Click on the plateau panorama above to enlarge...
Click on the Coire an t-Sneachda panorama above to enlarge...Since the weekend we've had quite a few severe overnight frosts with subzero temperatures well into double figures. Temperatures have remained below freezing throughout the day with low cloud and light snow showers on Cairngorm.
The Cairngorm forecast yesterday was for more of the same but looking up into the sparkling white Northern Corries this morning showed that this was a total nonsense - it was blue skies and sunshine!
We took a wander in for a look and compared to the weekend everything was looking very white. From the climbing point of view the snow is very soft and dry with a squeaky slabby surface in many places. Fortunately in most areas it's not too deep to pose too many problems apart from covering the cracks and rock belays as there is minimal depth in the gullies and corrie headwalls...
It was bitterly cold for hanging around so we thought we'd look at one of the few easy routes that was complete. Underneath the powder and spindrift streams we found a thin covering of neve and ice in places though not as much as we were hoping for as our good axes and crampons squealed on the underlying rocks and gravel more than we wanted...
Good fun although a quick freeze thaw would make things more enjoyable.
If you can't see the YouTube video above click this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upmjqzmBf8I
A lot more snow is forecast for tonight and tomorrow so condition will change dramatically...!
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