Coire an t-Sneachda

The Corrie of the Snows.
Or not. This is the most we saw all day.

Whilst I'm back in Cairngorm it seems that the snow has largely disappeared. The avalanche forecast is currently safe on western aspects as there is no snow - its all been very scoured clear and deposited onto the Northern & Eastern aspects - which have been battered by the galeforce winds creating a layer of poor windslab and are now all in the Considerable or High avalanche category - meaning that they are no go areas for anyone with any sense as avalanches WILL occur.

But we're here so we derived a safe route into this spectacular glacial cirque (or cwm if you prefer) formed 11,000 or so years ago in the last major ice age (the Loch Lomond stadial) its a dramatic place. In the howling spindrift visibility was minimal, we had to stop every 10paces or so to wipe goggles, fight for breath and get a bearing - but we knew we were heading for the boulder field at the foot of the cliffs, where hopefully we'd find some shelter & respite (we successfully excavated a little cave for lunch).
As we arrived we entered the venturi lull of the cliff and suddenly there it loomed, large above us - nature does the best drama.

*thought it also of interest to point out this is not a mono shot. This is the amount of colour visible today!