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Scotland snow reports 2020/21

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@8611, expecting to be skinning from the Cairngorm car park, no lifts running. Glencoe has the access chair then a short hike to the snow line.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
geoffers wrote:
mountainaddict wrote:
Quote:
Tom,Dick&Harry gullies
Classic Gaellic names I see?? wink

Sounds very appealing geoffers

A few Qs for you...


- Where's the parking spot? near Auchlean
- How long is the hike in? depending on snow limit - a couple of km
- Are the gullies of reasonable gradient (ie not extreme)? easy - not extreme
- Are the gullies named on the map? (How can I find them?) N.facing streams off Meall Dubhag (Coire Gorm)
- Sounds as though the snow finishes at the car - or is it a hike out too? no - it's a hike out too

Times we've been up there driving north (ie viewing the S. facing slopes) you start thinking "blimey - why have I come all this way" as there's no snow visible on the S. elevations. However once you get up top it can look like near full snow cover facing south & viewing the N facing slopes Toofy Grin


For anyone that was wondering this was Tom Dick and Harry today. Lovely crisp new snow at the top and heavier spring snow lower down.

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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Looks great snowheid Smile
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mountainaddict wrote:
Looks great snowheid Smile

It was Toofy Grin .
I am usually rock climbing this time of year but a dump of snow in first week of May can't be passed over.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
8611 wrote:
How accessible is it at the moment? Is there much competition for tracks / lift queues? Assuming any lifts in fact open

Wondering if it's possible to Travel over from Northern ireland, is that possible and or legal?


We skied at Nevis Range today. There were 6 others on the mountain, so no real competition. Fresh tracks for all! It was amazing! In terms of access, we shouldered the skis from the top of the gondola and hiked for 12 minutes to the snow, then skinned for about 1.75 hours to the top - a steady 600m climb. On our descent we did some combat traversing/grass hopping and walked for only minutes with our skis off Very Happy .
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My first day touring at Cairngorm with https://www.british-backcountry.co.uk/ and it was pretty epic! Skied to/from the car park, deep fresh snow & ticked a bucket list item off of skiing down to water! Worth the guide IMHO for some great routes including a lovely ski back with fresh tracks just above and skiers left of the gunbarrel (?)







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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Beyond epic and slightly more snow than I skied on Thursday Wink
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@kitenski, Looks bloody amazing. Going green
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Brilliant kitenski Very Happy
If that was Loch Avon on your pics, there's a lot more snow than when we were near there last Sunday - the cover ran out a fair way above the loch...

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@mountainaddict, Apparently it was Loch A'an according to the guide, but Strava marks it as Loch Avon, and yes the guide said a week ago we'd not have been able to ski to the beach!!

Cairngorm were test running the Car Park T bar when we set off, I wonder if todays forecast had been better if they'd have spun up some lifts??
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@kitenski,
Cracking photos. Sounds like a great day Very Happy Very Happy
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Superb!
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@kitenski, yes, I know it as Loch Avon too - and OS maps also call it that. However Google suggests that A'an is the local name (for the loch and its namesake river), which would explain why your guide called it the latter.

Looks absolutely amazing for May!
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Quote:

Apparently it was Loch A'an according to the guide, but Strava marks it as Loch Avon

Loch Avon is the anglicised version of the Gaelic name (presumably the early map makers misheard the name pronounced in a strong highland accent).
Most Scots who venture into the mountains would know it as Loch A'an but be tolerant (and secretly amused Very Happy ) of someone pronouncing it Avon.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:
Most Scots who venture into the mountains would know it as Loch A'an but be tolerant (and secretly amused ) of someone pronouncing it Avon

Glad to hear of the tolerance snowheid wink

So it's not that 'Avon' is pronounced as 'A'an' in Gaelic? ie purely that Avon is the entirely Anglicised word?

Just checking as I'm clueless on Gaelic pronunciations... Confused
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
See someone was photo bombing one of the Glencoe cams with their skis this morning? Laughing

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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Well done,@kitenski, I never thought you would be able to ski to the loch (though I have done it this late before). I think you must have had more new snow in the East than we did in the West a few days before. I just put my Scottish report in the Piste section ( https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=155595 ) but perhaps it should have been on Scottish Snow reports.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@snowball, yes there is (according to the guides) loads more new snow in the East!

this is a pic half way down Cairngorm summit, looking over to coire an t-sneachda (I think!!) with alladins etc off to the right of the ridge. Hopefully some locals will put me right if needed!!

Can't see all this snow disappearing that quickly!

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Great photos and the snow looks superb! I half wish I had gone East instead, but I got some good skiing.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
still snowing up high it seems...wonder if I can get back up!

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@kitenski, Check the date on the webcam as only the Ptarmigan and Base station are working, unfortunately the rest are stuck on the 8th.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@kitenski, Check the date on the webcam as only the Ptarmigan and Base station are working, unfortunately the rest are stuck on the 8th.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@larry1950, ffs, well spotted cheers!!
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@kitenski, They are back on again, they occasionally stop if they are working in the area or there's a power problem, it can take a couple of days to realise you are looking at the some image Embarassed
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Some links of snow areas at Glencoe getting narrower. New snow on bare areas melts quickly (obviously especially lower down). Compare these 2 photos between 4th and 6th looking downhill from near the Scottish Ski Club hut:


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It’s gulley skiing time of year
https://www.facebook.com/100000649673001/posts/4358492604182352/ Cool
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Still enough snow for some decent ski touring at Glencoe and Nevis Range over the past three days. And we were mainly lucky with the weather too Very Happy

About 300m of vertical available at each area.

