HIGH WINDS, LOW ALTITUDE NAVIGATION

A struggle in the winds at Ryvoan

Navigation in the woodland a better place

Lochan Uaine

Struggling to walk with a bike down Ryvoan Pass

Cairngorms in a blanket of wind and cloud

Not a day for Meall a' Bhuachaille

'Wind clouds'

High winds on the mountains today. Forecast of over 70mph on the summits meant a day at lower altitudes for us. Alex and Debbie on day 3 of their course with me this week. We intended a day of mountain navigation but that was never going to happen. Instead we stayed low for some essential map reading skills. Our high point today was Ryvoan Bothy and a welcome respite out of the gales. Never seen so may folk in there! One guy who was well loaded up on this mountain bike almost took off in the winds just outside the bothy. I gave him a had to push him a few metres down the track. We stayed in the tree line for much of the day. It was a brighter afternoon after some morning snowfall but the photos don't really do justice to the winds today.