Quote Originally Posted by noel View Post
Every day is a school day. I've just Googled and now know what graupel is. I suspect I'll have forgotten it before I get the chance to use it in anger - damn this spring weather!
One of my most scary moments on the hill was early one morning climbing out of Cwm Idwal and just near the Devils Kitchen. My party of four were first up that morning and were breaking steps in the snow which was nice and firm until we got just up to the left of "the kitchen" when the surface became crusty and when ones foot went through it thousands and thousands or probably millions of graupel poured out and ran down the slope.

If you have ever tried to fill a bean bag with those polystyrene balls that go everywhere well it was similar to that.

It is a sure sign that a slope can avalanche at any time as the graupel makes the layer above it unstable. As the steepness of the slope above us was easing we decided that the safer option was to go for it rather than descend and after a few minutes of hearts in mouths we made it safely to the snow covered Llyn y Cwn before, as I recall it, an out and back to Y Garn and Elidir Fawr before The Glyders, Tryfan and back to Idwal Cottage.

Happy Days!