The end.

With almost unbroken sunshine and some very warm temperatures (it was +7 degrees on the summit at midday, probably higher during the afternoon), it really felt like winter was over today. It feels like it has been a particularly long winter this year.

There is still a good covering of snow at higher levels, with plenty of large cornices waiting to fall down, and on Ben Nevis especially the continuing risk of ice fall.

The top of Easy Gully, notice all the marks in the snow from collapsing sections of cornice.

Looking into Coire an Lochan, large cornices remain.

The South Side of Coire an Lochan, the slopes below the crags have been marked by sections of collapsing cornice and ice.

This little fellow was spotted out yesterday, maybe time for an alternative SAIS (Scottish Amphibian Information Service) report. Significant frogs are likely on steep slopes and boggy ground on all aspects above 500 metres.

See you next winter riiibeeeett.

Easter Snow in Lochaber

Apparently it is more likely to snow on Easter Sunday that on Christmas day. This winter we have had plenty of fresh snow on the hills on these two days. About 20cm fell with very light winds last night. This meant that there was some great skiing to be had in Lochaber today. Although there is some good ice on Ben Nevis at the moment, I suspect the approaches and top outs of many routes would be quite hard work, not to mention hazardous, with all this fresh snow around.

Looking over to Aonach Beag.

Dot and Suzy contemplating the descent.

One of my lovely assistants enjoying the descent. Avalanche forecasting, it's a hard and dangerous job, but someone has to do it.

Sunny Day on the Ben

Looking up Observatory Gully

Orion Face with many teams on Orion Direct, Point Five and Hadrians.

10 points to the person than managed to drop their rucksack off NE Buttress! Must have spoilt their day

Coire na Ciste