SAIS Creag Meagaidh

Capricious Spring

2009-03-25T19:45:00.005Z

(Above) Wet slab avalanche debris at the bottom end of Raeburn's Gully in Coire Ardair. Rain on snow avalanches in Coire Ardair today - Raeburn's and in 'Cinderella' in the Inner Coire. Raeburn's was choked with new debris, you can't see it all in the photo because the cameraman had those unmistakeable 'trouser-filling' feelings and so beat a hasty retreat. All the avalanches ran from about 900m - stability was better higher up as it had been a little cooler with sleet above that altitude.

(Above) Raeburn's from a bowel-friendly distance. There are a few smears of ice here and there but nothing subtantial on primary routes. Strafed by falling ice for a time immediately below the gully.
(Above) The Post Face and the Inner Coire. Opening pitches of Centre Post complete if a little thin and narrow but the waterfall at the bottom end of Staghorn tells you everything you need to know.

Full depth avalanche on Sron a Ghoire trundled in to life today, this time closer to the ascent/descent path. Nasty-looking weather in prospect for Thursday with plenty of snow.

As you can see, it was quite pleasant between showers.

Full depth? (Suit you,sir!)

2009-03-17T17:36:00.008Z

(Above) Minor full-depth avalanche on the steep East aspect of Sron a Ghoire. This one happened late yesterday and is a relatively small event - 12m wide with the crownwall depth approx. 1m and it ran for about 25m. (Don't click on this shot as it will pixellate badly.

(Above) Same small avalanche as the first picture but taken a little closer to the site.

Full-depth avalanches of the type shown in the pictures are relatively common at 'Meggie during sustained thaw conditions. They tend to be on the small side and occur in the same or similar places each year. The bed surface is almost always rock slabs or very steeply inclined grass which gets lubricated with water underneath the snow during a thaw. Glide cracks open up in the snow all the way to the ground and the slab of snow that is isolated has to overcome the friction offered by the rock or grass bedsurface. Meltwater assists this process but ground roughness can vary dramatically and so these type of avalanches are notoriously difficult to predict. In some respects they are a little like collapsing cornices and, it could be argued, are outside our remit.

The Great Slab of Coire an Lochain in the 'Gorms is the biggest and best known site of large full depth avalanches where crownwalls 8m high are not unknown. The small scale events on Sron a Ghoire could threaten those using the usual descent path and if they were unlucky trundle them downhill. The Moy Corrie is also known for these types of avalanches where they tend to run on grass similar to the one shown in the shot below, though larger.

(Above) Raeburn's and most of the Post Face today. Falling ice noted during the early afternoon. Principal low grade gullies are complete but Post Face routes broken in places, some with full-on waterfalls.

Default conditions return

2009-03-12T17:30:00.002Z

(Above). The track towards Sron a Ghoire on Thursday in between showers. Awash.

The weather Gods conspired to give pretty much the whole array of Creag Meagaidh weather in a day today. Soaking wet within 3 minutes of Aberarder (beneath Goretex: take note Messrs Gore & co), 'drunken' staggering in gusty 60mph winds and deep wet snow, face flayed raw by graupel above 750m, Goretex (that word again!) resilient as cardboard above 900m. Reverse on the way back! Face glowing like a brake light and the back of the hood taking the hammering. To be fair, the gear we have is good, it's just that 'Meggie-proof gear is a difficult and almost unachieveable spec.

windslab

2009-03-09T15:18:00.004Z

Wind scoured on wind exposed upper slopes today with slab build up in high sheltered lee locations above 850m - East and South-East aspects.
Top photo - sheltered gully Cairn Liath
Bottom photo - upper slopes on Sron a Ghoire

NB. Better detail if you click on photo

What a difference a day (or 2) make!

2009-03-07T13:59:00.003Z

Try as she might even the 'SIT' could not hide from the fact all has gone wet and soggy.

Above, same mountain different snow!

Mild with rain at all levels - not worth writing about!

Windslab

2009-03-05T17:31:00.008Z

(Above) NE ridge of Sron a Ghoire today. Big pillows of soft, weak windslab.

(Above) Small deep slab avalanche at 550m on NE ridge of Sron a Ghoire.

