with a Snow Dusting

Coire Lochain

Graupel grains which currently are on the  surface were originally  crystals that circulated in the clouds and have become more and more rimed, eventually falling as these pellet like grains.  They often produce weak layers

Great light on Sron a Lairig 
Fiacaill of Coire Lochain and the twin burns

Sunday, March 04, 2012

Calm cold conditions

Looking South down the Lairig Ghru and Pools of Dee

MRT trains around Twin Burns

Lochain Buttresses


Saturday, March 03, 2012

New snow

Coire an t-Sneachda and Lochain
The Cairngorms are looking a bit more wintry after this mornings snowfall.  More snow expected over the next 24 hours.

Friday, March 02, 2012

Cooler temperatures

A dusting of new snow above 1000m.  The Cas Ridge and Headwall 

                                       Making the most of current conditions

Coire an t-Sneachda with a tinge of green but the outlook is for a return to wintry conditions from tomorrow.