TMB DAY

High pressure over The Alps for some days. Great forecast and my team of 4 have hit it lucky. Wall to wall sun today. We walked from Les Chapieux to Les Contimenes over a snowy Col de Bonhomme.

TMB DAY 2

Aiguille de Bionassay 

Col de Tricot 

Pasarelle below Bionassay 

Lunch at Chalet de Miage 

Domes de Miage 

Marsh Orchid 

Alpine Pansy 

Aiguille de Bionassay 

Globeflower 

Meadows & mountains 

St Brunos Lilly 

Morning light in the forest

Alpine Pasque Flower 

Second day out on this TMB. The sun was out and back to usual attire of T-shirt and shorts for the route over to Les Contimenes. The trail was nice and quiet again. Great time of year to visit the Alps before the crowds of July and August. My super group did brilliant again, steady pace with plenty of stops and an hour for lunch at Chalet de Miage. Still got in earliest ever, 3pm!

ALPINE 2019 SEASON KICKS OFF

My Alpine trekking season began today. kicking off on another TMB with a group of 4 fun folk it was good craic. Despite a poor weather forecast,  it turned out lovely. Just walked into our hotel in Les Houches when the heavens open, good timing. Plenty of snow high up near the cols. Temperatures due to rocket next week,  37C by Wednesday. 

FREEZING IN JUNE

Frozen vegetation above 1000m

Young Ring Ouzel in the rain

A splash of colour, Roseroot

Plenty of ice about

Fiacaill Coire Sneachda

Quiet today

Beauty in the mist

Ptarmigan shell

Cairn Lochan a tad icy

Dwarf Cornel

Brightens up a dull day

Cliffs of Coire an Lochain

We're in yet another wet and cool spell of weather. Seems that Spring hasn't really got going this year. Today it felt like early winter on the tops with temperatures on the Cairngorm plateau around freezing point. I didn't have a thermometer, the ice caked vegetation and rocks were all that was needed to give me an idea of how cold it was, and a few extra layers of clothing! didn't see anyone all day and the Coire Cas carpark was deserted. Apparently it's getting warmer tomorrow. For how long is anyones guess. Summer is on hold. Spring would be nice though.

UNSETTLED WEATHER

The damp weather not deterring the Red Squirrel

Sheltering

Goldeneye and her good size clutch of young

Common Sandpiper

Wren

Mallard and her young

Grey Wagtail

Coot

Greylag and her young

Blue Tit

Looking lovely today

Caledonian Pines

Water levels recovering on Loch Vaa

It was another very wet day yesterday, some big downpours. The unsettled and cool theme continued. At least today we had a lovely sunny spells and dry day here in The Cairngorms. A good time to stay down at lower altitudes for some wildlife photography in the National Park. There is no need to travel huge distances from Aviemore with some beautiful woodland and lochans throughout the Speyside area. Today it was mainly an aquatic theme with excellent numbers of young seen on the lochs, especially Goldeneye.