Only 20m across and ran for about 15m but this is really low altitude on modestly angled ground. Higher up, windslab accumulations are much deeper and more extensive (and even less stable). The crownwall drifted over (rapidly!) during heavy snow showers but the weather cheered up dramatically after midday. Drifting continued more or less all day even when it wasn't snowing.

(Above) Ski tracks through fresh snow (windslab).

It was a right flounder at times today with really tiring trail-breaking. Check the depth of snow exposed by ski tracks - some drifts are more than waist deep.

'Skis' on 'Meggie'

2009-03-04T15:22:00.010Z

The track to Coire Ardair has yet to be fully 'forged', with deep drifts awaiting the first pioneers.
I set off with good intentions but the hard going, a weak will and an eagle eye (which spotted some single point release wet snow slide events in Coire a Chriocharein) provided the perfect diversion.
Whilst I headed manfully to higher slopes the 'SIT' (the Stability Indicator Technician - featured below) set off to 'count' the deer nos at lower elevations in Alt Coire Ardair.
Motivation took a further dive before disappearing altogether along with dead camera batteries in the vicinity of Balloon Gully, Cairn Liath.

The close up single point release photo (above) I blagged from our stock images (exact same place and looked the same!)

These single point release, sun on new snow events are seldom big enough to bury you - but their chums in the next two adjacent gullies certainly would have; cornice triggered soft slab events on South East aspects at around 950m. Sorry no photos - dead camera.

With that I bailed out, as I left a party of 4 ski tourers were flogging their way up 'Balloon Gully'. I trust you all made it to the top; you certainly improved your chances after diverting to the shoulder as opposed to straight up the middle - good effort!

Early starts are needed in the current conditions to get anything done.
Old skis best at the moment also, (new snow and hidden rock terrain) - when I say 'Old' - a major sponsor opportunity is available here! TUA the last to benefit - the final photo today doing justice to the 'best ski' (now approaching its 10th birthday - even camera refused to take an image of its less than photogenic mate!)

Post script:
If you double click the 'ski' photo the manufacturers 'Logo' comes up quite nicely - we tend to use reasonable pixel resolution in our images so details on crag shots etc can be zoomed in on for max info / detail (shameless / gratuitous / sponsorship!)
I'm told this website can get up to 5000 hits a day (that's a worry!) - Perhaps a ski sponsor with us manfully atop a crown wall resplendid in matching headbands would have some commercial utility?!

The 'SIT' may even gain cult status (and present as a competitor in the nations heart's for the Top Gear 'STIG') she could even appear in a sponsor’s matching twin set of harness and sun glasses....all food for thought!

PS. The ‘SIT’ eats 'chappie' - 1/3 tin a day but if it was free we might up it to 1/2!

Fresh Tracks

2009-03-03T15:14:00.009Z

Above The Chief Observer ‘Stability Indicator Technician’ (SIT!) makes slow progress along the main drag to Coire Ardair today. Fresh but very wet snow to all levels.

Today’s report is dedicated to the public spirited trail breaking dept from Plas y Brenin (if you click on the bottom photo you might just be able to make out several small floundering figures around tree level). Thanks!

NB. Once again no animals have been harmed in the compiling of today’s report (only the Homo sapiens!)

Non Events

2009-02-28T18:22:00.006Z

Lots of RAF Mountain Rescue Lads on the park today - well above and beyond in the current soggy conditions....They had me fooled for a spell when their 'Big Yellow Budgie' turned up - but I gather all just playtimes (training)!
Any chance of a lift next time fellas? - these RBS 6 Nation days a bit of a pressure cooker with the kick off deadlines – half time , Come on Ireland!

Sorry, the soggy snow not too exciting today - hopefully more fresh on its way!

Post script: Yes... result!
IRL (14) v ENG (13).
Brian Moore needs to re-grow his moustache , don his 'chaps' and get back to his 'Village People' (completely unbiased Irish point of view!)

Born to be mild

2009-02-14T21:15:00.004Z

(Above) The RAF came to play today. Misty for most of the time and a little mild. Certainly could do with a freeze up.

(Above) Pumpkin.

Routes done today: Smith's Gully, Last Post, and Centre Post (I think). The guys on Last Post topped out at 1.45pm pretty much as a pair commenced Centre Post - who spent some time weighing things up en route. The Last Post ascensionists stayed well to the left (looking up) on the final pitch to avoid distinctly questionable deeper slab.

