FROZEN SNOW & TEMPERATURE INVERSION IN THE CAIRNGORMS

Neve and a beautiful day in The Cairngorms above an Inversion

Coire an Lochain

Plenty of hard snow to play on

Warm in the sun

These needed anywhere white today

Chalamain Gap above the Inversion

Sgor Gaoithe and Creag Meagaidh

Meall a' Bhuachaille above the inversion

Lurcers Crag, inversion in Strathspey and some ugly wind farm

A day in the hills isn't a day out without these guys

One of the many reasons people hire guides in winter is for their knowledge where the best snow and ice is,  especially in lean conditions. We are indeed in a very lean period but what is left was fantastic today. Colder overnight temperatures had frozen up the existing snow pack, anything white was frozen solid today and plenty of ice about. Some of the corries in The Cairngorms are still holding snow and plenty to play on if you are looking to get some use of those axes and crampons you bought over Christmas. It was a beautiful day on the hills with a temperature inversion this morning. North and east facing slopes were cold in the shade, the tops were bathed in warm sun and absolutely no wind. Not very January like! Still big areas of snow on the plateau, don't get caught out thinking it's summer just yet! A busy period of work coming up for me, the main winter season is upon us. Some fresh snow and a few storms would go down a treat though.