A Dank Day to End the Year
31st December 2025
As the title suggests it was a dank and misty day on Ben Nevis today. The freezing level rose to around 1000 or 1100 metres. There was some rain which fell as freezing rain on the summits. At lower levels things were beginning to thaw, while on the tops everything was being glazed in a layer of ice. Looks like another change in the weather tomorrow with colder (and hopefully clearer) showery weather from the North.
Misty and murky at the seven minute tree on the walk it. The view was very similar when I passed the tree on the way back down several hours later.
Still lots of icy streaks in drainage lines on the hillside. There were a few icy patches on the path, but in general it was not too bad.
Some good examples of needle ice were visible today. In this case it has lifted the gravel on the surface.
The expansion of the gravel footpath due to it’s high water content expanding while the rock which contains little water has not expanded, and thus has been left behind. Ski pole for scale.
The CIC hut cascade with Carn Dearg Buttress behind. Only a thin layer of ice on the CIC hut icefall, and very little ice on Carn Dearg Buttress above.
Looking over to Number 5 Gully/Carn Dearg Buttress. Again little ice on the likes of the Curtain.
Looking up Observatory Gully into the gloom. The rocks slightly whiter but probably just a very thin layer of hoar which was likely gone a couple of hours later.
Looking up to the Carn Dearg Arete at the head of Coire Leis. This was as clear view as I got all day, there looked to be a slight dusting of white stuff (possibly snow, but more likely just hoar frost) at higher levels.
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