Good stability in many places below about 950m but lingering weaknesses higher up. Some very large cornices in some places at present.

Ski-touring remains good but the Carn Liath plateau cover is not complete. The Sron a Ghoire side is very good - a tour from Moy descending by Sron a Ghoire to Aberarder would be a sound choice. Mild for a time so we can expected the snow to diminish down low.

Snow cover

2009-02-10T18:39:00.004Z

(Above) The Post Face on Tuesday. It's pretty quiet at the moment but ski-touring is good - skied all the way out from Coire Chriochairein to the farmhouse in a 'one-r'.

(Above) Some single point releases in Coire Chriochairein. Nothing really threatening but an indicator that there's still a lot of soft snow about in places.

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(Above) Ice on some rocky bosses and easy grade ground in Coire Chriochairein. The ice shown in the lower part of the shot is at 700m. In the right conditions this little but atmospheric corrie can be a good winter skills training ground. Care is required when stability is poor as many of the slopes are regular avalanche paths - even low angled ground can be iffy as the run-outs from the avalanches are long and debris tips deep.

Avalanche Poodles

2009-02-06T19:57:00.005Z

After checking out the cornice build up (considerable!) our 'Avalanche Poodle' remained decidely unimpressed with the days activities - even when the sun came out for a brief period at the back end of the day.

We have had a fair amount of 'fresh' over the past 24 hrs and creditable reports from several experienced parties 'enjoying' overnight snow holing sorties emphasis the rapid build up of soft slab in 'Meggies' high sheltered lee locations.

The bowls at the top of the 'Post Face' routes (paticularly to the right as you look up ie the 'North Post' end) are well worth giving a miss for a spell - our 'Meggie' statistics have been good for some time now!!

Avalanche debris evident in the Inner Coire today and even some happening!

That said the weekend winters sports are there to be enjoyed - careful route selection with buttresses spring to mind and movement on skis is all there to be enjoyed.

If it looks white and pillowed and you start sinking in up to your knees and it’s more than 30 degrees (and you begin to think hmmm?) No, you shouldn’t be there! - You’re shortly to be going for a ride … and the landings are seldom a stand up, shake off and a giggle!

Take care and have fun!

NB. No animals were harmed in the making of this report (if harmed is still politically correct to say)

Snow - I don't believe it!

2009-02-05T16:13:00.005Z

(Top) The 'Post Face' last Sat and below on Thursday

A week that almost wasn't - with snow as noteable in its absence for much of the time as Red buses at Creag 'Meggie'

Still, we did eventually get some - the melt down shown in the top photo over the weekend was not too severe and most of the gully lines remained intact.

The re-freeze at the start of the week gave good overall stability to the snowpack with a decent Melt /Freeze layer (always good to see even a relatively modest M/F layer as even 5-6 cm provides considerable tensile strength to the snowpack).

This was then followed by only a few light flurries early week before ending with a bit more of a decent dump today from overnight snow.

Winds have been variable, spindrift was blowing off the ridges today from the East but slab build up was also evident at the top of the 'Post Face'.
The notorious 'Meggie' collecting bowls at the top of the crags are beginning to look a bit ominous in places, especially towards the 'North Post' end.

Further snow is forecast overnight Thurs and on Friday so take care out there, especially at the top end of these sheltered gully exits where the flanks have been cross-loading with fresh.

Archived Happy Snap

2009-01-31T15:38:00.007Z

Sorry, no photos of today's soggy snow. I need re-training after a spell away. (above) gratuitious happy snap just to test the technology and in the vague hope of trying to put to bed rumours of a late start this morning!

Quote from 29/01/09 below...

"There's good enough and deep enough snow cover in places to have a ski tour with a final descent through trees - yes, glade skiing!"

Hmm?.....least I meet with a group of deranged telemarking powder hounds looking for retribution.

Let me assure you, glade skiing at 'Meggie' there is not - there may have been during the past week, there may even have been when my colleague left his words of enthusiasm, but for now any immediate prospects for glade skiing at Creag Meagaidh will only be if the Loch rises a little bit further and a passing boat can be found!

Some say it was the Malt and Haggis, some that the shift had been too long and hard - I say, it's impressive what an overnight freezing level of 2500m can do to glade skiing.....I wish my colleague all the best in his next encounter with - 'the Stig' (sorry his Jeremy Clarkson alter ego coming through in my rantings)

I'll be having words......

