BEN MACDUI - THE SCENIC ROUTE

Beautiful Loch Etchachan

Loch Etchachan & Ben Macdui

Female patrmigan

Male ptarmigan

Shelterstone Crag & Hells Lum Crag

Loch Avon

Sun piercing through the Shelterstone Crag

Loch Avon sands

Karen post swim

Cairn Toul, Sgor an Lochain Uaine & Braeriach from Ben Macdui

A glorious blue skies day from dawn to dusk in the Cairngorms and much of the UK by the looks of things. Warm sun, chilly breeze first thing this morning but good to make an early start for a lovely scenic route on Ben Macdui. There are many ways up and down the second highest peak in the British Isles. The beautiful paths that run from the summit, down to Loch Etchachan and then down to Loch Avon are just wonderful trails to walk on. Of course you need to get out of the loch Avon basin back over the Cairngorm plateau to get home, so it's never going to be a short day. If you want to take in a swim along the way like Karen today then it makes for a good full day out. We saw more ptarmigan today than people. This time of year is always nice to observe the birds of the Cairngorms. Just going into their Spring plumage. A brilliant day out in the warm sun, even warmer towards the end, all those steps up Coire Raibert certainly was a hot way out onto the plateau. Brilliant. Best put your t-shirt and shorts away early next week though, snowfall on the mountains forecast!