Colder conditions have brought an end to the recent thaw and the snow has dried out and crunched up. It was fairly firm on the upper mountain giving decent riding where groomed on the upper Main Basin and Happy Valley, but it was pretty hard and rattly elsewhere up top.

There is a groomed route from the top via Happy Valley, top leg of Mugs Alley and Old Mugs Alley to the Cliffhanger Chair and Plateau Cafe.

Misty on the upper mountain for a good part of Thursday, but it did eventually brighten up and skies were clear at dusk. That is how Friday is expected to start, but it is forecast to be the reverse of Thursday with the brightest overhead AM, with cloud building in later.

FL will gradually edge up, which may mean the mid-mountain will loosen to granular spring snow and if it does will be worth exploring for more confident skiers and riders, as there are some pretty fun spring snow lines to be had that will not be fun if its hard and rattly!

Access is via the Rannoch Chairlift, down Old Mugs Alley to the Plateau Cafe and Cliffhanger. The run down Old Mugs Alley is complete for ski onto the Cliffhanger, but this is the only complete run on the Plateau. Sadly the wide but not very drifted snow cover was very nice to ski on when it was there, but it was all pretty shallow and not much base at Plateau level.

At the end of the day the easiest way down is Old Mugs Alley to the foot of the Coire Pollach Tow, then a few minutes hoof to the Access Chair down the track. More confident riders can get a longer run out Rankins Return but it is not currently complete.

Until there is a bit of new snow to get the Coire Pollach Tow open to directly serve Old Mugs Alley the open terrain is really only suitable for more confident intermediates and above.