STEEP GROUND, SNOW SHELTERS & WINDSLAB

Steve on the ice

Lunch time shelter

Good snow and ice on Westerly aspect

Very weak layer!

Not much effort to release this one

Plenty of ptarmigan today

The odd deep drift

Blue skies, briefly

It was a very wintery scene in the streets of Aviemore this morning. More overnight snow and heavy snow showers passing through. The ski road up to Cairn Gorm was open and clear. Winds were manageable today with only 40mph+. Steve on Day 3 of his course with me this week. We did my old trick of setting off a tad earlier this morning to let other folk bat a nice trail up into the coire. Another vital winter skill. We headed to the moraines to did a nice snow shelter for lunch. Big drifts here. We dug a few test pits. Not surprisingly the wind slab is fragile and it didn't take much of an effort to release a 30cm slab on the easterly aspect. After lunch we headed onto the western slopes of Pt.1411m (Fiacaill Coire Chais). Here the winds have well scoured the slopes. I very rarely use this hillside for skills as it is quite a bouldery place but today it was brilliant. There as some old snow, neve and water ice on the bigger boulders. Great place to practice some steep ground for Steve. Up on the top it was a chilly wind. The snow and cloud came in again in the afternoon. Fab winters day again and Steve enjoying the fun. That's what it's all about!