Just back from a pre-Challenge warm up jolly and on on Wednesday and Thursday the weather was absolutely superb weather and with temps probably up to the late teens. There was still a lorra, lorra...... lorra snow on the higher tops with Lochnagar still plastered for the main, also still extensive coverage on Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird although much seemed to have gone from Mount Keen and Braid Cairn since Sunday. There was still large areas down as low as Culardoch, and Morven and still considerable bits on the Ladder Hills. A light dusting of snow had accumulated on the higher ground overnight Thursday. The crossing of the Feith Laoigh burn just N of Loch Builg at NO187041 was very trick indeed.

Yesterday was a day of stonking NNW winds with almost constant heavy sleet and snow and particularly driving hail but in gaps in the cloud it looked as if the E side of Bynack More and the Loch Avon area was still very heavily covered. On three occasions, east of **** Bridge at about 700m the hail, into wind was so intense that I had to sit out the showers. At 1800 hours at Bellabeg the temp was only +2.5, outside the showers.

Although three weeks is a very long time in NE weather terms, it may be prudent to arr on the cautious side and expect potential weather and ground conditions problems still in this area, given the forecast of seasonally unusual adverse conditions.

Significantly I spotted a couple of adders on the trip, a common lizard, not excessive numbers of frogs but not a single locust!

cj

Thanks Colin. After yesterday's snow I can see complete cover on Beinn a'Bhuird, Bynack More and Cairn Gorm. Here at 300 metres there was snow on the ground this morning but it has all melted now. The snowline looks to be around 700 metres, which is where it was on May Day when I skied across the plateau to Ben Macdui.

This is NOT what I was wanting to hear, with 17 Munros and 2 Corbetts on my route card this year.

Ho hum ... looks like it's going to be another chance to test out my FWAs ...