Cairngorm Reports

(Sponsored by Talisman Mountaineering Activities updated 17/12/2003)

17th December 2004...it's all gone apart from the old snow patches from a few weeks ago....

The forecast is for temperatures above the summits on Wednesday and Thursday and then to drop again below the summits on Friday with a freezing level of 700 metres. The long range outlook is...:-)

PLANNING OUTLOOK: all mountain areas of Britain On Friday, some doubt as to the location of a weakening slow moving front; most likely across Cumbria. Rain is likely in many areas on Saturday, before forecast models increasingly bring down a cold (possibly briefly very cold) northerly with widespread wintry showers; giving significant snowfall over northern mountains of Scotland at least. Very low confidence in terms of persistence of this weather type as yet.

But we live in hope so see Geoff Monks weather reports for the East Highlands here or West here (Adobe PDF reader required)

Northern Corries Loch Morlich	Coire an Lochain	Coire an t-Sneachda
Fiacaill Ridge	Aladdin's Buttress	Mess of Pottage

15th December 2004...it started to snow late on Saturday and into Sunday but unfortunately accumulations have been very minimal with only a few cm on the path into Coire an t-Sneachda and only slightly more in the Coire bowl. There has been very little drifting and not much in the way of riming on the rocks though they were definitely wintry looking. Despite the marginal conditions several teams having been climbing with Savage Slit looking very black as was the Message and Pot of Gold due to clearing. Climbers were on Fingers Ridge, Genie and on the Fiacaill area when I jogged in late afternoon today in a pair of trainers (gives you an idea of the snow depth and icing!) and a few will no doubt be still climbing tonight! The gullies and ice lines have no real build-up to speak of...so when the temperature rises even a few degrees as it is forecast to do tomorrow it will disappear instantly leaving only the old snow strips from last month. The Scottish Avalanche Service has now resumed it's reports (SAIS) and can be found here.

11th December 2003...cold frosty day today with the ground starting to freeze up. No fresh snow to speak of at 16.00 hrs today, although some light snow is forecast for tonight before it gets slightly milder again on Friday with snow and westerly gales then forecast for Saturday and Sunday becoming more and more wintry...live in hope!

Coire an t-Sneachda	Coire an Lochain

8th-10th December 2003...the weather is playing it's usual tricks with freezing temperature inversions over the weekend and on Monday i.e.. subzero temperatures -11C at night and even only -4 during the day in the Spey valley but a lot warmer on the tops. On Tuesday and Wednesday it changed again with warmish wet weather and no frosts....and no snow even on the tops so far....booooooo!

7th December 2003...it was a lovely perfect cold frosty day on Saturday and Sunday...the downside being that the exceedingly warm temperatures on Thursday and Friday with a high of 17 C recorded in Aberdeen had almost totally wiped out the remaining snow patches. Coire an t-Sneachda has only a few patches left around the point 5 gully headwall area with Coire an Lochain fairing only slightly better. There are NO complete winter climbs left in the Cairngorms although the ground should now be well frozen after several days of severe frost. Despite this several large snow patches on high NE facing aspects and on the plateau provided good sport on rock hard neve for a number of keen climbers.

On a worrying note when checking out some of the climbs in Coire an Lochain we came across a shiny bolt at the top of a popular grade 1 gully. This has me mystified as apart from the Scottish ant-bolt ethos it is right next to a good natural block belay and several protection cracks...so if anyone knows anything about it please let me know.

Savage Slit (bolt)	A Bolt...!

On a more positive theme the weather outlook looks very promising for the next week or so with hard frosts, substantial snow showers and strong winds to blow the snow into the gullies... at least in one forecast...so fingers crossed!

4th December 2003...an overnight frost, bright but relatively mild day on Thursday afternoon..

Northern Corres Loch Morlich	Coire Cas Ski Area	Coire an Lochain

Mess of Pottage & Jacob's	Aladdin's /Trident / Fluted	Red Gully

3rd December 2003...It's been very mild over the past few days. The remaining snow has been stripped off most routes leaving thin ribbons of wet snow and soft turf in a few of the easy gully lines and sheltered hollows.

Mirror Direct	Central Righthand	Runnel

The good news is that it is forecast to get colder for the weekend and tonight the wet snow pack should firm up to provide good but challenging sport in some of the easier lines which are now developing a thin base. But be warned although some lines look almost complete there is very little snow or ice build-up and the loose rocks underneath will be easily dislodged. Some of the grade 1/2 gullies such as Crotched are broken/very marginal and have slightly corniced exits whereas Jacob's is broken with a grade 3 mixed exit! The Runnel is complete but peppered with rocks and broken at the chimney though that's easily bypassed. Fiacaill Couloir should have an interesting chockstone and the first up Aladdin's at the icy narrows will probably be the last! From what I could see Coire an Lochain will provide a bit more of the white stuff although the great slab is still a great rock slab!

Fiacaill Ridge Sunset	Loch Morlich from top	Angel Peak &  Macdui plateau

The Cairngorm plateau has still some snow drifts mainly on NE aspects and in sheltered hollows although cover is still quite sparse. As for skiing...well there's a few strips of snow along the snows fences in the ski area and that's about it.

