Unexpected fresh snow!

We were expecting a fairly clear and dry day but quite a bit of snow fell overnight and during the day with the Glenmore road snowgates closed for a time around noon!
We spent the morning looking at basic ropework and belays before heading into the Cairngorms to dig and practise in the snow. Even at around 6-700 metres there was around 4 or 5 inches of fresh which readily slid off the old snow pack so great for avalanche awareness but not quite what we expected!!

Maz recounts his experience of the day on his blog at http://www.journeymantraveller.com/2011/02/winter-mountaineering-in-cairngorms.html

Bright, less breezy and good ice climbing..

Very little wind and fairly black buttresses but with really good snow and ice in the gullies and drainage lines. Very good ice reported over in the Loch Avon basin and queues of climbers were heading towards the three icy Mirror Direct's in Coire an t-Sneachda... A lot of the gullies and ice routes were in excellent condition with crowds of (RAF SAR?) descending Aladdin's Couloir with stretchers!
Fi had the guys out today digging emergency snowholes, body belays and carving their own snow mushrooms...
More details and lots of photos on Fi's blog here

An OK day today!

Sheltered from the westerlies in Coire na Ciste it was actually quite a pleasant day.
The drifted new snow on easterly aspects was partially refrozen but crusty in places. The old grey wind scoured snow on westerly aspects was hard and icy.
As today was the start of another Winter Mountaineering course we looked at balance and movement skills together with ice axe and crampons use.
We even managed to set up some abseils, direct rock and snow belays before heading back to the carpark.

Maz recounts his experience of the first three days on his blog at http://www.journeymantraveller.com/2011/02/winter-mountaineering-in-cairngorms.html

Scoured and drifted...

BIG winds and lots of drifted WET snow!
Large areas exposed to the storm-force (150 mph!) SW and W winds have been very well scoured with the snow being deposited on mainly sheltered E and NE aspects.
As the temperature rose this afternoon everything became saturated and this will quickly consolidate the snow as it refreeze solid for Saturday.
Looking into the Northern Corries today the buttresses were black and the gullies full. Sheltered E and NE aspects looked very white with large cornices developing in places.
Within the ski area the Cas and Fiacaill side and in the Ciste the West Wall areas have caught the bulk of snow.
There's heavy wet slushy snow in the forest trails too which will no doubt become very icy later along with the roads and pavements in Aviemore!

Wild wild weather!

Fluctuating temperatures with rain, snow and wind over the past few days. We're currently experiencing severe winds and heavy snow on the A9 never mind in the mountains!
The avalanche risk is very high at the moment especially on NE aspects which will no doubt be completely buried.
It looks as though the cold unsettled weather will continue until the start of the weekend though possibly clearing in the east with the winds dropping for a time on Sunday or Monday to give a bit of a weather window?
Over the past few days the buttresses have been blacker and the ice-falls and gully's wetter but still firm so with the lower temps everything will set like concrete unless completely buried by metres of fresh avalanche prone wind slab!!!!

Stormy night on Cairngorm

Fi, Sue and Carron returned from a snowholing trip this morning after digging themselves out of their snowhole. Details and pictures on Fi's blog here.