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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

Full Winter conditions up in the Cairngorms today.

"Fiacaill Ridge this morning. Up early to get the best of the blue skies. Amazing amount of snow, the most I have seen all winter on the ridge. All the awkward bits are well banked out. Full cover on the plateau. Hard going lower down with big drifts and lots of deep, soft snow. Absolutely stunning. Winter continues.....".

Edited by Polar Maritime
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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

Walkers and climbers warned of late spring avalanches

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-36158945

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

 

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It is my view that the current level of snow being held on the hills of the Highlands is slightly better than average, though not massively. The very cool April has meant that many places (Cairngorms etc) are seeing their deepest snow accumulations of the winter.

I have read comments that 30m+ drifts are to be found on Ben Nevis, but there is no evidence of this. I'm reasonably confident that Observatory Gully of Ben Nevis holds the deepest snow in the UK at present, though I'd be surprised if this exceeded 20 metres.

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

Nice to see you call in Iain, Hopefully we will hear updates through the Summer on how the snow patches are surviving this year. What are your 'expectations' as things stand?

Good to hear the Avalanche forecast being extended into May this year. 

Quote

Forecasts from the Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) will be issued this coming weekend (6th & 7th May), it has been announced. The service, which usually closes in April, is being extended in forecast areas Lochaber and the northern Cairngorms due to the amount of late-lying snow still remaining.

There's still lots of snow up high beyond Lochaber and the Cairngorms too

'Late winter snow conditions above 1000m on North through East to South facing slopes in the Cairngorms and Ben Nevis/ Aonach Mor areas may present a hazard' they say.

'[A]dditionally, isolated snow fields remain on North to East aspects above 750m in most areas and will continue to present a slipping and falling hazard if firm and icy. Cornices are a hazard on some slopes, these are unpredictable and prone to collapse if newly formed. The potential for full depth avalanches due to snow creep producing glide cracks in deeper accumulations on steep East facing slopes also present an unpredictable hazard.'

Even outside the two forecast areas, winter conditions are still very much in evidence up high (the photo above is Glen Shiel on Saturday 30th April, for instance). With this in mind the SAIS have advised hill-goers to check weather forecasts, and to keep a close eye on conditions on the ground wherever they're heading.  http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=70429

 

 

Edited by Polar Maritime
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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

 

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  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

Caingorms this morning.

 

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

 

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On ‎04‎/‎05‎/‎2016 at 09:03, Polar Maritime said:

Nice to see you call in Iain, Hopefully we will hear updates through the Summer on how the snow patches are surviving this year. What are your 'expectations' as things stand?

It looks to be reasonably average, with perhaps a bit more than 'usual' on some aspects. If we have a typical summer then I'd expect patches of snow to survive once again, but there's obviously still a long way to go. I'd be astonished if we eclipsed 2015!

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

Quote' Iain Cameron.

"Another perfect illustration of why snow persists so long at the foot of Point 5 Gully on Ben Nevis. Avalanches heaping snow on snow as late as May!"

 

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

Some big Cornice collapses yesterday in the Cairngorms as reported by Gary Hodgson, With the melt ongoing creating some wonderful waterfalls under the snow-pack.

 

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

From Firefly.

Quote

The closest that Scotland has come to losing all its snow since 2006 was in October 2011. 

In this self-composed picture (by snow veteran Davie Duncan), taken on the 16th of that month at Braeriach's Garbh Choire Mor, the patch called 'Sphinx' was down to just a few metres across. Luckily, heavy snow came the next day and buried this tiny remnant. This wee patch, which itself is made up from snow that fell in November 2006, will hopefully be celebrating its tenth birthday this year, and now lies buried beneath the huge amounts currently present.

 

Edited by Polar Maritime
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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
Quote

For those familiar with the Glenshee ski area, these snaps of Glas Maol and Creag Leacach will be very recognisable. However, what might come as a surprise is the date.

20th May 1977...

Photos courtesy of Adam Watson.

 

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

The last ski of the season on the Ben is quite a ritual in late May..

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

Midsummer ski Glencoe

Looks like it's going to be a more normal midsummer ski this year with the Main Basin run now broken in 3 places. Still some large patches to play on and if the weather is good should still be a great day out.
All experienced skiers and boarders are welcome to join us on Saturday 18th June. Meet in the Base station cafe at 9am. We will then head up on mass after breakfast. Cliffy will run at around 10am for just long enough to get everyone up nearer the snow. From there you are on your own to hike for some turns. Normal plan of action is to head to the Main Basin to build some features to play on. Later in the day many people traverse round the mountain to check out the patches on the Spring run or the Flypaper. Currently the snow is lovely firms Spring snow so providing some pretty good turns. Access up the mountain is free for all season ticket holders and just £10 (normal Access chair cost) for everyone else.

Please note  

The Cliffy only runs for Access up the mountain you will need to walk or grass ski/board back down.

Last return on the Access chair is 4.30pm

The snow will not be groomed and there are no ski patrol around so you need to be self sufficient.

http://hosted-p0.vresp.com/578510/65ba9d83df/ARCHIVE

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

 

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

Cold enough for a touch of snow by Friday for the Nevis Range ☺

 

FB_IMG_1467178684304.jpg

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
Quote

July 1st is the day when the annual snow survey of the North-East Highlands is done by the one-and-only Adam Watson. Adam has bein doing this survey since 1974, and I've joined him every year since 2008.

Today (along with Glenshee ski centre Manager Graham McCabe, and stalwart Derek Pyper) we went up onto Meall Odhar to do the survey. The weather was mixed, but it stayed clear enough for us to get a good view across to the Cairngorms and complete the survey.

As expected, the snow volumes are less than usual, but there were some massive patches visible, most notably on Beinn Bhrotain, which was hundreds of meters long.

More photos and a report to follow over the weekend.

 

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Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

Snowing on Ben Nevis summit today.

Edited by Polar Maritime
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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.
  • Location: Derbyshire Peak District South Pennines Middleton & Smerrill Tops 305m (1001ft) asl.

Firefly has been out in the Caingorms with the BBC Countryfile team this week to be veiwed this Sunday.

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