Conditions in the Cairngorms

We've had some wild weather here today, as winds increased this morning and snow turned to rain at all levels. There is a lot of snow in the Cairngorms at the moment and after todays thaw the freezing level is dropping to 600m again tomorrow which is yet another thaw freeze cycle which is great for improving the climbing conditons.

This Snow Bunting was taking shelter in his own bird size shelter next to a snow hole in Ciste Mhearad.

Mountain Equipment outer shell clothing under test today!

Wild weather earlier today on Cairngorm but still the intrepid skier are visible in the background! "Heather's weather" forecasts colder temperatures again, so this temporary warming will assist consolidating the snow, and a freeze should bring improved climbing conditions. Kathy was cosy in her Gore-tex M.E. clothing!

In the Corrie

A perfect day!

Great day on Cairngorm today

The day was poor early in the morning, but soon cleared to become a wonderful, calm and sunny day. Here is a picture of the corries. Winter time is truly here!

Dotterel and Snow Bunting

We have had a very active day today. The first picture is of Andy on Snow Bunting. This is a new grade 111.4 mixed clmb which we climbed today, its 300 metres long and was very interesting climbing.

The next photo shows another new climb we named Dottrele, which we graded V.5 and is 130 meteres long. The climbs are on either side of Central Gully on Lurchers Crag.

The Cairngorms are the stronghold for the Dottrele here in the UK. It's a medium sized member of the plover family which visits in the summer only, usually at the spring migration and they spend the summer nesting here.

Snow Buntings and nature rules on Cairngorm

Another day of wild weather here in Cairngorm! Yesterday we turned back and today we got in a bit further and had a close shave from the scarp slope above the Mess of Pottage coming crashing down from above. The SAIS avalanche f0recast was 3 plus which indicates spontanious release and as is normally the case, exactly right! As one drives up the ski-road and walks into the corrie all the signs are incredibly obvious and amplified by the avalanche forecast, today's close shave was a timley reminder that no matter how experienced one thinks one is, the mountain does not really pay much attention to the fool-hardy endeavours of silly mountaineers - nature rules!

On a happier note the snow buntings seem content in the wild weather. This artic specialist is resident all year round in the Cairngorm National Park. They are around 15-18 cms long and the breeding male is unmistakable with it's white plumage, black back and yellow bill with a black tip. Sometimes it's plumage can be a ginger colour. Plectrophenax nivalis has feathers adapted to help deal with harsh environments.

Winter is back

An interesting day on Cairngorm today, this morning it started out wet but by the time Tomaz, Sarah and I got to the base of our climb, it was behinning to snow and by the top there were small streams of spindrift cascading down the gully. Conditions are good, the old snow remaining quite firm giving reasonable placements for the ice tools, the butresses are stripped but the turf is frozen, so this new snow will help. On the plateau the wind is very strong and visibiliy down to a few metres.It's very slippy underfoot with the boulders exposed, so in the strong wind its easy enough to slip and trip! Climbing conditions will be ace once the wind calms down!