Beinn Eighe
16th March 2025
A mixed day of weather in Torridon today. Layers of cloud rolling across the landscape, sometimes covering the summits, sometimes not. It was warm in the sunny spells, but these were interspersed with some mizzle/drizzle as the cloud banks rolled in. Generally very light winds.
What remains of the more recent snowfall is very soft and thawing rapidly, particularly on sun affected aspects. Some older snow patches remain. These are very isolated, but firmer. There is no avalanche hazard.
Yesterday I asked myself the question ‘Should I have winter kit (rigid boots, axe and crampons) with me for heading to the higher summits in the Torridon region?’ My journey today reinforced my comments from yesterday. If my planned route was into high North – East facing aspects on more technical terrain then YES. If my route was on more mellow south facing aspects then NO.
Photos below give a flavour of what remains of winter in Torridon.
A claggy, damp start to the day ascending via the Allt a Chuirn.
Thankfully, above the layer of cloud, a view looking up towards the most Eastern summit of the Beinn Eighe massif – Creag Dhubh (904m). The corrie in the photo faces North-East.
Looking across to Sgurr nan Fhir Duibhe (963m) with the Black Carls ridge line holding some snow.
Photo taken around 600m looking up the East Ridge of Creag Dhubh. The isolated older snow patches holding out on the edge of the ridge line were fairly firm.
A closer view of the Black Carls (Grade I winter scramble). I decided not to go along these as I was only wearing my 3 season boots. The ‘newer’ snow in the foreground was very soft, but patches of older snow remain which are fairly firm.
A view along the ridge taken from the summit of Creag Dhubh (904m) Looking towards the summit of Sgurr nan Fhir Duibhe (963m)
Looking across to the North and East aspects of Sgurr Ban (970m) and Spidean Coire nan Clach (993m). More of the ‘newer’ snow remains on these Northerly aspects, but it presents no avalanche hazard. It is generally soft, lying on bare ground and thawing.
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