CAIRNGORMS 4000, IN WINTER

 

Winter conditions on the Braeriach plateau 

Over the weekend I was guiding a group of seven hardy folk on the classic 4000 footers of the Cairngorms. This fabulous high level walk over the Braeriach- Cairn Toul plateau & Ben Macdui Cairngorm plateau covers 5 of the top 9 mountain summits in the British Isles, all over 4000 foot. Split over two days with a high wild camp is a glorious way to walk these hills. The later end of May is usually  'Summer like' with warmer temperatures and just a few lingering snow patches along the route. Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd May in 2021 was definitely a Winter traverse!

SATURDAY 22 MAY

Chalamain Gap 

The team through the Chalamain Gap

I was guiding 7 folk. They  all have some hillwalking experience and some with previous backpacking trips under their belt. They weren't expecting Winter conditions so I sorted them out with axes and crampons before we set out. The weather forecast was for minus 3 C on Braeriach during daylight hours, it had been down to minus 4 C at night. During the preceeding days we have had a day or two of fresh snow falls on top of the existing old snow. If this isn't Winter then you'd be fooling yourself!

Leaving civilisation 

Lurchers Crag & Larig Ghru

Rime ice, fresh snow, old snow

Before the cloud

We set out from the Sugar Bowl carpark on Saturday morning. We were sorting rucksacks and last minute faff when the first flakes of snow fell. An indication of what was coming! The rocks through the Chalamain Gap had some fresh snow on top, always a bit tricky, even more so with heavy packs. On trips like this going as light as possible makes for a more enjoyable and easier experience. With the Winter conditions then obviously safety is an important factor. It's achieving a balance of comfort and the correct gear for the job.

Showers of snow

We we're moving well after the 'Gap' and views over to Lurchers and down into the Lairig Ghru were great. Above 1000m it was poor visibility and near whiteout conditions. For the entire weekend I was navigating purely and simply with map and compass. These mountains in winter are the most challenging navigational experiences you will ever encounter in the UK. I was in my element. Like every single venture in the UK mountains I have navigated 'traditionally'. Very rewarding and satisfying. 

Near Whiteout conditions above 1000m

Snowing and poor visibility 

We had seen no one from the Chalamain Gap to the summit of our first 4000, Braeriach. Complete whiteout on the summit. The summit cairn is totally buried in snow. One positive spin on the weather was the light wind speeds and the fact it was on our backs. Always makes life a tad easier. No pic-nicing in these conditions. A quick 5 minutes stop and were were off again.

A break in the cloud!

Enjoying the views!

Ben Macdui, Cain Toul, Sgor an Lochain Uaine 

Looking back to Braeriach 

It's a long, high level and featureless walk from Braeriach to our next Munro summit, Sgor an Lochain Uaine. About 2km along our route we were suddenly treated to a break in the cloud cover and blue skies appeared above. We got tantalising glimpses of the hills. Fabulous. 

Cornices above Garbh Choire Mor 

In between the cloud breaks there were bouts of further snow showers and dropping visibility. Brilliant stuff. Some areas of walking it was heavy going in the deeper snow. We were rewarded though. Just 10 minutes from the top of Sgor an Lochain Uaine we got amazing views and sunshine on our faces.

Cloud and sun

Chris enjoying the surprise sunshine 

Near the top

Stunning 

Garbh Choire Mor 

It was all smiles despite the huge effort of carrying a big rucksack and a long time after setting out. We were gobsmacked by the beautiful early evening views. More photos on the top, more snacks and more hills to come, well just one more Munro to come today, Cairn Toul.

The team on Sgor an Lochan Uaine 

Lochan Uaine & Macdui

Final steps

Cairn Toul from the top

It's just under 1 hour to Cairn Toul with only a short descent and reascent. We were enjoying more views and more sun now. The snow showers had eased off and it was looking like a fine evening.

The summit 

Garbh Choire Mor 

No. 3

Looking south from Cairn Toul

There's a wee top to gain before all down hill. Cairn Toul is quite a rocky, bouldery hill and the path in Summer does disappear in the more bouldery areas. Today we linked up all the big areas of old snow patches and it was a breeze to walk along and down using these stretches of ground.

Easy walking!

Mindful of the cornices

Ben Macdui 

Monadh Mor from Cairn Toul 

By now it was after 7pm, a beautiful evening and the forecast was dry for the overnight period so we decided to camp high up, on the beautiful flat and dry area between Cairn Toul and Bod an Deamhain at around 900m.

Fab descent to camp

Beautiful evening light

Ben Macdui and our water supply 

Wild camping at its finest 

Tents up and some welcome food. A top day and a few tired folk. A great spot to camp and despite the 900m altitude it wasn't too cold. During the night there was at least 3 Ptarmigan croaking away not to distant from our tents, the sound punctuated by the distant snoring from the neighbours. Some were out for the count by 9pm.

SUNDAY 23 MAY

During the night a Ptarmigan croaked and flew right above my tent, wonderful. Shortly after it was dawn and a faint glimmer of sunrise.

Morning view from my tent

Back up the hill from the Lairig Ghru

We packed up and were away by 8am. The second half of our 4000 foot expedition is an easier, shorter day which takes in Ben Macdui and Cairn Gorm. An hours walk down hill to the Lairig Ghru and a short easy walk along the glen before the big climb back up onto the Central Cairngorm plateau. The cloud had descended and by the time we got to the Lairig Ghru there was some light drizzle. 

Back into snow

Cairn Toul from Allt Clach nan Taillear

Moor poor visibility Above 1000m

The route up from the Lairig to Ben Macdui is a fabulous line up beside the Allt Clach nan Taillear. In Summer conditions there is a path which peters out into bouldery, rocky terrain.  Just now there is a fabulous,  deep layer of old Winter snow lying in the burn. This makes for far easier walking and great fun! We donned the crampons for the steeper section. Above 1000m we were back walking into cloud. My compass was back in action for the final 20 minute walk to the summit of Macdui.

Ben Macdhui

Well below freezing 

From the summit of Ben Macdui all the way across the plateau to the top of The Goat Track it was full, deep snow cover and poor visibility/whiteout. The compass was on overdrive. It was hard to believe it was the 23rd May. No rocks or cairns poking through the snowpack. Amazing and beautiful. 

A glimpse over to the Braeriach plateau 

Deep, full snow cover

Amazing 

The wind (which had changed direction from yesterday) was on our backs but had picked up speed by mid afternoon. We took shelter from it in Coire Domhain and had our late lunch. By the time we got to the Northern Corries ridgeline the windspeed had increased significantly to around 40mph, gusting 50mph. The Atlantic weather front had also increased the air temperature. Amazingly we had gone from fresh, dry powder snow with rimed rocks to damp, wet snow within about 1 hour. A few folk were struggling with the winds and big packs (think of having a sail on your back) so we made a decision to drop down from 1141m and back to civilisation. A shame we didn't get to summit Cairn Gorm but that's just a simple wee bump at the end of a massive, long, high and wild landscape in full Winter conditions. 

A fantastic effort from a great group of folk. 

Well done all.

We did it in Winter