In reply to indigo:
Up Bidean on Saturday. The short ridge up to Bidean from SCNL was well covered with old hardish snow and I was pretty glad to have an axe in a couple of places. Lots of snow still in some places in the corries so similiarly for the descent from Bealach Dearg down to lost valley there was a headwall of steep, hardish snow. Even stuffed crampons on for that, though if I hadn't had them with me reckon it would have probably been ok, but again happy to have an axe.
AE looked totally stripped from across the valley.
Post edited at 17:04