Sunshine
18th March 2025
It was a glorious day for being on the mountain tops but felt cold where exposed to the wind. The hills to both the East and the West of the Creag Meagaidh area looked much whiter than in the Creag Meagaidh area itself. The difference was strikingly obvious from this vantage point. The hills to the East caught more snow over the last snowy spell and the hills to the West are higher so have retained more of it.
What snow remains stayed firm throughout today, only softening in steeper places exposed directly to the sun.
There was ice encountered on paths and previously boggy parts of the hillside above 850 metres. This ice was still there on the return journey. Most icy places were easily avoidable. Looking West to Beinn a’Chlachair.
Beinn a’ Chaorainn on the left, virtually devoid of snow and the main Creag Meagaidh plateau holding onto some snow on the skyline. The foreground gives a good indication of snow cover above 1000 metres … generally thin.
A closer look at Beinn a’Chaorainn with the remaining snow primarily around the coire rims on North to East aspects.
There’s more snow here! The North-East facing Coire na Coichille on Aonach Beag (1116m) which lies just to the South-West of the main Creag Meagaidh forecasting area. Beinn Eibhinn is the skyline on the right.
The summit of the Loch Laggan Geal Charn 1049m (not to be confused with the Drumochter one which was visited yesterday). The North-East facing Coire an lubhair Mòr is distinctive when looking West from the upper reaches of Strathspey. Surely it must be a contender for some of the longest held snow in the Creag Meagaidh area, often seen holding snow well into the springtime? The snow in here remained firm.
Looking down the North-East ridge of Geal Charn, called Sròn Garbh, towards the much whiter looking Cairngorms in the distance.
Always good to end any day in these hills with a pause by Lochan na-h-Earba and appreciate the beauty of this area, particularly given the plans for the UK’s largest pumped storage hydro scheme in this vicinity …
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