BRAERIACH FOR THE THIRD TIME IN A WEEK

Tough walking on the Glen Einich track

Dont be fooled by the sun! Braeriach to the left

Beautiful approach lower down Glen Einich

More wonderful snowy trees

Mell a' Bhuachaille

Big drifts

Northern Corries on Braeriach

Given up on the biking then?

A big dump of overnight snow put pay to any thought of biking up Glen Einich onto Braeraich today. I was even contemplating snow shoes but they're not much use in fresh powder, so boots it was then. For the third time in a week I had a wander up Braeriach. Bit of a search mission too -  one of my clients lost her ice axe on Sunday up here so an added excuse for a hill day and a search. Needle in a haystack you say? Well we knew roughly where she lost it and I know the area so well so why not? The trees in the lower reaches of Glen Einich were looking stunning again, picture postcard stuff. Right from the word go it was always going to be a hard day with ankle to shin deep powder to trail break all day. After leaving the forest it was even tougher going with bigger drifts and a strong headwind with tonnes of spindrift. A quick search of the lost ice axe area revealed big drifts of snow, I was banking on the area to have been wind scoured so no luck with the needle in the haystack. A good day all the same but the visability deteriorated even more in the afternoon and prolonged heavy snow showers till the end. There were a couple of bikes dumped right on the track on my way back, the owners I passed 5 minutes earlier mumbling something about 'stinging your eyes' as they shielded their faces into the low level blizzard. I never saw them whizzing past on the way down so I guess it was hard going on the bike too. Don't let my photos think it was a nice suny day! Tonnes more snow on its way next few days and winds increasing again. Should be good when it settles down. You cant get great winter conditions without a storm or two! I think my next search mission for that ice axe may well be about May time!

A VERY WILD WINTER DAY ON BRAERIACH

Kirsty & Jason still smiling

Good hard snow up the burn lines

Hard work in places

Kirsty & Jason are out with me this weekend on a winter skills combined with a Munro summit or two. Unfortunately its been a very stormy weekend and we put forward yesterday's outing to today as the wind on the summits were around 100mph Saturday. Today faired a wee bit better with just a gentle 50-70 forecasted! We set off from Coylumbridge with a good few cm's of fresh overnight snow lying on the roads. The track into Glen Einich looking beautiful with all the snow hanging on the trees. It began snowing  after 10 minutes from the start, and never stopped all day. We got up to the Northern Corries of Braeriach were it was only gusting 40 with very poor vis. There are three nice burns running down from Coire Lochan. These are holding old hard snow and neve from the start of winter and are great ways up the mountain as well as for practicing some crampon work. It was hard going all day. We arrived at 2.30pm up at the lochan where it was gusting over 50mph and still an hour to the summit. We releucantly saved the summit for another day! The temperatures were rising through the day and by the time we descended back to the Glen Einich track it was raining. What a difference from walking up the track this morning, it was now resembling a burn! A great day all the same, good company and a good taste for the Kirsty & Jason of  what a normal winters day in The Cairngorms can be like!

BLIZZARDS AT LOW LEVELS

Its been a stormy few days with very high winds even at lower levels. Yesterday morning there were windspeeds of 140mph on top of Cairn Gorm. Snow falling down at Aviemore level today with several cm's within a few hours. I have re arranged a two day winter skills starting tomorrow as there were gusts of 100mph forecasted. So Karen and I had a low level saunter along the Badencoch Way from Kinguisse, via Ruthern Barracks and some bird watching at the Insh Marshes. We set off in some sun and there was no snow on the roads but within three hours on our return it was a completely different scene with beautiful snow scenes on the trees. It was cold, windy and lots of snowfall. Anyone venturing up high today must have had a good tussle with the weather! Today we spotted lots of Graylag Geese, Whooper Swans and Dipper. Hopefully a better day tomorrow. Winter skills and Braeriach tomorrow, maybe!

A FULL ON WINTERS DAY ON BRAERIACH

Eastern crags along the Sron na Lairig on Braeriach looking well snowed up

Lurchers Crag from Sron na Lairig

The Lairig Ghru and Ben Macdui

Atmospheric summit views on Braeriach

Newly formed fragile cornices

Excellent hard snow on the plateau

Freash snow down to 500m, Strathspey in sunshine this morning

Freash overnight snow and colder temperatures today. It was a real winter full on day out on Braeriach today. A mixture of snow showers, strong, cold westerlies, poor visability at times, neve and fresh snow and even some sunshine in between the showers. The fresh snow down to 500m and colder temperatures were very welcome after the warmish spell of weather and some snow loss of yesterday. The easterly aspects along the Sron na Lairig ridge up to Braeraich were looking fine with lots of snow in the gullies and crags. Coire Bhrochain looking great too. Despite the poor visability I managed without use of the map and compass today, Braeriach one of the hills I know well and its nice to see how your knowledge can cope with navigating in poor winter conditions, or was I being lazy?! A great day out.

CREAG AN LETH CHON (LURCHERS CRAG), ANOTHER CRACKING WINTER DAY

Looking over to Sgor Gaoithe from Lurchers

Lurcers crags and gullies bare

Lots of windslab on top of refrozen snow, this is an eastern aspect

Summit stillness

Great views down the Lairig Ghru, Braeriach looking good

The hills may look bare, but be aware!

Its been a fine weekend for weather to be out and about after all the over indulgence at Christmas (for some)! There was a strong wind even at lower levels today and despite the forecast of this becoming even stronger it turned out to be a beautiful afternoon for sitting and having your lunch on a summit or two! Lurchers Crag was looking well snowed up on its eastern side, the crags and gullies on the  western side of this ex-Munro have been stripped from the New Years Day thaw and any fresh snow from the last few days has been wind blown. Today the morning winds were blowing the snow once more. There's a good mix of terrain at the moment. Icy paths, windslab, re-frozen snow and drifts. The temperature was rising through the day and this week has a good mix of storms and snowfall and melt freeze cycles. Just a typical January really.

A BITING WIND ON BYNACK MORE

Meall a' Bhuachaille & Stac na h-lolaire from the upper slopes of Bynack More

Nice views of Meall a' Bhuachaille & Strathspey

Summit views over to Beinn Mheadhoin, wind scoured tops

The summit cone of Bynack More looming ahead

Rimed summit rocks

Thankfully the temperatures have dropped dramatically. On New Years day it was plus 6 degrees on the summits, the next day it was minus a lot! Today was no exception as the trend of cold weather has continued. Today Karen and I had clear skies and a biting NW wind with gusts of around 60mph on Bynack More. The glorious blue skies made the wind bearable today as we enjoyed the great views. The main Cairngorm plateau looked like it was in cloud most of today, as is often the case Bynack More usually gets clear tops being isolated from the main plateau and further east. I don't think I've ever been up Bynack More when there has been no wind. There were a few parties who turned back and so it was quiet on the top. The eastern slopes and corries have been filled in with the blown snow, ridges clear and some ice and lower tracks and paths are icy too. Full winter gear a must!

A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A massive thank you to all the folk who joined me in the mountains last year. Without you Tarmachan Mountaineering would not exist. Just a small selection of wonderful days out in the hills in 2014. Hope to see some of you again in 2015. Best wishes and have a safe 2015 in the mountains. Gary