UNEXPECTED PLEASURES

Kath & Louis admiring the fine views over to Cairngorm & Cairn Lochan

The ascent to Lurchers Crag spiced up with a bit of wind and spindrift

Self belay

Very pleasant on the summit

Coire an Lochain

Wonderful icy plateau area

Regular clients Kath and Louis who have been out with me only in the summer months were today out in the finest time of year. They are both steadily ticking off the Munros outwith the winter season but after some gentle persuasion and my enthusiasm of the white stuff thy unexpectedly booked onto a winter course. The weather forecast wasn't looking that great with a deterioration in the weather as the day went on with high winds and precipitation expected in the afternoon. What we got was a lovely sunny day and only 50mph winds on the summits. After some basic axe and crampon skills at the bottom of the Fiacaill ridge we headed over to Creag an Leth-Choin (Lurchers Crag) and went directly up the Eastern slopes of the hill to the summit. We discussed avalanche awareness through out the day and there were plenty of rocks sticking out on this aspect of the hill to use as islands of safety. It was a beautifully atmospheric day with plenty of snow getting transported in the strong, gusty winds. Great views and we made it to the summit without crawling. The ridge and summit area are well scoured with lots of wonderful water ice to practise more crampon technique. So now Kath and Louis have been converted into winter Munroists -Lurchers was one of  the Munros in his original list so it IS a Munro then :)