A taste of winter at last…but nothing to write home about.
1st January 2025
(Above) S and SE-facing apsects in Coire Chriochairein. With winds and snowfall from the NNE I thought this would be a good venue for today’s snow and avalanche observations. Whilst there was snow blowing around in Coire Ardair down to 450m this morning there wasn’t much in the way of windslab in the high altitude lee areas. Possibly more windblown snow down on the main Coire Ardair path, circa 2-3cm? Maybe. What modest amounts of windslab I did find was generally thin, cold, dry and really quite soft…and, dare I say, powdery? However the photo speaks volumes about the overall quantity and distribution of snow at the moment.
(Above) The view down to Coire Ardair, Aberarder a nd Loch Laggan from on of Coire Chriochairein’s E-facing gullies. (This broad gully often holds older snow in quantity but not today).
(Above) The crags and gullies of the Post Face et al at the top end of Coire Ardair. The path was fairly busy with visitors most just wanting a New Year’s day jaunt up to the loch and back, though there was a heavily laden pair aiming to camp up by the shore of the loch. I think they’ll be in for a very cold night – and not much warmer on Thursday but at least a wee bit brighter than of late.
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