Ps. Many thanks to one of our gear sponsors, Mountain Equipment. The Windstopper Soft Shell trousers were road tested today - just the ticket!

The week Friday 23rd to 29th Jan.

2009-01-29T19:41:00.005Z

(Above). The Post Face today. Most gullies lines are complete but haven't been ventured up for some time and might be worth avoiding at present - see photo below. Ice is certainly evident and should outlast the forthcoming thaw if it isn't too prolonged.

(Above). The pit today. Done at about 850m on a NE aspect. The surface layer sheared away really easily when I dug the shovel into the snow above the pit. Elsewhere, there's up to 25cm of this stuff at gully heads and at the top of corrie backwalls - it's not extensive but would be enough to knock you off your feet if you triggered it.

We've had a lot of snow at ‘Meggie and it's stayed quite cold. This gave us deep slab along with relatively cold snowpack temperatures that have persisted in many places to date. The temperature gradient from the bottom of the snowpack to the surface of the snow hasn’t been particular strong but stayed moderately cold across all layers. Lower temperatures within the snow tend to preserve weaker layers and allow it to shear more readily. We haven’t had any facetting of crystals (early depth hoar, or ‘facets’) because the snowpack is deep and pretty even in temperature from bottom to top. However, the old slab has also become denser over that time through natural processes (equi-temperature metamorphism) but less dense, weaker layers have been slower to change - hence the regular occurrence of easier and very clean shears in the mid-pack we had in the latter part of the week.

Since the big snow event last week-end it’s stayed cold and there’s been the odd top up of snowfall. Most deep snow lies on North-West through North to East aspects and some of it is very deep, especially above 750m where there are really deep drifts. There’s good enough and deep enough snow cover in places to have a ski tour with a final descent through trees - yes, glade skiing! I’m not saying where because ‘The Man’, who has been ensuring that the nation has an uninterrupted supply of oil & gas from the North Sea (not me), is now on shift and deserves first tracks on his tele skis. To be honest, unless your technique is perfect you’d struggle on Alpine gear whereas teles (or a snow board) would be great in quite deep, heavier crud at lower altitude in the trees.

We’ve got some snow coming through overnight then some rain and a 2500m freezing level for Friday. The weather picture has bee pretty complicated since Monday and the Met Office have toiled manfully to predict it for us but have struggled at times. Anyway, there is some new slab about at present and this is unlikely to settled down until after the predicted melt-down.

The week so far

2009-01-22T18:00:00.004Z

(Above) Drifting was more or less continuous today in and out of showers. Snow lies at all levels but is deep, even in the heather where you might think it would be shallow. Progress on the hill is slow and difficult (with snow shoes). The shot above was taken in Coire Chromharsain at 550m.

The week has been dominated by persistent and heavy snow showers. On Monday windslab was widespread on all NW through N to ENE aspects above 600m and this has settled down and formed the base for copious quantities of additional slab that accumulated throughout the week. Cornices have formed over all steep wind-sheltered gully tops and corrie rims. Not surprisingly we've had a fair amount of avalanche activity where windslab build up has been fastest and deepest.

We haven't found any lingering and buried weaknesses in the snowpack having thought we might have a problem with surface hoar after the prolonged New Year freeze. Most of the avalanche activity has been the fairly typical Scottish variety - new snow avalanches during or immediately after snowfall or persistent drifting. At Meggie we get a lot more rain-on-snow avalanches than further east and were expecting evidence of this today but the temperatures stayed fairly cold and had snow on snow.

There's a thin crust wherever the wind has scoured away new snow, it's not much of a hinderance but does get thicker with altitude. Can't recommend skiing here at present - it's just bottomless snow with no real base. Skinning up hill would be OK but descents horrifying (a snowboard might be a good option?).

Climbing conditions are also severely affected by the amount of snow on the ground - you just can't get to the bottom of the crags. All popular routes have a lot of unstable snow at the top of them and you may end up riding a big one if you did manage to get on a route.

Deep snow

2009-01-19T18:23:00.005Z

(Above)The weather cheered up after 2.00pm though was pretty gnarly before that.

