Wintry interlude.
25th February 2025
(Above) The view west this morning along the main Coire Ardair path. Part of Raeburn’s Gully, Pinnacle Buttress, Easy Gully and the Post Face visible.
Comparatively quiet, visitor-wise, today; just a few winter hill walkers processing up the path into Coire Ardair and beyond. Overnight snow showers eased during the morning leaving occasional brighter spells to pierce the prevailing white mistiness. Camera only came out when visibility was briefly better, of course.
(Above) The view out from Coire a Chrochairein, looking towards Coire Ardair, Aberarder and Loch Laggan. Fresh snow down to 650m at first, though the snowline crept up to 750m as the day progressed.
(Above) In the most obvious broad E-facing gully in Coire a Chriochairein circa 900m. Rollerball activity here, sparked off by brief exposure to sun and occasional rises in air temperature at this altitude. General snowpack stability in the foreground is pretty good and windslab build up here modest today. Significant drifting though up high overnight and during the morning but only affecting locations above 950m, like high in this particular gully. (The rocky towers at the top of the photo form part of the coire rim and are at around 1000m.)
(Above) A sunlit E and ENE-facing Coire Dubh this afternoon. Coire Dubh is part of the Carn Liath massif and slightly further east of Creag Meagaidh and Coire Ardair. Top of the skyline here is 910m. Note the recently formed cornice line top left centre of the photo. Expecting a little more cornice development overnight which means these newly formed (aka weak), capricious cantilevers of snow will loom over steep lee slopes already laden with recent windslab. Anticipating a period of poorer stability on lee slopes overnight but as winds ease the snow should begin the slow process of healing itself and be better consolidated by the day’s end.
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