Climbers are being warned to remain vigilant for snow hazards on the Highland mountains as rising temperatures cause new dangers.
The Scottish Avalanche Information Service has stopped its patrols for the season, and the risk of human-triggered avalanche is now low.
But a mountain rescue team has pointed out there is still a lot of snow in the mountains, and hazards still remain – including increasingly fragile overhangs known as cornices.
Mountaineers are being told to take equipment such as crampons because many of the remaining snow patches have turned icy and there is a danger of sliding.
Leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team John Stevenson said: “There is still a lot of snow on the hills although we are not expecting more.
“Things are starting to warm up but there are pretty significant cornices in the major gullies and if you don’t have proper equipment you could take a slide.”
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland echoed the warning.
A spokesman said there was also a risk climbers could be caught out by icy patches of snow on the slopes.
He said: “While it looks sugary on the top, it can be icy underneath. If you end up sliding, it could be difficult to stop.”
The safety reminder comes as the final avalanche reports were produced for the Highlands at the weekend.
Staff from the Scottish Avalanche Information Service went out onto the hills every day during the winter to assess the stability of the snow pack in the major climbing areas.
Co-ordinator Mark Diggins said that now that the risk had dropped, the reporting service has ceased.
Around 350 avalanches were recorded for the 2013/14 winter season – more than double last year’s numbers.
However only 10 of this year’s incidents were triggered by humans and there were no fatalities in avalanches.
The rest were triggered naturally, with many caused by the major winter storms. Mr Diggins added that the numbers of people heading out into the hills also dropped because of the unstable conditions. A count carried out in Lochaber revealed that numbers were down by half.
He added that avalanche reports stopped in the Alps at this time of year, with weather and stability of the snow major factors.
He said: “At this time of year, if we thought that there was a significant risk of avalanche, the service would be operating.”
Mr Diggins added: “That is not to say there are not hazards. Cornices are still there and they are unpredictable. People going into the mountains must be aware of what’s above them.”