LOCKDOWN, 1 WEEK ON

Loch Garten

Our world has certainly changed during recent tragic events. Especially so if you enjoy the freedom we have in the UK to venture into the outdoors without any restrictions. We should be thankfull that even with this 'lockdown' in place we are still allowed 'excercise' outside every day. Living on the doorstep of the massive Cairngorms National Park it is so very nice we can walk or bike from our house and soon be into some beautiful woodland or very quiet areas. Here's a few photos taken from this week, all travel was by foot or bike from the house and all within a very short time/distance from Aviemore. No car or any other form of motorised transport was involved. By the way I detest the actual word 'lockdown'. I shall from now on refer it to 'restricted' activity.

Treecreeper

Having a snack

Upwards

I had a nice road bike ride through the Rothiemurcus and Abernethy forests. Stopping through a breather I spotted the beautiful wee Treecreeper bird. This fascinating Passerine lives mainly off insects and caterpillars that are in the crevesses of trees. It 'creeps' up the tree bark looking for its meal. They are usually so fast and rarely stay still that I have never got a decent image of one. Until last Tuesday. Brilliant.

Greylag Geese

Chaffinch

Snowdrops

There's so much to see even on your bike, if you take time to keep your eyes peeled.
Off road and onto tracks we also have some great mountain biking trails which are easily accessible from the front door of the house.

Spring clean for the mountain bike

Ready for action

This weeks weather has been quite dull and under a High pressure system for much of the time. Relitively mild conditions and light winds.

Northern Cairngorms from The Burma Road

It was nice to see the Mountain Hare just at the roadside on The Burma Road. A great mountain bike ride up from Aviemore. I can be at the summit of the track in an hour from the front door.

Burma Road Hare

On Saturday it was definitely a bit chillier. Northerly winds bringing the temperatures on the high Cairngorms down to minus 5 C.
A nice bike ride up Glenfeshie on the road bikes again. A strong Northerly wind on the return with hail and snow for a time. A reminder it is definitely still winter up on the mountains.

Back on the road

BREARIACH, BY BIKE AND FOOT FROM THE HOUSE

Loch Coire an Lochain, Braeriach

Braeriach is my favourite mountain in the whole of the Cairngorm mountains range. Big, remote, wild and many corries and spurs which offer numerous routes to get to the summit of the 3rd highest peak in the UK. I am fortunate enough that I can get up it without any form of motorised transport from my doorstep in Aviemore.

The bike in, always a joy

The old jalopy going well this morning

It's a beautiful bike ride from my house then up to Gleann Einich on well made forest tracks. The beautiful Caledonian Pines for company. I saw no one this morning. The bike takes off at least 3 hours of walking, whichever route you take. I think the Northern Corries is the finest walking route onto Breariach. The only guidebook I have ever see it in is in the classic SMT Cairngorms district guide written by the late and great Dr. Adam Watson. If you haven't got it, buy it! It's the finest guide to the Cairnorm mountains with a wealth of information, wildlife, geology and lots of other info.

Gleann Einich and Braeriach

It was a dull early morning but the cloud slowly thinned and broke up with some beautiful sunshine by mid morning. There are three shallow gully lines with watercourses in summer that riun down from Braeriach's Northern Corries. In winter these redily fill with snow. By this period in the season they are usually well filled in with deep snow. At the moment there is so much snow on the hills that this area is almost a complete snow field running down to around 650m Today everything was frozen solid. A joy for cramponing.

Fine views from the big snowfield

Just before donning crampons I saw a huge flock of beautiful Snow Buntings. When I say huge I am not exagerating! I would say at least 50! The most I have ever seen. I didn't have my telephoto lens! There are stunning views of Sgor Gaoithe as you head up this big 250m snow slope. The sun popped out and neve underfoot. Bliss. The ground eases off in angle and then the impressive, remote and high Loch Coire an Lochain greets you. A beautiful wild spot. With the temperatures being well below freezing for some time now the loch is well iced over.

Loch Coire an Lochain, frozen

There was a stiff breeze blowing above 1000m with some drifting of the fresh snow fallen since yesterday. Mostly the snow was well frozen and firm all the way from lochan to plateau. Some high level cloud drifted in by the time I reached the summit. The cloud added to the photos, lovely 'windy clouds' as I call them.

the broad slopes above the coire

Don't forget to contour this gully!

