Click on Thumbnail to view larger images. Click on Title for Image Index.
 The 'view' from the top of the Ptarmigan T-bar, note the buried fences at the top.
|  Breaks appearing in the cloud at the Top Station reveal sunlit distant hills.
|
 Looking over Coire Cas to the other Northern Corries from the top of the Traverse.
|  Fitter returning from de-icing the M1 Poma. Big drifts in places on the top of the M1.
|
 A wintry looking Cas Gantry as the distant blue sky begins to appear as the cloud base lifts.
|  View down Coire Cas to Loch Morlich below, lovely machine packed powder, should be great tomorrow without the head wind!
|
 Horizon Road the link from the M1 to the 105 loaded up on the Northerly. There is a do-able line on the M1 but needs the drifts bashed out.
|  The Cas uptrack is wind scoured and very thin in the Gunbarrel, use the train if you've got good plank(s).
|
 Drifting snow continues to fill in the Ciste Fairway which has a much improved cover once again, excellent machine packed powder and the head wind should turn off for Wed.
|  Looking down Overyonder into the mist as another shower comes in.
|
 Deep drifts and windblown powder by the corner of the Daylodge Poma.
|  Lower slopes have some cover reasonable where fences are aligned diagonally, but thin elsewhere. Can pick your way down.
|
 Carpark comes into view from the full width Daylodge Run. Huge drifts on the M2 were hard to navigate in todays drifting, but fully skiable to Daylodge.
|  Looking out over Coire Cas from below the Traverse, Loch Morlich to the right, Lochan Dubh a' Chadha centre.
|
 Heading down the Zig Zags, top two legs good cover, corners a bit thin on the bottom two legs but no problems getting to the foot of the Cas Tow/Funicular.
|  Ciste Chair looking the part with a wintry Glenmore beyond.
|
Click on Thumbnail to view larger images. Click on Title for Image Index.
Displayed: Images 1 to 16 of 16
|
Winter has returned and finally after four days of storms where it was to windy for even the Funicular the wind finally let up and snowsports were underway again on the 'Gorm. The journey from the last skiable day which was last Thursday to today has involved a freeze, thaw, freeze, short sharp rapid thaw Saturday evening, freeze then Northerly Blizzards.
The consequence of all that is that some parts of the Area are scoured while some runs and over the back is loaded with fresh windblown powder. The Ciste Fairway has made good gains up top and the Top runs and the Cas will offer lovely riding on Wednesday on machine packed powder, the Northerly head wind that spoilt these on Tuesday should have swung Westerly and be lighter. The Traverse is absolutely stacked with snow (beware dropping off) and with a bit of a tailwind was giving the best turns. Zig Zags are complete and no problems getting to the Cas Tow or Funicular.
Can get most of the way down the Carpark Run via either Sheiling or Carpark Tow track to foot of Sheiling then via Burnside, but short walk required to bridge. Experts can get top to bottom vertical by the M2 and Daylodge Poma, but it's unpisted and unpatrolled so your on your own here. The Upper M2 and Daylodge are full width with deep windblown powder, lots of big drifts which should be more fun in good visibility. Only narrow bit is between top of Aonach Poma and Top of Daylodge Poma, scoured here as the wind was blowing along the fences, stick by the fences.
The M1 Poma was being de-iced and operations were having a look to see if a Kassbohrer could be got into the foot of the Daylodge, if it gets pisted out it would be the best run on the mountain. M1 might be do-able via Horizon Road, but mix of ice and drifts, and a couple of bare areas, so gave it wide berth as the Traverse was fun with a tailwind.
|
