"...mostly dry...chance of isolated light shower....patchy sunshine....winds dying down after dawn...."
All words used in the mountain forecasts for today that I kept repeating to myself as I chased an elusive freezing level into the cloud, and ones that fail to explain how I had such wet pants by the end of the day or got blown over. Twice....
With today forecast to be the best of the week I went for a "big walk" plan, which got changed three times before deciding to call it a day at just past 800m when I got blown over. Ended up heading for Sgurr na H-Ulaidh at the west end of Glencoe, via the N ridge of Stob an Fhuarain. Driving rain up to 700m, driving sleet up to 800m, only becoming "dry" snow both in the air and underfoot at about the 800m mark.
Bailed from the ridge at 845m spot height having confronted the high winds, stinging spindrift, and being rather damp. Saving grace for the day was an incredible (although also even more pant wettingly damp) bumslide off the ridge, descending 300m height in under two minutes. Saved the knees a bit of work!!
LOTS of snow on Ulaidh N face, gullies there look like snow plods rather than their usual ice lines. Plenty snow on the west face Aonach Dubh as well, and some interesting looking potential gully lines on the east face of Meall Lighiche too.
More snow falling throughout the afternoon, but mostly being blown about. Freezing level must have been at least 800m as the snow was most definitely of the wet variety up til that point.
Sun came out on the drive back to Oban mind you......
Some photos here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152143160440865.1073741855.7386...
and video footage here, when it finally processes... (turn your sound down....was windy!!):
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152143176735865&l=72342634753834...
Cheers folks, hope someone had better weather luck than me today....
Gordon
