Torridon Blog & Mountain Info » Light and Dark Sides

Light and Dark Sides

15th February 2025

Another dry and bright day though initially cloudier until the sun broke through mid morning. Especially in the shade and even with just a light Easterly wind it felt cold starting up into Coire Liath Mhor. Progressing higher, and with wind sheltered pockets and temperature inversions, the sun’s warmth could be felt, though nearing the upper slopes and onto Stuc a Choire Dhuibh Brig the sun did little to temper the moderate winds and the subsequent windchill. The summit being a sub-zero -3.7c.

Peering down ‘Access Gully’ on the shady northside the remaining patchy snow looked frozen and hard, even the small lochs around 500 metres still ice covered. The remaining snow patches onto the summit were covered with rime and frost, but unlike yesterday showed no signs of softening.

Heading into Coire Liath Mhor on the light side, old ice yet to succumb, today remaining frozen, exposed to the notable windchill.

Peering down into the northern dark side, Access Gully, old foot prints frozen into the slope.

Sunny but sub-zero with the windchill, rime still frozen onto the rocks, a panorama taken looking North-East to East over Beinn Eighe, Ruadh-Stac Mor and Coinneach Mhor nearer, with Spidean Coire nan Clach, Sgurr Ban and Sgurr nan Fhir Duibhe in the distance.

Stob a Choire Liath Mor leading up onto Spidean a Choire Leith, north and east aspects holding the greatest amounts of remaining snow patches, also staying cold with rime and frost.

The more coastal ranges of Beinn Alligin and Beinn Dearg almost devoid of any snow on South and East aspects seen here. Slightly lower in altitude, Baosbheinn on the right.