Creag Meagaidh Blog & Mountain Info

Beinn a Chaorainn

30th March 2026

Snowy and quite wintry day with persistent drifting above 850m but with occasional sunshine too. Snow shoes on for a time today when en route to investigate a small dry slab avalanche on the east flank of Beinn a Chaorainn just above Bealach a Bharnish. There was about 15cm above 500m on the main track in the forested area and deeper drifts above 700m. Noticeably large section of cornice has developed above the mega coire immediately south of the summit. New cornice development also noted as low as 850m elsewhere. Likely to see all these cornices weaken in the forthcoming warm and damp period overnight and extending into Tuesday. General snow stability also expected to be poor especially on N to SE aspects above 850m.

(Above) Beinn a Chaorainn’s East Ridge, here showing its snowy E and SE-facing aspects.

(Above) Small dry slab avalanche from just above this minor crag at 850m – see right of centre. Not particularly steep ground here. Note the recently formed cornice line which, comparatively speaking, is at quite low altitude.

(Above) Beinn a Chaorainn viewed from the north with its East Ridge prominent nearest skyline. Note the drifting off the summit areas: saw quite a lot of that today.

(Above) Coire na h-Uamha, abuts the East Ridge which is left and just out of shot. A lonely and quite snowy place today. Same aspect as the mega coire but curiously not much of a cornice line here compared to the gnarly ones just a few hundred metres away, same aspect too. See below for orientation.

(Above) Beinn a Chaorainn’s notorious cornice line, in purple. Circled is the accurate location of where the cornice is particularly large. You’ll want to be well back and on solid ground if traversing this part of the mountain.