Beinn a Chaorainn with a flavour of winter today.
5th February 2025
(Above) Winter arrived at Beinn a Chaorainn today with approx 10cm of snow falling out of the sky in showers overnight and during the early morning. Snow cover above about 550m amsl, with deeper drifts in sheltered areas above 950m. Visibility came and went a few times over the course of the morning but some beautiful light when the sun made brief appearances. New weaker windslab at coire rims and gully tops today with some new cornice development, too.
(Above) The view across to the East Ridge of Beinn a Chaorainn from high on the slightly sprawling ridge to the south of it. Wearing a cloak of soft snow and giving a flavour of winter but with precious little snow ice low down on the ridge. Patches of wet old snow had refrozen a bit below 900m enough to form a soft crust though it was firmer at higher altitudes.
(Above) A snow encrusted old friend at over 900m. I mentioned this sitka spruce ‘tree’ in a blog post a couple of years ago. Of unknown age, though, given the location and altitude, I think it’s older than its stature suggests. Still hanging on in there. There was a piece on the BBC News website about the research being done into Scotland’s high altitude trees, here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-61994030 I contacted the research group about this tree back in 2022 but it was of limited interest to them due it being a non-native species.
(Above) The approach to the East Ridge, with the water-carved landform of Coire nan Laogh as a backdrop. Wind-scouring more noticeable above 900m on these W-facing slopes.
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