Thursday, 11 March 2010

Crianlarich Avalanche

Big slide..

Out for a mid week ski tour on wed 10th, and came across this massive avalanche debris, just above Crianlarich.
The slide looked like it came from almost the very summit of Ben More, with a crownwall visible just below the summit ridge.


Avalanche starting point, just below summit, crownwalls visible

All this occurred on a westerly aspect, probably about 5 days ago.. It travelled about 900 vertical meters, and would have been deadly! The only casualties appeared to be some unfortunate sheep..

The debris have in places pilled up to around 7 meters high, at a guess, and came down with such force that the slide travelled a short distance up the other side of the valley. Some fairly big rocks have also come down. Must have been quite a sight to see come down, and the debris look more Alpine in nature than Scottish!

Don't want to be buried under that

Debris tongue


Lots of debris

Ben More debris

Stob Binien slide

Debris on Stob Binien

The main force of the slide probably came down this gully

Blast debris on left

Rest of the tour went well, skis on from road to summit, with approx 1000m descent back to the car on a mix of soft spring like snow below 900m and harder packed snow above, great for skiing on. Gordon managed fine despite wearing jeans and trainers.. and never having used an axe before..

Another huge avalanche was spotted on the west slope of Stob Binein, this one almost running as far as the Ben More slide..

Top day out, and spring seems just around the corner!

Gordon makes first munro in 8 years

Summit views

Looking south

Perfect weather

Gordon using an axe for the first time

Clearly loving it

Nice spring snow

Me clearly loving it 2

Crossing the crown wall

Descent from Stob Binien summit




1 comment:

Unknown said...

We saw the same avalanche debris two days earlier on Monday 8th March. I was amazed at the mess, it must have been hugely destructive. My pictures are very similar to your own: www.willbarraclough.com