First avalanches of the winter in the Cairngorms
The first avalanche has already occurred in the Cairngorms and the range has been blasted by winds reaching 165 mph in recent days.
There was an avalanche in Coire an Lochain last Friday, and another at Creag Meagaidh on the same day, but no-one was injured.
The warnings come as the sportscotland Avalanche Information Service, based at Glenmore Lodge, gears up for another winter season.
Hill-goers will be able get the latest avalanche forecast reports for the Northern Cairngorms and Lochaber from tomorrow Friday (December 9).
The daily service for all five operational areas covered by the SAIS will start next Thursday (December 15).
Mark Diggins, co-ordinator for the SAIS, said: "The winter has started pretty suddenly with snowfall across the Highlands, with greater amounts on the western hills.
"Winter storms have been pretty significant, with strong winds and cold temperatures gradually developing over the past week.
"Consistently the winds have been over 70mph on the Cairngorm plateau, with numerous gusts over 100mph, and a gust of 136mph being recorded at Cairn Gorm summit on the evening of November 25."
Mr Diggins said for those excited about venturing into the hills, it is important to consider avalanche hazard from day one.
He commented: "Some recent avalanche activity in the Northern Cairngorms, triggered by a party in Coire an Lochain, is a reminder of this.
"On this occasion, even though the landscape was generally pretty sparse of snow, the area they selected to ascend was in a place were the snow had accumulated more significantly.
"The pair got away with no more than a fright, but it is a wake-up call."
This winter the SAIS is also launching a new and free avalanche report and information facility for smartphones.
Mr Diggins said: "We recognise that many enthusiasts who go into the mountains are mobile and do not always have access to computers and posted bulletins.
"We have offered in the past a subscription text service, but this season we are introducing an additional free avalanche forecast summary for all our areas via Twitter, as well as the main information service for smartphones.
"We are pretty excited about this development, having worked over the summer period with Fort William-based web designers Hotscot.
"We are pleased to see its launch in time for the winter season.
"This facility provides access to the avalanche reports plus useful information on mountain travel advice and blogs that illustrate current conditions."
