BRAERIACH TO CAIRN TOUL - FINAL WINTER TRAVERSE?

Sgurr an Lochain Uaine and Ben Macdui

Garbh Coire Mor

Ben Macdui from summit of Sgurr an Lochain Uaine (Angels Peak)

Looking west from summit of Cairn Toul

Angels Ridge

With a small weather window before more wind and showers and cloud I headed up Glen Einaich today and in pursuit of possibly my final 'winter' traverse of Braeriach to Cairn Toul. This is the finest high level mountain walk in the UK and even more so in winter conditions. The high winds this morning were due to ease so with the bike in to Loch Einich this killed some time to let the gales die. The cloud soon broke up by mid morning and the forecasts were spot on, mid morning and there was a definite easing in the SW  winds. So a 'Cairn Gorm breeze' of about 40mph was just tolerable. There was some rime ice on the exposed rocks but in general the snow was pretty soft making it hard going but as always an absolute joy on this high level roller coaster. Still a good covering of snow and Cairn Toul was easy, rather than the summer conditions of boulders to negotiate. I saw no one all day, only a couple of stags jumping across the Einich track in front of the bike! So with warmer and wetter conditions maybe this will be the last full 'winter travesre' for me, this season.