ALPINE CAIRNGORMS

Ben & George high up below the Fiacaill Buttress

Fiacaill of Coire Sneachda

Alpine style ridge

Fiacaill to ourselves today

It's a long drop down Hells Lum!

Reasonable snow cover on the plateau

Feith Buidhe

Loch Avon

Coire an t-Sneachda

Sneachda from Cairn Gorm

A great couple of days with these guys

The temperatures were up a notch and more hazy sunshine today. George & Ben out with me for day two of their adventure in the Cairngorms. We had a brilliant day, covering lots of axe, crampon and movement on steep ground. We headed into Coire an t-Sneachda, soon leaving the crowds (well, 10 folk or so) and heading onto the Fiacaill of Coire Sneachda. Great snow cover in the coire below the buttress as we worked our way over to the ridge. We had the whole ridge to ourselves, apart from the many beautiful snow buntings which were singing way all day. The snow had firmed up slightly on the ridge and was good fun. We headed across a snowy Cairngorm plateau and had lunch over by Hells Lum, for the views of course. After food the guys navigated their way across to Cairn Gorm. The snow had softened up across the plateau, we linked all the big areas of snow up by taking a nice route over on the south side off Cairn Gorm. Down Windy Ridge to end a fab couple of days and not a single ice axe arrest in sight, winter skills isn't all about sliding down mountains! :)