CAIRNGORM SUNSHINE

Loch Avon from the top of Castlegates Gully

Cairn Gorm and Loch Avon

Hells Lum  and Stag Rocks from the top of The Shelterstone Crag

The top of Pinnacle Gully

A stunningly beautiful day in The Cairngorms. Whilst the majority of the UK seemed to be getting downpours, the NE & HW Highlands enjoyed in sunshine all day. Nice light for some photography around The Shelter stone area, always a quiet place with the finest of scenery The Cairngorms can offer. Away working up inTorridon tomorrow for some  spectacular scrambling, weather like this would be just fine.

CLAGGY MORNING IN THE CAIRNGORMS

The top of Hells Lum

Loch Avon and Shelter Stone

Big loose blocks lying on a small lump of snow!

And this lot can't last much longer too!

A few icebergs may be floating in here soon

The cloud was down to well below car park level at Coire Cas in The Cairngorms today. A light drizzle and zero visibility all morning wasn't looking good for a nice day. Things were soon transformed come the afternoon and great views won the day. The snow in Coire an Lochan still has some depth and we noticed a few big blocks of granite come loose and lying on a slab of snow at the top of one of the gullies, I wouldn't want to be below that when it goes! Down in the corrie and we thought we heared thunder, turned out just a few small pieces falling off the Great Slab! Warming up and great weather tomorrow in the Cairngorms and NW Highlands.

BIKING UP MEALL A' BHUACHAILLE

The Northern Corries from the  Meall a' Bhuachaille path

Claggy and humid on the summit

Sneachda & Lochan Corries from the top

Steep steps on the descent, mmm

Lower levels and a newt taking it easy

Bugle

A bike ride up Meall a' Bhuachaille today, a lot of steps and drainage channels to negotiate before the summit. It was very humid and claggy with some showers later in the day. After the steep descent it was  a quick spin over The Ryvoan Pass and down to Nethy Bridge to make a good circuit.

MONADH MOR & BEINN BHROTAIN

Karen heading toward the bealach between Monadh Mor & Beinn Bhrotain

Beinn Bhrotain from near the summit of Monadh Mor

A different perspective of Braeriach-Sgurr an Lochain Uaine & Cairn Toul

The spectacular Glen Geusachan and Bod an Deamhain ( Devil's Point)

Another glorious sunny and very warm day in The Highlands. Karen and I off for another long route to add to Karen's Munro tally. Most folk climb Beinn Bhrotain & Monadh Mor from The Linn of Dee side of The Cairngorms but as always we like to head out on longer and interesting routes. In fact there isn't much difference in mileage starting from Achlean in Glen Feshie which was our start point today. The excellent path up toward Carn Ban Mor soon gets you onto the huge plateau of the Moine Mhor ( The Great Moss).  One look on the map and with the name of 'moss' may well have you thinking you're in for a right old bog trot but the reality is it's superb walking over lovely grassy ground and most of the route to the Munros is on good tracks, some of which aren't marked on maps. I've only ever done these two hills in winter so it was a nice change.

REMOTE SCRAMBLING ON BRAERIACH

Sgurr Gaoithe & Loch Einich from the start of the scramble on Creag an Loch

Creag an Loch

Sensational views and warm  rock!

The Corrie at the head of Glen Einaich

Looking up to Creag an Loch from the Corrie Dhondail path

Beautiful pools and burns along the route into Coire Dhondail

Even the bike in has reasonable views!

Braeriach is one of the finest hills in The Cairngorms, with many huge corries, remoteness, and vast tracts of high plateau. I never tire of finding alternative routes onto the third highest mountain in Britain. It takes me just over two hours by bike/walk from the house to reach the foot of the wonderful Creag an Loch, a rocky spur which bounds the beautiful and high Corrie Dhondail. The scrambling is quite bouldery at the start but gets better and more solid rock higher up. It's the fine situation rather than the quality of any scrambling here with Loch Einich stretched out behind and the backdrop of Sgurr Gaoithe beyond. The spur reaches the plateau but is still some distance to the actual summit of Braeriach. A route for the connoisseur who isn't interested on bagging the Munro as quickly and efficiently as possible! It's worth noting that if you intend to get onto the plateau by keeping on the fine stalkers path up the corrie then it would definitely be sensible to carry an ice axe just now. There is a huge stretch of steep snow and a big pile of boulders at the corrie floor if you were to take a slide. There is also a massive bergshrund where the snow reaches the wee waterfall just before the plateau. Today was wall to wall sunshine and clear blue skies, hot sun and no wind! Marvellous!

