From Colin Miller:

Evidence indicates it was a genuine attempt to check on the mobile phone generator, which isn’t running and has presumably run out of fuel. Vehicle only got two-thirds of the way up Leids Leap. The wheel tracks are a problem but the quantity and quality of snow generally allows for skiing between them or going off to the side. There are 2 problem areas where vehicle got stuck, causing complex ruts (tricky if skiing between the tracks!). At the lower of the two (between Deer Cut junction and the A941, there’s a lot of grit churned up).

Anyway, other than that, conditions today at Clashindarroch show a marked improvement as a result of Thursday’s fresh snow, which has deposited 3-9cm of powder on top of the hard frozen snow base. It has smoothed over some of the thin areas, but Range Way is still not really skiable. The road at Picadilly Circus is now OK however, and Tuesday’s bare patch at the foot of the hill on the Haute Route was skiable today. Some of the skiing was magic. Temperature stayed at -4/-3C.
and sunny all day.

Car park has a thin carpet of crisp snow over the underlying ice. Gritting lorry went up the Aberdeenshire side of the A9

From Dr Dave

Conditions Sunday 12th December. Still good skiing, the entance is thin untill just before the Biathlon Range, but from there the trails are complete bar an occasional short section where the snow was thinner due to snow shadow from the trees or on the Haute Route water dammage due poor drainage and the thaw. Snow was between 10 and 30cm deep over most of the trails though at one point when I was moving a fallen tree I was up to my knees. Lower trails were hard and icy, upper trails were better with a thin layer of fresh. Downhills hard, fast and chopped up.

2.5C and sleeting at the carpark snowing on the Haute Route

Snow report for Clashindarroch — 11am, Friday 10th December:

Trails have 30-45cm of snow. Good skiing on tramlines, slow elsewhere except on Timberline snowfield, which was evenly wind-packed with a user-friendly surface.

Temp at Car Park plus 6C. W-NW’ly gale blowing, but because of the rise in temperature the snow was no longer drifting. Wind has broken the uniform cover on the nearby hills, but there is still widespread cover on the NE-E side of the Buck.

A941 from Rhynie was black, but affected by meltwater, as was the A97. Front section of car park remained clear but was very icy underfoot.

Snow report for Clashindarroch — 1pm, Friday 3rd December:

Snow depths: Trails 0.5-0.6 metres; Timberline snowfield 0.6-0.7 metres.
Condition: Powder — slow but slidey; compacts well under ski tracks.
Slight drifting on exposed areas and on open hill.
Temperature at 11.30am: minus 3C.

The A941 from Rhynie had “Road Closed Cabrach” sign displayed. However, it had been ploughed and gritted from Rhynie up to the Clashindarroch Car Park. Snow and/or ice on road surface, and width limited in places due to snow banks. The front section of the car park has been ploughed and has hard-packed snow.

Judging by the forecast, conditions likely to change.

I’ve never seen the open hill so uniformly white — should make a superb base for touring if and when it consolidates and stabilises.

Visuals: awesome — hope to put photos on backcountry report later.

From Colin Miller