SGOR GOAITHE - DEFINITELY 'PEAK OF THE WINDS' TODAY

Great snow and out of the wind!

Lunch time and in the 'notch' and out of the wind (again!)

We can do sun and blue skies too

Big drifts of snow even at lower altitudes

There's a path here somewhere

Even our wee white friends were looking for cover form the wind today

Looking back and wasn't that windy was it?

Lone reindeer low down (out of the wind?)

Return client Debbie with me today for her annual winter Munro trip up in The Cairngorm hills. It was a tad breezy today and windier than most forecasts predicted. Sgor Goaithe was our Munro objective today and it really did live up to its English translation of Peak of The Winds! We found some shelter from the Southerly gales on northern aspects where there is also excellent snow cover. Eventually though you do need to get onto the higher broad ridges at some point and we were soon facing into the gales. Debbie did well getting to well over 950m today before we let the mountain win and headed back down. We took a nice route off the tops via 'The Notch' which is near the summit of Geal Carn. This wee spot is fantastic for snow shelters and we got a respite from the winds here. Dropping down into the glen and it felt like the wind was getting even stronger. There are also big drifts even down at lower altitudes and great fun descending these. It was a milder day but snow cover is still good on N and NE aspects, we even had crampons on at one point. It was a day for one axe and one walking pole to stay upright! Great day out as always with Debbie.