Calm and good visibility
17th March 2025
A day of calm and clear conditions on the Cairngorm Plateau. A residual bank of cloud came in from the south briefly but soon dissipated. The stable high pressure system will result in cold snow surface temperatures tomorrow and the snow will remain firm. In fact, it may only soften on steep south facing aspects that are directly in the sun.
This will have implications for travel on foot or on ski, as an uncontrolled fall or slide could be consequential. Particularly, as the snow cover is superficial below 1000 metres. The Avalanche Hazard will be Low.
Skinning up to the summit of Cairn Gorm.
The granite tors of Benin Mheadhoin. Subject of a landmark paper by Sugden 1970. A more modern discussion of tor formation can be found here at: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2013JF002862
Cairn Toul (left) and Sgor an Lochain Uaine (right). The Angel’s Ridge facing the camera. The two people on the right hand side of the shot are near the summit of Coire an t-Sneachda.
By chance I travelled past the impact/crash site of the two F15’s on Ben MacDui. The two aircraft were on a training flight from RAF Lakenheath, and failed to return on the 26th March 2001. This can be a bleak and sombre spot in winter, but today was basking in sunlight despite cooling breeze. A report on the RAF Mountain Rescue Service response can be found at https://rafmountainrescue.com/15c-eagle-crash-ben-macdui-26-mar-01/
Coire Bhrochain, Braeriach.
Looking down towards Loch Etchachan. Cairn Gorm (left), Bynack More (centre) and Beinn Mheadhoin (right).
Derry Cairngorm and the crags of Creagan a’choire Etchachan. Note the sparse snow cover further into the interior of the cairngorms massif, particularly on these windward northerly slopes.
Diagonal Gully, Stag Rocks. The image might be compressed by the blog, but there are people visible in the top section.
Looking towards Cairn Gorm. The greatest snow depth is on plateau areas, generally South-East to South-West aspects above 1000 metres. Below this the snow is superficial.
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