Colder Temperatures
2nd January 2025
Colder temperatures have created a distinctly wintery picture in the Creag Meagaidh area. A pleasant day on the hill, with poor visibility up at summit and ridge level.
The current snow cover is largely superficial, but does a good job of covering the icy paths and older snow patches above 900 metres. These patches are very firm and icy and in some cases disguised. It is definitely a case of looking well into each step at the moment, as a momentary lapse may see you accelerating rapidly. As I found out today.
Windslab accumulations are present in sheltered locations around coire rims. At the moment they are very limited and in many cases avoidable. These have the potential to build tomorrow, with winds speed and precipitation over night resulting in some drifting and redistribution of snow. There is some uncertainty as to the snow amounts for tomorrow due to the showers expected, if these merge to create longer spells of snowfall amounts *could be greater*. Correspondingly, if windslab achieves depth tomorrow, it may be prudent to treat it with suspicion in these cold temperatures. But to give some context, this avalanche problem is confined to steep terrain above 950 metres, and even then on the specific aspects mentioned in the forecast.
The attractive slopes of Chno Dearg 1046m
Looking into Coire a’Chriochairein. This coire catches snow nicely in northerly winds and looks particularly wintery in this image. The reality when high up in this coire was slightly different than expected. Snow cover was in the main superficial, some very firm old patches, with some shallow and avoidable windslab at the coire rim only.
The view into Coire Ardair. Again superficial cover with much bare ground. If you are able to zoom in, you will see the top of Raeburns Gully and Easy Gully both with isolated accumulations of new snow, and potentially windslab. The superficial nature of the snow will potentially be to the advantage of those seeking out some mixed climbing on these hallowed cliffs – the turf *might* be frozen. (At the moment it is “schrödinger’s turf” until such a time that its state can be observed…).
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