3 DAY WINTER COURSE

 

Great snow cover

Valued return clients Marnix & Eva along with 4 of their family and friends are out for 3 days of Winter mountain fun with Tarmachan Mountaineering. All are from the Netherlands but have done plenty of mountain walking and running. Today we kicked off with a walk into Coire an Lochain and then along the Northern Corries with a side trip to the finest viewpoint in the Cairngorms.

Great conditions 

Fabulous snow conditions this morning. The overnight lowering of temperatures had frozen up the snowpack. Superb cramponing up the Twin Burns. The west side of Cairn Lochan was fabulously icy snow, you'd not have got anywhere without crampons ( which aren't microspikes ) on this aspect this morning.

Cairn Lochan 

We reached the summit of Cairn Lochan just has the cloud lifted, revealing lovely views. Summit temperatures today were below freezing. Welcome back winter.

The team on top

Great snow cover above 900m

Early bright sun gave way to cloud flirting with the tops and plateau. A keen breeze was blowing but so nice to be on the tops in a bearable wind.

Sheltered in Coire Domhain 

A wander over for views on Loch A'an

Untrodden snow

Shelterstone Crag 

The S/SE winds are still with us which always tends to bring a oud cap over the Cairngorms. We got tantalising breaks of views,  blue skies and a bit of sun now and again.

Blue skies occasionally 

Coire an t-sneachda 

After lunch we rejoined the Northern Corries route and people. Up until this point in the day we hadn't seen anyone on the hill.

Approaching 1141m

Descending in sun and no wind

A fine day out and great introduction to the Cairngorms. A lovely group of enthusiastic and fun folk.

Tarmachan Mountaineering