WINTER TRAVERSE BRAERIACH - CAIRN TOUL

Loch Coire an Lochain

Looking across to Cairn Toul and the Lairig Ghru

Nicely rimed crags and cornices forming. Ben Macdui in the backgrouns

Top of Sgor an Lochain Uaine looking across to Garbh Coire

Garbh Coire Mor

Cairn Gorm, Ben Macdui from Sgor an Lochain Uaine

It was one of those special perfect winter days today. A day of blue skies above a slight temperature inversion, light breeze and an amazing cover of wonderful snow/rime/neve above 800m. It could have been any day in mid winter. I took the opportunity of the weather and snow conditions for one of the finest high level walks in Britain. The Breariach to Cairn Toul traverse is a stupendous, wild and remote walk you could possibly ask for and in winter conditions, well...... I would normally cycle up Glen Einich but the roads outside the house were looking a bit icy first thing this morning so I ended up walking up the glen. I've been on these hills many a time but I had never ascended the plateau via the remote and seldom visited ridge to the East of Loch Coire an Lochain. What a beautiful situation this is, over 950m and sitting in a northerly location looking across to Strath Spey. There are two wee ridges and the one that sits between the lochan and Coire Ruadh gives lovely views. I was greeted to wonderful cloud formations, sunshine and spectacular views from Braeriach. There then lies the fab walk around the Braeriach-Cairn Toul ampithetre which encloses Garbh Coire as well as many other wild and remote winter climbing crags and gullies. They were all looking fantastic today after the last few days of snow and cold and with cornices forming already. I descended down to Loch Einich just as the sun was setting and down at the loch before torchlight. The walk back down the glen with a rising moon just a wonderful end to a great winters day. Is this really only the 1st November?