Scotland's avalanche service gearing up for winter
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As the first major snow falls hit the strath, this year’s avalanche warning service for the main areas enjoyed by hillwalkers and climbers is to start next month.
The number of avalanches in the Scottish Highlands fell last winter - but there were still five deaths linked to the killer snow slides.
The vital warning service provides climbers and hill walkers with the avalanche risk on Scotland’s mountains.
The Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS) will start on December 17, it has said.
Daily reports for the six operational areas of Lochaber, Glencoe, Creag Meagaidh, Southern Cairngorms , Northern Cairngorms and Torridon area will be issued.
The SAIS said earlier this week that early snowfalls have produced a "mostly thin cover" in the Highland mountains mainly above 600 metres.
"In the next days, (8-10 November), increased snowfall and wind will see localised deeper accumulations develop on mostly westerly through north to north-easterly facing slopes above 600 metres," said the SAIS.
"Instabilities will be present in the isolated deeper accumulations that will build on these aspects, especially in steep and wind sheltered locations such as the tops of gullies and around corrie rims where the snowpack will be unstable. Snow cover is expected to diminish over the coming weekend with the arrival of warmer temperatures and thaw conditions."
Last season, the organisation’s team of forecasters recorded fewer avalanches than the previous winter - 205 compared to 237.
However, an avalanche was suspected as causing the deaths of five climbers.
Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team believe Rachel Slater, (24), and Tim Newton, 27, from Bradford, were caught by an avalanche before starting a climb on the North Face of Ben Nevis on Valentine’s Day.
The same month another climber died after being hit by an avalanche.
Adrian David Bankart - known as Dave - from Matlock, Derbyshire, died on 3710-feet high Creag Meagaidh - 19 miles north east of Ben Nevis - after being hit by "a large avalanche" while he was on the Sash/Pantomime area of the Inner Corrie.
The other climber with him survived but suffered serious injuries.
In January two climbers - including a rescue team member - died climbing in Glen Coe.
Joe Smith, 23, who lived in Kinlochleven in Lochaber, perished with experienced mountain skills instructor Simon Davidson, 34, who lived in Fort William.
The pair probably plunged "several hundred feet" on January 16.
Mr Smith, who was originally from Lancashire, was a member of the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team that found their bodies.
It is believed the men - who were friends - may have got caught up in an avalanche.
In February last year a climber was killed by an avalanche on 3461 feet high Liathach in the Torridon Hills.
Max Norman, (41), was a landscape architect based in Ipswich, Suffolk.
His projects included helping design the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London.
There were no avalanche-related deaths the previous winter.
During the winter of 2012-13, eight people died because of avalanches. It was the highest number of deaths in five seasons of SAIS forecasts.
SAIS has been providing its service for several years.
The six areas are among the most popular with hillwalkers and climbers, and include Scotland’s highest mountains.
Mark Diggins, co-ordinator of SAIS, which has a team of 17 experienced recorders, said earlier this year:"The fatalities that happened were when the winter was coldest, and that’s when there’s more instability.
"Some 90 percent of avalanches in which people are involved in are triggered by people."
