The white duvet.
18th February 2023
(Above) Looking down towards Aberarder in lower Coire Ardair from high in Coire a Chriochairein. A uniform covering of soft fresh snow from the shore of Loch Laggan upwards this morning. No or very little wind meant negligible drifting even at summit level. Quite misty too especially during the afternoon although the sun did make an appearance and made its presence felt mid-morning.
(Above) L to R: Raeburn’s Gully, Pinnacle Buttress Easy Gully and the Post Face of Coire Ardair. Even the crags had a goodly smearing of snow on them.
(Above) A view across the main Coire Ardair path toward the entrance to Coire a Chriochairein. The main car park was busy with quite a few folk out on the hill, many just wandering up the main path to the lochan to enjoy the craggy magnificence of the Post Face and its environs.
(Above) SE aspects in Coire a Chriochairein. The soft snow didn’t like the effects of the sun much even though it was just for an hour or two. I counted 3 point-release avalanches, albeit quite minor ones, like the one above that slid into the widest best-defined gully in the coire. Normally, no big drama from an avalanche like this one as they’re often relatively slow-moving, shallow affairs. Even so, if one sashayed into you it could result in you losing your footing and taking a header down over rocks/boulders etc. A small event can sometimes have big outcomes in the Scottish mountains.
(Above) Another single-point event not far away from the one in the previous photo.
(Above) Looking out towards Bellevue Buttress far right in Coire Ardair. Beautiful light at times with a brief sea of clouds in the glen.
All change tomorrow, Sunday. Rain and mild temperatures from daybreak onwards.
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