Ben Nevis yesterday had loads of unconsolidated snow in Observatory Gully, making travel difficult. Our target was N.E. Buttress via a route on the First Platform. After spending 120 minutes on Raeburns 18 Minute Route, time and snow conditions were not on our side and we descended the normal approach to the buttress into Coire Leis. Point Five Gully and Orion Face look to be holding ice, but the snow in between needs to firm up. Gardyloo Buttress has the icicle variant formed as far as I can see. The next few days look unsettled, but a return to much colder and benign weather will hopefully bring conditions back in quickly.

The weather detail below from a friend and climbing client, who is also a long-serving professional weather forecaster suggests we may be in for a bonanza in the coming weeks. Watch this space folks and never second-guess Scottish weather! I have a few more weather links and will post them shortly.

Yes the High and lows are not entirely sorted yet. Some sort of east or south easterly flow looks likely, but each different run of the models come up with a slight variation. Very cold temps look most likely with 2-4C across much of the UK and yes mainly freezing conditions up the hill and frost at LL. However a south easterly has in one or two of the latest runs brought in Med air rather than E European, some 3 or 4 degrees warmer. Can't see a widespread thaw on higher slopes. I would think Feb could well be a cold month, with only brief incursions of Tm air. Something to do with the polar vortex??????










The Cairngorms are in good shape just now, with reports of good snow and sunshine. Very novel.
This picture below from James Thacker earlier in the week on The Seam. Thanks James. James is over there again today, so more sunshine shots no doubt in the pipe line this evening.