Thursday, 16 May 2013

BRAERIACH, COIRE BROCHAIN

Coire Brochain
Cairn Toul & Sgor an Lochain Uine
The easier gully lines still full
Some cornice debris below the summit
The corrie in afternoon sun
The Larig Ghru & Cairn Toul
'Braeriach is so big and varied that no one can know it well who has not wandered into every corrie and explored its plateau and flanks without hurry'. Words form Dr. Adam Watson, the respected and probably the most experienced and knowledgeable person on The Cairngorms, in his SMT district guidebook to The Cairngorms. Coire Brochain is one of those corries I have never wandered into until today. It was a fine morning with bright sunshine and the winds light. Temperatures had risen into double figures at sea level today so it felt like Spring. I biked up to The Lairig Ghru and then walked into Coire Brochain which is the big SE facing corrie directly below the summit area. If you are looking for solitude this is the place to be and amongst fine mountain scenery. The cloud did drift in and there was a few very, very brief hail/snow showers but the cloud was always above the summits. In fact the weather improved as the day grew longer and some good breaks in the cloud. Still some depth of snow in the corrie, probably over 1 metre all soft but an ice axe would have been a good idea today.

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