UKC

Hi All,

Has anybody been up to Lochnager recently and can give an idea of how much snow is up there? I've never climbed there and wondering if after the recent thaw and the warm weather forecast for Wednesday there will be anything left in decent nick when it gets cold again on Thursday? Any local knowledge will be appreciated!

Cheers,
Paul

In reply to PTatts:
Hi Paul

I was on Lochnagar on 23/12 and in Glen Clova (so about 4 miles from Lochnagar) yesterday. There's plenty of snow above about 1800 feet--it quickly turns to wading depth above that. The turf is freezing too, at least in sheltered aspects. There's little or no ice. What it will be like by Weds/ Thurs is hard to guess--obviously it depends on how big and how long this thaw is. But if I were planning to climb Weds/Thurs, I would be betting, given what I've seen and what the forecasts say, that mixed routes on Lochnagar will be in at least climbable condition then. Whether the weather will behave is harder to tell.

The latest MWIS gives some grounds for optimism about the weekend... but none at all about Weds/ Thurs.

In reply to PTatts:
I tried Central Buttress on the 25th, ended up bailing. loads of powder and nothing frozen. Went up Central Gully where the snow was better.

Was in the area yesterday also, Looking up from the car park the Top of West Buttress looked like it had been blasted with snow a lot since Friday but I didn't see anymore. Can't see much consolidation having happened in the past day or two.

here's a photo from Friday
http://imgur.com/Zs9qVmc

In reply to PTatts:

Thanks very much for the replies, appreciate it.

In reply to PTatts:

In case it is still of interest...

Here is a photo of Lochnagar from the 27th:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/amsvp9ev1v63457/DSCN4186.JPG?dl=0

and here are two from today (29th; no ice and fast clearing wet snow):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/mcwbp9bcmb8hdng/DSCN4195.JPG?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6s22nhmbtapoa30/DSCN4198.JPG?dl=0

In reply to PTatts:
Grovelled my way up Crumbling Cranny today. Raeburn's, Scarface and Douglas Gibson all seemed to have "touched down" but they obviously need a re-freeze. Wednesday's warm weather will not help!

In reply to Kam:

Wow, quite a change, thanks for the update.

In reply to PTatts:

Getting up the Glen Muick Rd might be a problem - there is flooding in Ballater today

In reply to PTatts:

PS "Lochnager" seems an appropriate miss-spelling given the flooding in Ballater!

In reply to PTatts:

The estate has posted on facebook saying the road to glen muick is closed due to flood damage.