Beinn a’Chaorainn and cornices
3rd March 2025
After yesterday’s look at the cornices in the Creag Meagaidh Coire Ardair area, a visit to Beinn a’ Chaorainn seemed in order. Almost continuous cornices remain above the Eastern aspects of Beinn a’ Chaorainn and above Coire na h-Uamha.
In the prevailing mild conditions cornice collapses remain distinctly possible.
(Above) Beinn a’ Chaorainn East Face (south end)
(Above) Beinn a’ Chaorainn East Ridge on the right skyline.
(Above) Almost continuous cornices along the eastern side of Beinn a’ Chaorainn.
(Above) Coire nan Laogh (Creag Meagaidh SW).
(Above) Creag Meagaidh massif from A86 near Kinloch Laggan.
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Keith Horner
3rd March 2025 5:56 pm
Significant snow loss between your first photo yesterday and the last one today – cliffs looking decidedly blacker and snow cover much more sporadic in such a short period of time! Interesting that cornices feature in your last 2 reports but don’t seem to be mentioned much in the other forecast areas reports – a quirk of wind direction and topography over the last few days?
meagaidhadmin
3rd March 2025 6:50 pm
Indeed Keith. Much of that cover was rather superficial as you observed in the rapidity of its loss in mild, but not wet, conditions.
Cornices are often a significant feature of the Creag Meagaidh area and the ones featured yesterday are in the ‘usual places’ on the prevailing lee side of the sizeable Creag Meagaidh plateau.
As the threat of cornice collapse in the mild conditions remains I wanted to check out the other prime mountain for cornice build up in our area.