Weekend Video Report.
A look in the mirror tonight confirms that yes it was indeed even sunnier than Saturday up on CairnGorm Mountain!
After so much use yesterday, the strong Sun and an overnight frost surface conditions were much more varied on Sunday, both from area to area and at different times of the day. The Top Basin up the snow was still quite loose and fresh, and the Easterly breeze was blowing some of this off the Summit onto Coronation Wall - thus the Summit Path was very well used from the off today.
The tracked up off-piste was rattly to start the day, but came good as the late Spring Sun got to work on it. Similarly the White Lady was quite hard to start - it actually got more slick during the morning, before very suddenly loosening up into delightful 'hero' snow, esp good was the skiers left of the elephant fence - smooth and creamy. East Lady, White Lady and all around the M1 were fantastic in the afternoon.
The mountain is practically ride anywhere above about 2800ft, with endless options for lines. Some leg work up either the Summit Path or Marquis Well was well rewarded again and a surprisingly large number were dropping off the Summit skirting round the Headwall and hitting the Sneachda side of Fiacall a' Choire Chais before traversing out onto the Fiacall Crossover and back to the Zig Zags.
Coire na Ciste also had some goodies to reward leg work, on the East Wall and in the Aonach Bowl, these areas seeing much less traffic than areas accessed from the Summit Path.
At the end of the day it was still possible to combat ski about half way down the Carpark Run, then walk out the Burnside path. Funicular was mid-stopping from 3pm downwards.
CairnGorm Mountain is open daily. Hopefully the milder spell is reasonably settled with light winds and the forecast return to cooler conditions prior to the bank holiday weekend comes off.