A Day of Many Photos
9th February 2025
A lovely day in Lochaber today, cold and clear with light winds. Overnight temperatures were about minus five, but in places snow surface temperatures were a fair bit lower than this. This has set up strong temperature gradients in the snowpack, which reduce the ability for the snowpack to stabilise. I will try to explain a bit more about these processes in tomorrows blog, but the result is that currently the processes that promote stability are roughly balancing those that promote instability, and so not much is changing over time.
Currently the hazard tends to be limited to the tops of the higher gullies. Whether it is the top end of low hazard, or the bottom end of a moderate hazard is something that I have been pondering the past few days, The snowpack is very similar to that observed in both Glen Coe and Creag Meagaidh, but the difference is the extra 150 or 200 metres of altitude in Lochaber. As it is I think I will maintain the moderate hazard, but any signs of stabilisation, then it will drop to a low hazard.
Water ice. In streams and on damp hillsides water ice is forming. Although generally easily avoidable, it does produce a slip hazard. I once saw someone slip on something akin to the area photographed, they soon gained a alot of speed, and were lucky to walk away with just a bit of a bruising.
The view out West from near the top of the ski area. The low cloud over Loch Eil hung around for most of the morning.
Erosion in the windslab at the top of Coire Dubh. The recent South-Easterly winds have swirled around the coire rim eroding and sculpting last week’s windslab deposits. The angle of the sun when the photo was taken really brings out the layered nature of the windslab.
The top of Coire an Lochan. A small crown wall can be seen running diagonally up right in the area in shadow. This avalanche would have occurred a few days ago. However, it is this sort of area (a high NE facing gully top) that is maintaining instabilities. Although a small avalanche, in the confines of the gully would likely have been enough to knock a climber off.
The top of Easy Gully. The people are all members of the local mountain rescue team out on a training exercise.
The wide bowl generally know as Spikes Gully. Aonach Beag in the background.
A few photos from the Grey Corries. Looking West from the ridge up Stob Choire Claurigh with Aonach Mor, Aonach Beag and Ben Nevis visible in the background.
A lone walker heading alone the ridge to Stob Coire Cath na Sine.
Stob Coire an Laoigh. The crags on the right provide good quality mixed climbing on quartzite, a rock more associated with the likes of Beinn Eighe in Torridon. This horizontally bedded rock tends to be quite positive and lends itself to steep mixed climbing, providing some spectacular routes at relatively amenable grades.
Sgurr Choinnich Mor.
Stob Coire Easain.
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Al
9th February 2025 9:50 pm
Ramsey Round today? :)
lochaberadmin
10th February 2025 7:02 am
I wish that I was fit enough to do that and get down in time to write an avalanche report!