UKC

Got a couple of days off and wondering about another trip to Aviemore / Cairngorms.

I'm watching the forecast (looking shite) but am wondering what are the current conditions? How extensive and deep is the present snow covering?

Last trip up was a half a failure thanks to deep soft snow though I know of other walkers who managed long walks by sticking to the plateau as much as possible, where the winds had cleared lots of the snowfall and then using popular trails where the tracks had been broken.

I was pondering some obscure graham / corbett walks but I reckon they could be harder / less pleasant than tackling some of the Cairngorm munros.

In reply to Flinticus:

Just back from a week staying in Newtonmore; not much snow depth, it's been scoured off the northern edge of the plateau - Cairngorm was icy and there was little rime build-up on the weather station. We did Meall a'Buachaille and there were a few areas of soft snow build up in the lee of the hill on the descent to Ryvoan but not too bad. We also did Creag Dubh, the Graham behind Newtonmore; ascent of the ridge from the S.W was easy without much snow depth, coming off towards Newtonmore was hard work with several sections of knee and thigh deep drifting, and it's too soft to walk over.

In reply to Welsh Kate:

Cheers for that. I've been up that graham before (well worth it) and Meall a'Buachaille but have yet to go up Bynack More or Beinn a'Chaorainn so will probably head in that direction if the forecast continues as it looks at the moment.

Truthfully, I was hoping for some West Coast action but I think that'll get the worse of the weather.

In reply to Flinticus:

Yep, that graham's a cracking little hill! One of our group went up Bynack More on Friday, it was windy but from his photos and what he said there wasn't much fighting through snow.

In reply to Welsh Kate:

Creag Dubh again Katie? That's you on to a second round of Grahams already.