(Above) Looking towards the Post Face this morning between snow showers

Access along the Coire Ardair path was very difficult today and hindered observations. Usually takes and hour or so from Aberarder farmhouse to the loch - took 2 hours to get two thirds of the way there so diverted to one of our other happy avalanche hunting grounds in Coire Chriochairein. Big snow on the hill at the moment and quite a lot more due tomorrow.

Getting to the start of any graded climb is a searing physical challenge at present (and isn't going to get any better on Tuesday) and almost certainly not 'worth the biscuit' because of unstable snow.

Weather outlook
The Met Office reckon it's going to be wintry and snowy in the Highlands right up to the end of January with only the odd milder period. The West looks like getting the lion's share of the snow as well.

Ok ,ok,ok it's been a long time........

2009-01-16T17:37:00.004Z

Technology. Sorry for the delay in posting stuff but we have had nightmare technology problems that have only recently been resolved. Internet access at Aberarder is via satellite 24,000 miles in geostationary orbit out there in space but our problems have been in the last ten metres from the dish to the modem to the computer. Also, our camera has been 'temporarily misplaced' and have only now got round to sorting out another one. Is that enough excuses?

The hill. Ice development was more modest than expected during the 'big freeze' over Christmas and beyond the New Year but Last Post on the Post Face did 'begin' to come in to condition. It was thin and a wee bit challenging as ice thickness wasn't quite the half metre thick stuff you come to expect on that route when it's really good. Well, a couple of meltdowns have taken their toll...

Just a note on what 'in condition' means (to us at least). Just because you get up something doesn't mean it's in condition. Some of you ice tyros out there will climb up most things that have had just a moderate frost and are well above grade. To us, routes like that aren't in condition (or, more precisely, 'guidebook condition'). Perhaps winter guidebook grades need revising to take account of our globally warmed climate? The new reality of a yo-yoing winter climate seems to mean that routes come in to some sort of condition then quickly degrade ('up'grade?) a lot faster than they used to.

The popular easy grade gullies still provide the most interesting sport at the moment even though you have to walk up through what seems like a steeply inclined quarry spoil tip to get to the routes.

Shocking stormy weather forecast for the week-end with heavy snow arriving quickly around dusk on Saturday accompanied by strong gales. Sunday not looking much better.

And finally.....Had conflicting weather forecast for 'Meggie for overnight Friday and the earlier part of Saturday. One from a well-proven source gives us a lot of snow and the official one gives us very light snow showers. You'll understand that it's difficult to grade the avalanche hazard in these circumstances and if you look at the SAIS report you'll see I had to be a little circumspect.

Maybe get some photos for you next time?

Cornices

2008-03-27T17:11:00.004Z

Above: Large cornices above Centre Post on the Post Face in Coire Ardair

Above: General shot of the Post Face and approach to The Window

Large cornices loom over many NE to S aspects at the moment. Don't often see big ones over Centre Post but these are conspicuously large. Loud and ominous rumblings were heard emanating from the Inner Coire today, nothing seen but was probably more cornice trundling down.

Big snow on its way on Friday. Stability was questionable in many places on Thursday and will get a whole lot worse. The avalanches could be big and run out to some distance.

Gratuitous pretty picture

2008-02-15T18:47:00.003Z

Above: Ice on Loch Laggan before sunset on Friday. Note the high cloud.

We've had quite a few days of hard frost down at valley level (the loch is at approx. 250m above sea level) but have had high air temperatures near summits, so classic temperature inversions. Even with these high temperatures (+ 9 or 10 degrees C. at 1000m on some days) the snowpack has refrozen at higher altitudes. The very clear skies have allowed heat from the snowpack (yes, heat) to escape to the atmosphere by long wave radiation, even though the air temperature has been quite high. So the surface layers of the snow have cooled to give hard or very firm underfoot conditions. During the day any snow that is directly warmed by the sun gets a little mushy while the shaded slopes stay hard despite high air temperatures.

The wierdest example of this aspect of atmospheric physics I experienced was seeing heat haze shimmering up from the snowpack with snow drifting around my feet and an air temperature of +7 degrees C. (Cairngorm in March 1998). Convection, conduction, radiation: heat and snow make quite a conundrum.

Well, with more cloud forecast (but staying dry and cool) those South facing slopes are likely to be a little firmer during the day.

