GREAT EARLY WINTER CONDITIONS

Fiacaill Buttress

Coire an t-Sneachda

Ice

Coire an t-Sneachda

Fingers Ridge

Fiacaill Coire Sneachda

Rimed crags

Definitely winter

Busy today on the ridge

More climbers

Looking good for early November

The Northern  Cairngorms were looking good today. There had been some more snow yesterday. A gusty wind was creating a fair bit of spindrift in Coire an t-Sneachda this morning. Some drifting created quite deep deposits in places. More ice and more rimed up crags. Of course nothing much in the way of consolidation with the very low temperatures the last few days. Poor visibility up on the plateau, the morning saw some brief views. Up on the Fiacaill Ridge it was quite busy with 6 folk including one of my clients from last winter. More climbers on Mess of Pottage. It was pretty chilly once you stood still on the tops. I took my gloves off for 30 seconds photographing and quickly got cold hands. It's definitely winter up in The Highlands.

FIRST SNOWS & FIRST AID

First snows to Strathspey

Pretty

BASP First Aid course

First aid scenarios in the snow

Looks bad

CPR

They're everywhere

Cakes to die for

The first snow of the season fell down at Strathspey level overnight and into this morning. The trees looking beautiful with their first white decoration.
The last couple of days I have been on a BASP 2 day Emergency First Aid course. It is a requirement for any professional outdoor a activity provider to hold a valid first aid certificate. The certificate is valid for 3 years before a renewal. I've been using BASP for all my first aid courses since I  began guiding. Highly recommend, for everyone. Thanks to Chris, our trainer. Great facilities and cake were provided at Abernethy Trust, Nethy Bridge. Top venue.
This cold spell is still forecasted to last at least another 7 days. A other snow top up on Monday.

MORE ICE, MORE SNOW, MORE VIEWS

More ice at Coire an Locain

Some wonderful cloud formation

Cairngorm plateau

Meall a'Bhuchaille poking through the cloud

Strathspey under a blanket of cloud most of the day

More snow

More ice

Coire an Lochain

Cairn Lochan

Ever changing cloudscapes

Not camouflaged yet!

Always a joy

Taking it easy

There was another dusting of overnight snow in The Cairngorms. Staying below freezing above about 1000m There was definitely ice around compared to yesterday. The crags looking rimed and icy. Strathspey was in cloud for much of the day, a restively common occurrence during the winter months. Some beautiful cloud formations as the day wore on and by mid afternoon there was some blue skies around. The Mountain Hare is still in his Autumn  pelage. Relatively easy to spot today and of course leaving his prints everywhere in the snow. Sustained winter conditions for quite some days to come and some further light snowfall again tomorrow. Good, steady start to winter.

WINTER RETURNS TO THE CAIRNGORMS

Fiacaill Coire Sneachda 

Coire an t-sneachda 

Rimed vegetation

supper section of the Fiacaill 

Light dusting of snow and rime

Enough to get the axe out

Cairn Gorm

Visibility and snow cover at 1150m

A brief clearing 

Light snow cover on the crags

Fiacaill Coire Sneachda 

Always fun

After a brief warm spell of weather over the weekend we are back to something colder. The temperatures on the Cairngorms were well below freezing today. Despite this there was very little ice or frozen turf about. Only a light covering of snow but forecasts indicating the summit temperatures to be around -3 C for the rest of the week and beyond. Some more snow forecast throughout this period too. Looking like a more sustained spell of wintry conditions.
I had a bimble over the Fiacaill Coire Sneachda and across to the summit of Cairn Gorm today. Light winds, poor visbility and very quiet. I saw no one all day. I did hear a couple of folk climbing on Aladdins Buttress area. Optimistic given the conditions. I would have thought it was thin and nothing frozen. But you never know until you go!

BEN VRACKIE

Fabulous cloud formations 

Pitlochry under cloud

more

Beinn a' Ghlo

Looking south from the summit

Ben Vrackie clearing

Peaceful

Autumn leaves

Autumn berries

Holly

Autumn colours still hanging on

An uninspiring weather forecast in Northern latitudes led us further south and away from the Cairngorms, into Perthshire. We had a late and leisurely start (mid day) for a walk up to Ben Vrackie. This is a fab wee hill that can be walked from the middle of Pitlochty. Although if you start from Moulin there's one of the best pubs at the end, The Moulin Inn. Actually Ben Vrackie is almost Munro height, weighing in at 841m. There's an excellent path all the way up so navigation is minimal and underfoot not muddy! We started off in rain and very low cloud. By the time we reached the steep second half of the hill the rain eased off and at the summit we were rewarded with some fantastic cloud formations. Layers of broken cloud swirling about for a 20 minute spectacle. The stags roaring further to the east. Then the cloud smothered the hill again and time for us to head back down and the obligatory drink in the Moulin.
Autumn colours hanging on in the lower reaches. Amazing to think we had full winter conditions just a day or so ago. Today the temperatures were in double figures at sea level, not much cooler on the tops. All change again from Monday and into next week with snow forecast again in The Cairngorms.  Winter returns.