A DAY OF TWO HALVES

The best of the views today, on the way down

Reindeer and their young still enjoying the snow

Marsh Marigold

Aladdin's Couloir still with snow

Snow holes still available

Into the cloud and cold on the tops this morning with most of the higher Cairngorm summits in the clag. Still much to see at this time of year even if you can't get a decent mountain vista. Snow Bunting, Ptarmigan and Dotteral all spotted today but due to the murk and fast flying birds I didn't get much chance of photos. Nivce to see a pair of Reindeer with their young trotting around too, again all a bit in the murk. Of course the sun came out and the skies cleared mid afternoon. A nice weekend with sunshine coming up, especially in the NW.

SKYE MUNROS, LAST DAY

The team starting up Sgurr a Ghreadaidh

The start of the scrambling on Sgurr a Mhadaidh

The steep scree up to the narrow notch of An Dorus

Rose root, this flower grows high up amongst the rough rocks  on The Cuillin

Pete leading the way

On Skye the weather has it's own micro climates and weather can be widely different or a good number of hours behind what the forecasts say. Today was no exception, with a good forecast of bright skies later in the morning we thought it may be similar to yesterdays wonderful conditions. But as the team headed up for the two Munros of Sgurr a Mhadaidh & Sgurr a Ghreadaidh the light drizzle was on and off and the cloud started to drop below the summits. With high spirits the smaller team of  5 from Blackrock Mountainering Club were still keen on grabbing a couple more Munros. Today's choice lies in the central part of the main ridge and gives grade 2/3 scrambling. The slog up the screes to the narrow notch of An Dorus took us most of the morning. Pete leading the way and getting the guys up and down safely. We were heading down after lunch and as we neared the car park at Glen Brittle the sun finally popped out and the cloud started lifting, as it can! Other members of The Blackrock Mountaineering team had their own adventures in various bits of The Cuillin, some on The Inn Pinn and other wonderful jagged black rocks. Well done to all the team, such enthusiasm and great banter all day long!

STUNNING SKYE CUILLIN

The west ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean

Traversing under The Basteir Tooth

On ourway to Bruach na Frithe

John enjoying the atmospheric clouds

Briuach na Frithe summit

The rest of the Cuillin Ridge

Happy team on the summit of Bruach na Frithe

Am Basteir, Sgurr nan Gillean and Blaven to the far right

Pinnacle Ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean and The Bhasteir Gorge

Classic views and  Cullin cooling waters

The walk out with views to Glamaig and The Red Cuillin

Marsco

Over on Skye for the weekend and assisting Pete Long in  guiding big group from The Blackrock Mountaineering Club. A promising weather forecast on Saturday but when we set off there was very low cloud and a few drops of missle. We headed up into the spectacular Bhasteir Corrie which as the best views of Pinnacle Ridge of Sgurr nan Gillean but we saw only cloud. First summit of An Basteir and the cloud started breaking giving great views of Gillean from then on the weather just got better and better with the rest of the Cuillin bathed in sun. The second Munro of Bruach na Frithe after lunch and the team we're as high as a kite. The walk out and the afternoon sun was beautiful. Great craic from the team and fun all day long! You know it's been a great day out as I've ran riot with photos on this post!

A WINTERY SGURR GAOITHE

Kath & Luois's final Munro this week

A bit of wet snow above 1000m

Cladonia coccifera

Rime ice in May

No views of Loch Einich today

Last day with Kath and Louis, we've had 6 wonderful days in the hills and on the bikes. 5 New Munros for Kath whilst Louis is catching up and he bagged 7. We had glorious weather and great views on most of the days which ain't bad for a week in The Highlands. Today we had a quick hit on Sgurr Gaoithe, it was a tad wintry above 1000m with a light dusting of fresh, wet snow and even some rime ice near the summit area. We had an early start and we're back for lunch time, saw not a soul on the hill. Shame we didn't get a nice view today but lots of interesting flora to see with much Cladonia, Icelandic Moss and Trailing Azalia and Cloudberry just in flower. Well done to Kath & Louis and another step further to them completing their Munros. Off to Skye this weekend with big group, weather looking quite good in the NW :)