Wild weather..

Graham Stein and I headed over to the Cairngorms yesterday in some fairly wild weather. With strong winds and snowfall forecast we opted to visit Coire an t Sneachda to do a short route.

'Patey's Route' IV,5 was the obvious choice with some helpful ice around the mixed bulges. Unfortunately, the conditions were not idea for technical mixed climbing with many of the cracks coated in a thin film of verglass.

Heavy snow showers through the day resulted in some significant drifting of snow down to the level of Coire Cas car park. Unfortunately, the freezing level has now lifted to well above the summits in all areas resulting in thawing conditions. The existing snowpack will stabilise, come the next freeze resulting in a good base for further snow fall.

The major snowfields in the north facing corries won't really be affected: remember, just because you can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there..!