“As snow ebbs, terrible vistas of emptiness reveal themselves.”
6th March 2025
“Behold the infinite malignity of the thaw.”
(Above) Left to right: Raeburns’s Gully Pinnacle Buttress and the Post Face of Coire Ardair.
“…in that gaping abyss we will (not) find our redemption.”
(Above) The entrance and lower part of Easy Gully. A bit of a quarry in its lowest reaches, irrigated by copious run-off.
“There is a sickness in the ancient pitted cobbles of the old road and on its writhing path you will find viciousness, violence and perhaps other damnably transcendent terrors.”
(Above) Evidence of very recent rockfall close to the summer ascent/descent path that zig-zags up to the summit of ‘The Window’ in the Inner Coire of Coire Ardair. The boulder in the foreground is about the size of two winter expedition rucksacks. This area of the Inner Coire is a haphazard jumble of rocks and boulders that have tumbled down over millenia from the crags on either side of this popular route. So, rockfall is normal here and to be expected…but the hazard is enhanced during periods of sustained thaw after cold/snowy periods. Like now.
(Above) Cornice debris from a day or two ago just west of the entrance to ‘Cinderella’. Looks like it entrained some rocks whilst in transit to the crag apron. Visibility was terrible above 800m so unfortunately can’t give an accurate sitrep of cornice conditions today. Quite a lot of snow loss below 900m. Overall snow stability remains good in most places. (Couldn’t find a pithy quote from ‘Darkest Dungeon’ to headline this photo. Any suggestions?)
Edit: Vox pop suggestions: “Let those dirty beasts worship the mud now.”
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Keith Horner
6th March 2025 5:41 pm
‘Let those dirty beasts worship the mud now’……?
Whilst boulders may be the size of two winter expedition rucksacks, their weight unsurpasses the burden shouldered by SAIS forecasters……
meagaidhadmin
6th March 2025 5:43 pm
That’s a very good one!