Candy for the Soul…
13th February 2023
The high pressure was still dominant today in Northern Cairngorms giving a beautiful cloudless sky, lots of sunshine and strong Southerly winds. A welcome change to the recent unsettled weather.
The snowpack had re-frozen overnight and was firm and icy. The sun managed to soften the surface of some of the snow patches but most remained hard, giving fast, rattly and ‘noisy’ skiing.
The greatest snow accumulations are on North through East to South- East aspects above 950 metres. The plateau areas across to Ben Macdui looked white and a cunning ski tourer would be able to link the snow patches together to give a rewarding journey.
It would be a very different story if you were looking for some steep skiing in these current conditions. Although the freezing level is remaining above the summits a temperature inversion is keeping the snowpack firm and icy, whether you are travelling on foot, board or ski: care will be required when the slopes get steeper.
Gale force winds forecast for tomorrow.
Coire Domhain and Carn Etchachan. The small dot on the right is today’s snowpit. (Drone image from MD)
Firm, glazed snow – sunglasses were required PPE today!
Fiacaill buttress in Coire an t’Sneachda – firm snow patches with serious runouts.
Looking across Coire Domhain towards Ben Macdui.
Skiing the South side of Cairngorm.
A view of the South side of Cairngorm, the previous photo is the long skinny patch on the right.
Ben Macdui from Coire Lochan
Comments on this post
Got something to say? Leave a comment
Ben C
13th February 2023 6:52 pm
Great posts. I’m waiting for the pluton to be continued!
Is Lurchers Gully skiable at all?
ncairngormsadmin
18th February 2023 4:09 pm
Hello Ben
There’s a blanket of fresh snow over the patchy snowpack just now, we think lurchers gully is partially skiable, but there is plenty to go at on the plateau too, happy skiing!
ncairngormsadmin
27th February 2023 7:06 pm
Ah yes. Will continue the pluton soon…