UKC

Since before Christmas we've been battered by Atlantic low after Atlantic low, bringing gale force winds and heavy rain to most of the country. Above about 800m this rain has often fallen as snow which has done a reasonable job of coating the higher peaks. Unfortunately, rising freezing levels and more rain have left this snowpack wet and slushy and the turf is not frozen. The buttresses on Helvellyn and in Brown Cove are black.

Strong winds have moved around a lot of snow and there are patches of windslab on E/NE aspects and some deep drifts in sheltered areas. Cornices are also forming over these aspects.

Nothing to go at here just yet, but the skiing in Scotland looks good! Getting colder towards the end of next week at height (crosses fingers).

Si
http://www.facebook.com/LakelandAscents
http://www.lakelandascents.co.uk

In reply to Si Withington:

We had a venture up Swirrel Edge and onto the summit of Helvellyn yesterday, the snow is building nicely but is too soft and sugary for climbing yet. Quite nippy on the top tho.
The cornices are forming up but are a bit on the soft side,
A few images at
http://paulhorsmanphotographer.blogspot.co.uk

In reply to Si Withington:

Nice and wintery on Bow Fell today didn't see a single person for the whole trip, climbers traverse nice and white with good coverage, rime ice starting to build high up on Bow Fell Buttress and on the summit blocks, went down the river of stones, but today it was a river of snow, ice was even starting to form in places, Saturday and Sunday have been fairly wintery high up and the turf were not insulated by the snow was semi frozen too.

Shame it's about to warm up for a while as another week of this could have been good.