I'm heading out on a wilderness walk in the far north-west highlands starting on Saturday, and am just wondering what the conditions are like up there currently? I am aiming to climb Ben Stack and Foinaven as part of the route. I'm not planning to take crampons/axe, but I remember getting shut down by snow and having to turn around 3 times on a walk in the NW around this time of year a few years back, so figured it would be worth asking folk on the ground up there if they know anything!
I was up Ben Stack on Monday, and did several other hills over a couple of days. I was about to say there was no snow remaining but I remember a few small patches still hanging on.
Remember and take some sun cream
I was north of the A86 yesterday not far from the Creag Meagaidh area and sunburn was a far greater risk than any remaining snow patches. I wouldn't be taking crampons and ice-axe.
we were in Torridon last weekend chris and while there were snow patches around it was all pretty soft, and mostly easily avoidable at that. I carried axe and crampons up slioch and regretted the weight, didnt bother at all on beinn allighan.
There's nothing up there at all apart from a few streaks of snow in gullies - no need for ice axe or crampons. We've had several weeks of summer sun in Assynt already.