Looks like there will still be turns to be earned in June wink










Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Tue 18-05-21 17:39; edited 2 times in total
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
mountainaddict,

Great photos! Not bad for mid May Very Happy
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Hi @mountainaddict, did you try (or look at) the back bowls at Nevis? If I had been with someone else I would have probably tried them.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:
Hi mountainaddict, did you try (or look at) the back bowls at Nevis?
We have skied the Back Corries on a few previous visits - including a fantastic run down Summit Gully in fresh snow - but heard from skiers we encountered at Cairngorm a couple of weeks ago that the best way to exit was to climb back up.

They did say that the area was heavily corniced, which sounded a bit off putting at the time... This was evidenced on our recent visit - so much so that we didn't dare get close enough to the edge to peer over Skullie

However, we did see from the north (from the vicinity of the Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge) that there was still a fair bit of snow at the Summit Gully end of the Back Corries - for those who may be intrepid enough... wink



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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Thanks @mountainaddict, the cornice looks intimidating on the first pic.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@mountainaddict, can you still do laps down to the bottom of the T bar at Glencoe??? just got some new boots so wondering about a test next week Smile Especially with the MWIS forecast!

Planning Outlook
Frequent rainfall and gales on Friday with another late season snowfall across the Munros. This will clear to leave a chilly and showery pattern on Saturday, sub-zero on the Munros with highest tops in England and Wales close to freezing. Where showers develop, falling as snow higher slopes in Scotland and even on highest tops England and Wales. Perhaps more prolonged precipitation moving in on Sunday and lingering into Monday. A chilly and showery northerly will return on Tuesday and Wednesday, snow on the Munros. Then from midweek onwards, extensive dry and fine conditions as high pressure builds in from the west, still chilly at night with further slight frosts possible.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
kitenski,

Mrs B and I skied Glencoe on Tuesday and it was excellent. The T-Bar track is now broken, about 50m from the bottom - but has only a 2 metre, rocky gap. Beyond that it remains complete.

We did 2 laps (Spring Run and Main Basin) before we had to dash for the last chair down. The snow was a bit heavy and slushy but it was still great to get first tracks in it. Very Happy It was still possible to traverse out from the Spring Run, almost back to the T-Bar track. It required only a very short walk.

We haven't ruled out another trip up there for more skitouring. wink
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@Bergmeister, great thanks!! What time is the last chair? Presumably you just took the skis off the for broken T bar track? Presumably laps of Main Basin and then last run down Spring to line up for the chair is the way to go!!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Quote:
Can you still do laps down to the bottom of the T bar at Glencoe?
See webcam pics below from a couple of days ago:
- Snow to the left of the bottom of the main basin T bar now has a narrow break.
- It's just about possible to get to the bottom of the T bar from the Spring Run - about 30 secs walk was needed a few days ago.
- It's probably still do-able to reach the break in the snow referenced above by turning right just above the Haggis Trap.
- Haggis Trap may still be do-able to access remaining snow on The Wall - though you may now need to walk around the HT to be on the safe side...

Happy Valley was also still good fun - though we had to cut skier's right towards the bottom to join the Main Basin.

Depending on the route taken, there will still be 2-300 metres of vertical available. I'd say go for it kitenski.

The cool forecast is welcomed and we're hoping for another trip up to the Mighty Coe at some point. Some June turns in particular would be great Very Happy

After what we've endured over the last 14 months, it's been such a bonus to get up to Scotland at all. We've loved our two May Highlands trips and six days' skiing at Cairngorm, Glencoe and Nevis Range Very Happy




Just saw Bergmeister's response re Tuesday conditions Smile Last chair is at 4.15pm. On our visits, we were finishing with the excellent Spring Run but then walking a couple of mins to ski down the patches on The Wall - as that was taking us a fair bit lower than the bottom of the Spring Run. So a shorter walk back to the Access Chair.
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Looking at the webcam with the widest view I cannot tell if the flypaper is complete or not. I may be interpreting a ridge which blocks the view as a cut.
With the cut in the main track I would be tempted to mend it temporarily, using the shovel from my backpack and local snow.
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snowball wrote:

With the cut in the main track I would be tempted to mend it temporarily, using the shovel from my backpack and local snow.


Great idea! That would work. Very Happy
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Its currently 1.1 degrees at the Scottish Ski Club Hut (853m), I'm hoping the forecast is right or some decent snow showers over the coming days! Think I'll head up Wednesday, ski Thursday as that seems to be when a high is building....
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Quote:
With the cut in the main track I would be tempted to mend it temporarily, using the shovel from my backpack and local snow.
We've done that previously at Yad Moss and Glencoe - and were carrying a shovel for that purpose on our recent trip...

It wasn't needed on that occasion but we will take it if we go back up to Scotland in the next few weeks wink A big, bag-for-life-type bag previously came in handy for fairly large-scale (but very effective) snow moving and run patching at Yad Moss - so could be a goer for Scotland too Laughing
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I walked up Ben Hope this morning. There were traces of fresh lying snow down to 400m at 10am, so it probably snowed pretty much to sea level there last night...
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