Winter flash mob
3rd March 2024
(Above) Flash mob in Raeburn’s Gully this morning, a group of nine visible if you zoom in. Creag Meagaidh comparatively busy today with a 3/4 full car park.
(Above) Easy Gully, with the Post Face of Coire Ardair looming above it. Team of climbers on ‘Last Post’, one of Creag Meagaidh’s signature ice routes. Condition unknown today but when in prime condition this particular ice route is a lot wider and fatter.
(Above) The NNE-facing crags of the Inner Coire of Coire Ardair with the low grade gully ‘Cinderella’ prominent. There’s a recently formed and weak cornice over the top end of it, too. Quite a significant new cornice is also over ‘Diadem’ and a slightly lesser one over ‘The Wand’.
(Above) Met a friendly small group of ski tourers at the summit of The Window enjoying a brew and their ‘piece’ after their ascent from the Inner Coire.
(Above) Onward & upward. Same team off on their travels towards Stob Poite Coire Ardair and beyond.
(Above) No-man’s-land. The upper catchment of the River Roy enjoying comparatively good snow cover above about 900m. It’s a favoured accumulation zone here; scouring will have left some summit areas on our patch with a pretty scratchy cover in places. (That’ll be full of meaning for those with touring skis and skins). Note the sharp snow line on the hills beyond. Evidence of drifting off the top of Carn Dearg 888m right of centre of the shot.
(Above) The area above Lochain Uaine at 1000m – Creag Meagaidh summit on the far right skyline. Drifting pretty much all day…and noticeably more after midday.
(Above) The Window viewed from the west. This high bealach area is usually choked with snow but rocks and boulders abound at the moment – a reflection of our poor snow year so far.
(Above) The Post Face of Coire Ardair this afternoon. Bright, beautiful light during cloud breaks after a misty start to the day.
(Above) Spindrift piling into the top end of Raeburn’s Gully this afternoon…..
(Above)…and two dry slab avalanches (size 0.5 & size 1 cornice-triggered, crownwall just visible) on the same aspect just 500m metres away. Quite a change in stability over the course of the day.
Expecting more drifting overnight followed by a lull in both wind speed and drifting before re-commencing later in the day. Moderate avalanche hazard expected to persist right through the day but there may be some early consolidation by dusk as the cold temperature abates a bit.
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Alex Hyde
3rd March 2024 9:42 pm
As one of the climbers on Last Post today, I can confirm that the conditions are not suitable for fun climbing!
meagaidhadmin
3rd March 2024 10:12 pm
Great response, Alex. Made me chuckle!