CML - Sneachda Burn - Fiacaill Sneachda - Plateau North/East - Down Cas to CML.

Walking trip, but pics posted to show prospects for touring & gully skiing.

Sunny at lower levels. Thick mist on Plateau. Wind variable, from moderate breezy, to frequent calm. - In sun felt nicely hot, possible to wear only base layers on lower slopes. - Good day, apart from loss of visibility on top.

Snow fill strongly influenced by wind exposure & direction. Burns well filled & firm. Difficult walking if not on good crust. Most crust has light powder drifting on top. Despite wind scouring, most boulder fields are well filled over. - See pics of Fiacaill ridge, shows snow conditions off both sides East & West from the saddle before Plateau.

On Plateau, navigation very difficult in thick mist. Climbers on Fiacaill Routes reported Fiacaill Couloir well filled & safe. - But Goat Track path reported very heavy loaded & NOT safe yesterday. - Couldn't see for self due to mist.

Aladdin/Trident Gullies well corniced, probably not safe. - Pic of Jacob's Cornice, shows broken cornice, and cornice extending into back of picture. - Sorry about poor quality of Jacob's Cornice, but mist was real bad.

Jacob's, like other gulies, has enough snow to exit bottom on skis. - No signs of having been climbed yesterday - BUT, spoke to party who had observed avalanchs debris at bottom of Jacob's, which ties in with the broken cornice seen in pic.

HTH & Adam Brierley