(Above) Tick-borne diseases & the SAIS. Interesting potential development suggested by a local medic, as outlined on the BBC News website today. More details here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-65203001 A very good idea given the recent arrival of TBE (tick-borne encephalitis) in England and the pre-existing problem of Lyme Disease. Raises all sorts of interesting issues around sampling and mapping which might be difficult but shouldn’t be insurmountable. (Above) ‘Meggie gets a photo credit in the piece. If only snow cover was a tenth as good as that today ..read more

(Above) Lochan a Choire, Pinnacle Buttress, the Post Face of Coire Ardair, the Inner Coire of Coire Ardair and The Window. Persistent, occasionally heavy snow showers reinstated a (very) wintry vibe to Coire Ardair and its environs today. 60cm drifts in places near the lochan and clouds of spindrift carried on sudden powerful squalls descending from the crags completed the picture.   (Above) NNE-facing Raeburn’s Gully, Coire Ardair. A covering of windslab for most of its length apart from the last 25m or so which had been scoured by strong local counterwinds. We had avalanche activity in ..read more

This morning the freezing level rose above all summits, and there was warmth in the weak sunshine. It felt like spring with the birds singing and daffodils out at Aberarder. However, overnight the freezing level is forecast to drop to around 1000m, with frequent snow showers through the day …………………… (Above) Daffodils flowering at Aberarder. (Above) Sron a’ Choire East slopes from above Aberarder. (Above) Coire Ardair and Coire a’ Chriochairein. (Above) Coire Ardair. (Above) Coire Ardair, with The Window to the right ..read more

Winter, spring but not quite summer – and all in the space of a week! Warmer conditions on the way, with snow fast going in all but highest elevations; where, for now, the cover from recent mid-week snow events still in place (Above) Creag Meagaidh’s Post Face today.The recent accumulations only affecting very uppermost areas. All the major Post Face gully lines broken. (Above) The new Cairn Liath stairway being put to good use today with some well equipped folks headed for the tops ..read more

Another overcast day with low cloud to start. Snow showers affected the area, some heavy around midday, before then clearing to give a bright end to the day. (Above) En-route to Gael Charn at Drumochter. Some snow showers with large wet flakes down to around 650 at midday. (Above) The Drumochter hills to the East of the A9, after the showers cleared, as I made my way back to Aberarder base. (Above) The ‘big picture’ and the Meagaidh range from A86 at Ardverikie. A little fresh snow on the tops. (Above) All change for new games. The Wolftrax car park at Laggan looking busy today, with mo ..read more

(Above) Left to right: Coire nan Gamhna, Bellevue Buttress, Raeburn’s Gully, Pinnacle Buttress, Easy Gully & the Post Face of Coire Ardair ..read more

After the mid-week, winter stinger it was a return to more ‘normal service’ today;  somewhat grey, overcast and a damp mizzle from midday. The cloud base seldom cleared the summits. (Above) Sron a Ghoire A rapidly consolidating and diminishing snow cover in all but the very highest of locations above 900m (Above) Coire Ardair and the Post Face. Cloud cover never clearing the tops throughout the day. Some residual instabilities above 900m.     (Above) Progress continues on the new ‘Stairway to Cairn Liath’ , with luck it should help cut down our egress time to summit ar ..read more

It was day of showers (rain at all levels during the day) and sunny periods. (Above) One of several rainbows this morning. (Above) Coire Ardair and Coire a’ Chriochairein. (Above) Creag Meagaidh massif, The Window, Carn Liath and Coire na Gall (from East of Kinloch Laggan).   ..read more

Today I ventured along the Upper Spey to have a look at the remaining snow in some of the more ‘hidden’ coires. (Above) Sron a’ Choire and Creag Meagaidh (left); Coire nan Gall, Coire Dubh and the top of Coire a’ Bheinn (centre and right). (Above) Coire nan Gall and Coire Dubh (left), with pt.903m (Stob Coire Dubh NE and Carn Dubh (767m) more central. (Above) Coire a’ Bhein (Stob Coire Dubh NE). (Above) Min Choire and Garbh Choire (North side of Stob Poite Coire Ardair and Sron Coire a’ Chriochairein). (Above) Garbh Choire (left), Creag Meagaidh (centre) with ‘Mad Meg’s Cairn’ visible ..read more