The western hills had a lot more snow last week so the recent heavy thaw should have improved any surviving snow when it refreezes and may be a better option than the east.

31st November-1st December 2003...reports of several of the easier routes being done in the Northern Corries on Sunday such as the Runnel (avoiding chimney pitch!) Red and Fiacaill Gully's...however the conditions were far from good with limited build-up and soft wet turf in many places. Some of the harder rock routes in the Cairngorms have also been climbed such as Finger Ridge or attempted such as Genie or was it White Magic? Let me know if you climbed them? See here.

Red Gully was reported to be tricky although Western Route was also climbed that same day and reported as being good:

"Still a bit worrying owing to the soft snow. First pitch is a good going grade 3 in these conditions, hardest I have seen it. Also teams on fingers ridge and Fiaciall Couloir. However, no queues for the routes!" Colwyn Jones & Ann MacDonald

"We climbed Western Route on Sunday and found it in good condition with all the turf frozen, however with a lot of verglas on the rock making progress slow...an excellent route." Callum Horne

25th November 2003...today at 11.00am it was snowing lightly over the eastern hills. The Cairngorms still had only a dusting of fresh snow whereas on the drive south the hills above Newtonmore and at the Drummochter Pass looked quite white in comparison. Further west Glencoe and Ben Nevis have had a good covering of fresh snow...see here

23rd November 2003...after almost two weeks of exceptionally mild weather winter has returned with several days of hard frost since Friday. Although the sunny Cairngorms were glittering white with frost and rimed vegetation today there has been no further snow. Surprisingly a few old snow patches have survived the exceptionally mild spell and today provided some really good neve to practise our axe and crampon skills. The streams and vegetation are now starting to freeze although it will take quite a few more days of sub zero daytime temperatures to freeze the turf deep down...unfortunately it's forecast to get milder on Monday. The visibility today was fantastic and further west the hills looked quite snowy...certainly more than in the east.

If you want to "pitch in", make your mark and hammer your points home see the MC of S site on dry tooling and winter climbing ethics here!

12th November 2003 update...a few thin strips of snow still remain on corrie headwalls and some gully tops this morning but disappearing fast... :(

8th-10th November 2003 update...unfortunately low cloud and mist prevented any pictures over the weekend but from what we could see through the gloom on Ben MacDui a number of the usual gully lines and plateau drift sites had survived the very mild weather last week. The strong southerly winds last weekend had done a good job drifting the snow into sheltered northern aspects. Many of the popular gully lines in the Northern Corries now have up to a metres depth of good consolidated wet snow around the top gully exits and corrie rims which if they survive the mild weather over the next few days could provide a good base of neve for pulling over or off (if you are not careful) the cornices when the cold weather returns! There is certainly enough surviving snow for basic winter skills practise....;) And yes although the ground is far from frozen it will have benefited from the recent soaking once it freezes.

As for skiing...well if you fancy a two hour hike up onto the plateau battling against 50mph plus gusts of wind with your planks or boards you will be rewarded with the odd few 10 metre strips of good snow to slide on (and looks of sympathy!)..........Braeriach might be worth a check though ...let me know what conditions are like....only joking!!

Coire an Sneachda Stream

1st and 2nd November 2003...wintry mild wintry was the continuing theme last week with most of last weekends snow melt water by Wednesday but as the weekend approached it became colder with a fresh covering of snow (about 10 cm at 800 metres) just in time for the weekend.

Northern Corries	Aladdin's Area	Fiacaill Ridge

Southerly winds were lightly drifting snow into the Northern Corries on Saturday evening although if the forecast is correct it'll all melt on Sunday! The ground is far from frozen and the gully lines are merely lightly covered loose rubble... although the good news is that desiccated soil is now receiving a good wetting that can only benefit ice formation later in the season.

Coire an Lochain

25-26th October 2003...This weekend the Northern Corries looked very wintry with rime on the rocks. The overall cover is only about 10cm with very little drifting or build-up in the gully lines although ice has now started to form. Most people have been sensible and patient and have avoided climbing on the soft ground which is unpleasant mud in places and easily loosened.

Aladdin's Area

It is always possible to climb rock routes summer or winter with axes and crampons and a noisy top roping group were proving this point as they had commandeered the 'Seam'...the term Wet Tooling (Dry Tooling) comes to mind by but.......makes you want to Scream!

Fiacaill Ridge	Ice in Coire an Sneachda

Although the gully and ice lines have a very thin overall covering of snow / ice the ground underneath is very soft and wet and will be severely damaged if climbed on when not frozen. The plateau has a good overall covering of weight bearing snow so a good time to get walking and fit for the REAL winter to come......

As for skiing...we need a lot more snow....!!

Until the ground is fully frozen please respect the local ethos and don't spoil it for others by climbing and damaging the turf. We are climbers and keen to get out too and will let you know when routes are likely to be in good condition, until then please wait......!!!