Old cornice and avalanche debris

2008-02-09T16:52:00.000Z

Above: Huge pile of old cornice and avalanche debris at the base of Easy Gully in Coire Ardair

The car park was full today and we met a fair few people on the hill. Most were out hillwalking and everyone was staying clear of the gullies.

Most gullies are chockful of old debris, much of it from cornices that fell down on Wednesday night and during Thursday. The Inner Coire, including the final slopes up to the Window, had debris everywhere. Some debris tips had a lot of rocks and soil entrained in them, so much so that from a distance it looks like debris from a landslide.

Quite a few folk seemed spooked by all this and said the avalanche hazard must be 'bad' even though they hadn't seen anything fall down. Snow stability isn't too bad at all (although cornices still remain a concern) but people's perception of it is heavily influenced by these big piles of chunky old snow. Estimating the age of avalanche and cornice debris is very difficult for most people simply because they're not able to look at this stuff all the time. (Most Guides and instructors do have have a good handle on this for reasons that are self evident). A year or two ago an individual - from Dunfermline, if I remember correctly - reported an avalanche to SAIS HQ he thought had happened on a Saturday but had actually occurred nearly a week beforehand. We were in the vicinity on the Saturday and had looked at the debris which was so hard you couldn't kick your crampons in to it.

The moral of the story is, please do report these occurrences as feedback is vital, but do think carefully about the timing of the event as it will really help us in or 'accounting' procedures. Also, do remember that cornice collapse is a separate hazard often, but not always, independent of the avalanche hazard.

Above: a shot looking up Easy Gully today. We did our snow pit above the avalanche fracture line which is visible on the left side of the gully in the top quarter of the photo.

Almost a blue sky day

2008-02-06T17:10:00.000Z

Above: Sron a Ghoire on Wednesday.

Beautiful day at Meggie. There's been a lot of snow transport in stronger winds and new slab is very weakly stabilised. Deepest stuff is at gully heads and corrie rims. Shears popped out just as the snowpit was being dug and a couple more slid out with very little encouragement. New cornices look pretty horrible right now as well. Elsewhere, there's large expanses of crusty snow-ice that's been well scoured. Should see some avalanche action on Thursday as snow turns to rain.

Above: Looking up towards Sron a Ghoire

Good skiing today down to 500m. Beautiful descent from the col traversing high beneath the front face of the minor peak left of shot. (Eat your heart out, Sam & Oliver!)

Thursday's looking desperate weather-wise.

Cornices - Monday 21st Jan '08

2008-01-21T22:06:00.000Z

(Above) There are a few of these bad boys around at the moment. This one is about the size of a car and there are many larger ones hanging over steep N through E to S aspects, corrie rims and gully tops in particular. With rain and mild temperatures forecasted for Tuesday many of the younger ones will collapse and put a high loading on the slopes below, many of which are laden with deep windslab.

Above: The Post Face today (Monday). Coire Ardair has been pretty quiet of late. Snow stability has been pretty poor as 4 climbers found out in Raeburn's Gully on Saturday; fortunately no injuries.

Weds 16/01/08. Post Face principal routes

2008-01-16T18:16:00.000Z

Above: Centre Post

Above: Easy Gully showing the build up on Last Post (some way to go yet)

Above: Opening pitches of Staghorn Gully

Click on the pictures for more detail.

Thursday isn't looking so great with some snow coming in during the morning turning to sleet and rain as the freezing level rising to 1300m.

So you want some snow...?

2008-01-11T18:45:00.000Z

Avalanche debris (top of picture) high on the SE-facing slopes of Coire Ardair

A lot of snow on the ground at 'Meggie at the moment. Some high ground was swept clear of snow in the last storm but there's a lot at lower levels and the bottom ends of some gullies have serious quantities.

Ski-touring is fine if all you want to do is skin up hill; descents are nightmarish in bottomless stuff with a gnarly breakable crust in many places. Avalanche Man 'Cube' reckons snow shoes are the perfect tool for moving around the mountains at the moment (he was post-holing in his plastic mountaineering boots today so he would say that). The track right up to the lochan in Coire Ardair is incomplete and requires several groups of public spirited trail-breakers to make it passable. Where are Plas y Brenin groups when you need them?

Slab and loose snow avalanches overnight and today on SE to S slopes triggered by a temperature spike and warmth from the sun respectively.