Very Poor Visibility and Wet Snowpack
10th February 2026
Cold and damp today with low cloud affecting most of the area throughout the day. With the freezing level around 1000 metres, possibly higher during the night, showers through the day have fallen mostly as rain except on the highest summits with only shallow accumulations forming. Overall the snowpack is soft, moist and generally stable. A thin crust had formed above 1000 metres but this was readily breaking through under foot and at times knee deep into the soft snow below. Heading onto the Creise plateau it was whiteout conditions making for serious conditions and consequential navigation. Rretracing steps back along the bealach from Creise, there had clearly been some drifting with foot steps filling in and pockets of soft windslab forming in sheltered locations on mainly West aspects.
Colder tomorrow with the freezing level through the day around 500 metres. Generally wet from the early hours and through the day with snow on the mountains. Easterly winds will be fresh to strong.
A poor day for photos, here Aonach Dubh west face around Dinnertime Buttress. Cloud drifting about at around 850 metres. All the high summits being well covered through the day.
A notable feature on the ridge up towards the Creise plateau. This boulder clearly defrosted recently but still wearing a jacket of thick rime ice. Which way is West? On the plateau, photos were useless with full on white out conditions floor to sky.
The ridge from Creise back to Meall a Bhuiridh, foot prints in the soft wet snowpack, sometimes breaking through to knee deep.
Found some deep accumulations, this on a North-West aspect around 1000 metres. 165cm to ground (deeper than my pole), clear layers at various depths.
I was hoping for some views heading back down the glen but the cloud base remained around 700 metres hiding most of anything white and snowy. Try again tomorrow.
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