Excellent, Helen. Ben Macdui looks a little thin, mind you. What's your view on Ciste Mhearad? Looking skiable for August?

Joe Kincaid was up Ben Lawers yesterday with a good view of Beinn Heasgarnich and the remaining snow. Still good sized patches there, and if the weather stays overcast and cool then perhaps mid July is not unrealistic for final date. [www.flickr.com]

Going by the amount now compared to previous years, I'd say Ciste Mhearad was looking hopeful for August turns, but I suppose the weather we have in July will be the determining factor. The snow although now crystalline was very soft yesterday.

Helen

Ben Macdui snow is not as thin, Firefly, as it appears on hilly's photo. This is because of marked foreshortening. The photo was taken looking south, and the main patches run n orth and south in length, so a photo taken from the east shows a different amount, far more in fact. Yesterday afternoon I was on Carn Mhic an Toisich on the west side of the Lecht, an excellent viewpoint, and also on Hill of Allargue which is very good if you are in a car. I was surprised how big and deep the patches were on the east side of Ben Macdui. Quite big on the east side of Beinn Mheadhoin, but less than usual on the east side of Ben Avon and far less than usual on Lochnagar, where the total in the north-east corrie was 3, west corrie 2, and elsewhere in that range 2 including Cairn Bannoch and Carn an t-Sagairt.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 08.56hrs Wed 27 Jun 12 by Chionophile.

Good news, Chionophile! It just seemed to me that the Feith Buidhe slabs and Garbh Uisge Beag looked a little smaller than previous years at this time of the year.

I agree about feith Buidhe slabs, the wreath being long but largely U-shaped, and yesterday was close to breaking at one point on the left side. Garbh Uisge Beag has a convex deep section right of centre, which you can see on hilly's photo if you look closely. The snow would have been melting quickly yesterday and the day before, yesterday with a stiff southerly warm breeze and 17C at the Lecht, 18C in Strathdon and Ballater, the day before 16C in Deeside in theafternoon. The frequent heavy rain will also be adding to the melting.



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 09.50hrs Wed 27 Jun 12 by Chionophile.

On the contrary Firefly! After H11ly posted her photos I had a look back thru 2008-2011 for photos of Fieth Buidhe slabs and GUB at a similar date, and I would say that GUB looks as big and deep as 2008, and certainly larger than the years 09-11. As Adam observes, the FB slabs are strangely thin and almost broken in comparison to recent years at a similar time

With regards GUB, I am delighted to be corrected!

I took this photograph looking west from the summit of Cairngorm on 13th July 2008:

[www.edwardboyle.com]

I took this photograph looking west from the summit of Cairngorm on 3rd July 2010:

[www.edwardboyle.com]

I took this photograph looking west from the summit of Cairngorm on 1st July 2011:

[www.edwardboyle.com]

I'll try and get another photo at the start of July this year, but I would say if the current cool and cloudy conditions remain for the next fortnight or so, the status of the Cairngorm-Ben Macdui snowfields could match 2008 and be more extensive than 2010 or 2011.

Good comparisons, Eddie. 2008 looks similar, albeit it was taken two weeks later. Well ahead of 2010 and 2011, so perhaps not so bad after all. Garbh Uisge Beag survived in 2008, so let's keep the fingers crossed.

Here's an image taken with my other camera slightly on zoom

I might add that actually standing there looking at the Macdui patches I was wishing they were closer as I reckoned they would still give a good ski run !

Helen



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 20.27hrs Wed 27 Jun 12 by h11lly.

Attachments: Close up of Macdui patches.JPG (447kB)  

That pic doesn't look that different from last wednesday when this one was taken. I think that these patches would be pretty big!



Edited 1 times. Last edit at 19.30hrs Thu 28 Jun 12 by tupp.

Attachments: IMG_1327.JPG (381kB)  

Behind Cairngorm tor last wednesday. Shorts and T-shirt until the big angry clouds took away the sun.

Yes, I know, I'm much radder that you.

Attachments: P1000214.JPG (384kB)  

Actually there's quite a difference in the depth of the Tor patch in the 6 days. I had my camera on the rock to the right of you and it was almost completely clear of snow. I reckon after this muggy wet weather of the past two days that that area below the rock narrows will be separate and possibly almost gone.

Helen

As per 2011, the last snow in the Lawers range is the patch on the north shoulder of An Stuc. [www.flickr.com]

I noticed the patch on the head wall of Corie Cas final disappeared today and there is only a tiny remnant on the Coronation Wall. They both changed from fairly sizeable crescents on Monday very quickly over the last couple of days.

Graeme