Strathspey and Aviemore in the far distance

Some impressive cornices overhanging Coire Bhrochain, just below Braeriach's summit. On the top there was virtually no wind. This happens regularly on this hill. The big corries deflect the winds over you!

Cairn Toul  from near the summit

Big cornices

Cairn Toul

The wind picked up on the way back down and more drifting snow, the skies also cleared for a while and sun was shining again on the summit.

Winds increasing on the way down

The bike ride out is always fun and a speedy return back to Aviemore.

Biking out

SAD TIMES

Perfect isolation,  East Greenland 

We have all been and continue to be affected by recent events, including Tarmachan Mountaineering. The last couple of days I have had to make difficult decisions, but the right ones. I have cancelled or offered alternative dates for all my bookings on courses up to the beginning of May. The situation will be reviewed in the coming weeks.
I am not a big business, I don't have any indoor facilities and my group sizes are mostly small. I feel it is the correct thing to do.
If everyone has the same attitude then hopefully things will get back to some kind of normality, eventually.
I am fortunate that I live in a fabulous mountain and woodland environment with huge areas of wild spaces for solitude. That will be my escape from the madness of panic buying and chaos.
I am also thankful my needs for pubs, restaurants and other 'socialising' venues is something I can quite happily live without.
Tarmachan Mountaineering will still continue has a guiding business and I will of course take advanced bookings. I am just in a pause mode.
One thing is certain. When the world gets back to normal then the outdoors, walking, mountains and wildlife will be even more important for the mind and soul.
Keep safe and look after one another. Of course my blog will continue to bring some of the Highlands wonderful scenery into your home.
Best wishes and good health.

ALPINE CONDITIONS

Fiacaill Buttress and deep snow

A stunning day across many areas in the Highlands. High pressure for the next few days. In the Cairngorms we had bags of sunshine and hardly a breeze on the tops.

Excellent snow cover to 800m

Temperatures in Aviemore were down to minus 5 C this morning. I started walking at 7.45 for a wee trip on the Fiacaill Coire sneachda ridge. Snow at lower levels was firm and a joy to walk on. Glorious clarity on the trek into Coire an t-sneachda.

Coire an t-sneachda 

Easy walking through the boulderfields in the Coire. The lochans well frozen over, enough so to walk across. Amazing amount of snow in the Goat Track and Point Five Gully area.

Goat Track & Fiacaill Buttress 

I always enjoy gaining the Fiacaill Coire sneachda ridge via the big bowl under the Fiacaill Buttress. A far more interesting route when Avalanche safe. This area is also in deep snow cover. No doubt to the successive storms on Westerly winds some time ago.

Fabulous snow cover 

Brilliant cramponing up the slopes with the Fiacaill Buttress looming to the left of me. All in solitude. Just a few folk climbing on the crag and a couple skinning up the Goat Track.

Fiacaill Buttress in beautiful light

Nice time of year for sun and snow in the Coire. Conditions reminiscent of The Alps. Usually there is a sizeable boulderfield in this area. Not at the moment. Hardly any boulders poking through the snowpack.

Cairn Gorm

Full snow cover 

Looking into the Fiacaill Couloir

The ridge itself is quite rocky. Best of any snow is on the western slopes below the Crest. Excellent snow and ice along there. Within no time I was up onto the plateau.

The view from the ridge into Coire an Lochain 

Along the ridge

On the plateau in was glorious with no winds. Some thin cloud came drifting in and out. Icy conditions on the tops.

Drifting thin cloud 

On top of Cairn Lochan there was superb views, the sun being in the 'right place' for photographs looking into the crags.

Coire an Lochain 

Breakfast views

Nice to laze and graze on the summit of Cairn Lochan. Not many days we've been able to sit and have a picnic on the tops this winter.

Top of The Couloir

Cornices

I descended down via Lurchers Ridge. The temperature was beautifully 'warm' once below 1000m. Sunshine and views. Like most places the ridge has a full snow cover. A delight to walk down.

Breariach

Sastrugi

Surface hoar

Coire an Lochain 

Lurchers Ridge

A beautiful day.

Loch Morlich & The Cairngorms