NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS FRI 10/1/03 It was a fine and mostly clear day, with little drifting and still cold summit temperatures. Layers of very soft slab of average depth 35 to 40 cm exist on most aspects above 1000 metres. These showed easy clean shears at test sites on a South-East aspect at 1100 metres and a North-West aspect at 1050 metres. However, fractures did not easily propagate. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SAT 11/1/03 Winds will freshen from the South-West overnight and into Saturday. This will lead to some transport of snow on to mainly North and East aspects above 1000 metres. Gully tops and scarp slopes may have fresh unstable accumulations. Cornices will begin to form above North and East aspects. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Snow at all levels. Approaches laborious. ICING: Some ice-craft pitches available. COMMENT: N. Corries likely to be busy. Beware climbers above and below. LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS FRI 10/1/03 Settled dry conditions, with a light NE wind have had little effect on the thin snow cover. Isolated areas of hard windslab are present, generally at the top of W aspects. Accumulations are avoidable, and not significant. The avalanche hazard is Low (Category 1). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SAT 11/1/03 A dry WSW airflow will see little change in the next 24hrs. Isolated areas of hard windslab will remain, generally at the top of W aspects. Accumulations will be avoidable, and not significant. A rise in the freezing level should see the existing hard frozen slopes soften below 800m. The avalanche hazard will be Low (Category 1). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Best cover in high N and E facing gullies. Thin and patchy elsewhere. ICING: Lower icefalls, such as Sgurr Finnisg-aig seeing ascents yesterday and today (Friday) COMMENT: Another great day on the tops today. Winds freshening on Saturday. GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS FRI 10/1/03 It was a cold clear day producing more water ice on rocks, paths and streambeds. The general snow cover is still very thin and limited. Some deeper areas of snow exist above 900m: these are mainly in sheltered areas and on the higher Northerly slopes and in deep gullies. However there is not enough snow to create an avalanche hazard. The avalanche hazard is Low (Category 1). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SAT 11/1/03 It will remain dry with light Northerly winds during Friday night becoming fresh SW winds on Saturday. The sparse snowpack will remain stable. The greatest accumulations of snow will be in sheltered locations but mainly on slopes with a Northerly aspect above 900m. The avalanche hazard will remain Low (Category 1) with ice on rocks and paths. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Snow above 500m. Deeper areas of snow above 900 metres mainly in sheltered gullies with a Northerly aspect. ICING: Freezing level becoming 550m. COMMENT: Buttresses and ridges offer some reasonable winter climbing conditions. Most gullies are still very thin. Several water ice routes have formed. SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS FRI 10/1/03 Sun warming of surface layers is increasing the load on the moderately to weakly bonded snowpack that exists on mainly S to W aspects from around 800 metres. Firm windslab is shearing easily on the lower density layer beneath. Moderately bonded snow is present in deeper deposits on steeper slopes on W to N aspects. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SAT 11/1/03 Sun warmed surface layers should firm up tonight with less deposits available for redistribution. In sheltered locations on S to W aspects above around 800 metres soft low density layers buried within the pack will continue to be moderately to weakly bonded to the firmer windslab above. Moderately bonded layers will exist in deeper deposits on W to N aspects. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Thin cover from valley level. ICING: Lochnagar routes are generally lean and hard. COMMENT: Terrain features with multiple aspects like Black Spout hold cross-loaded windslab. CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS FRI 10/1/03 It has remained cold and relatively calm with no further snowfall. Snow cover remains thin above 700 metres with isolated soft snow patches in hollows. These isolated patches are present on all aspects but nowhere are they deep enough to cause any problems. Even the tops of gullies at 1000 metres are only rimed and hold little snow. The avalanche hazard is Low (Category 1). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SAT 11/1/03 It will remain cold and relatively calm with no further snowfall. This will cause little change to the current sparse snow conditions. Snow cover will remain thin above 700 metres with isolated pockets of soft snow persisting in hollows. Snow depth will remain insignificant with even the bigger gullies like Easy and Raeburn's incomplete and rocky. The avalanche hazard will be Low (Category 1). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Thin above 700 metres. Some pockets of soft snow in hollows. ICING: Still not quite there on the established routes. There are plenty of fun icefalls to play on though. COMMENT: Another superb day. This must be payback for last January! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------