SNOW LINGERING AND WINDS HOWLING, CAIRNGORMS

Winter climbing?

Goat Track a nice ski run

Point Five Gully well loaded

Fiacaill Buttress

Glide Cracks above the Great Slab, Coire an Lochain

Summer like down in the Strath

Pierres footwear. Erm, not today

A glorious sunny day over in the Eastern Highlands. The winds were much, much stronger than forecasted. I had a wander into Coire an t-Sneachda to see whats left of the snow since the heatwave. On the walk in I was thinking back to just last week and it was big drifts and snow ploughing straight from the carpark. Today it is all rocky path into the coire. The SW gales were fair blowing down the path but they were forecasted to ease as the day ptogressed. Out of nowhere a French man stumbled upon me asking what was the best way up to Ben Macdui. Clad in sandals and jeans and 'not a very good map' as he desscribed it. Within 10 minutes he has my email address and keen to book a day out with me, cheers Pierre! The winds howled in the coire but I persevered and headed up to the notch on The Fiacaill Ridge. I didn't quite get to the ridge before I gave up the struggle!  There were streams of spindrift pouring down off the plateau into the corrie and it was a struggle standing up at times. Lots of snow and good depth. I would  reckon there is more volume of snow today than this day 12 months ago. The heatwave continues but I have 3 days of 'winter' work coming up. When does the winter end?  Maybe it will be Monday for me, but who knows.