FIRST STEPS INTO WINTER

In the sun having fun

Deserted Coire an t-Sneachda 

Sliding

Snow shelters

Summit

Bigger snow shelters 

Steep

Self belay

Stunning views 

Cairngorm plateau 

Chopper in the coire

It was a beautiful morning and fine for much of the afternoon. Much colder overnight with summit temperatures dropping to -7 C by early morning. Light winds and a fresh dusting of snow on the Cairngorms from the last couple of days. Everything looking splendid with our top up to winter. The Foyle Family were out with me for a day of skills. For the two twin boys aged 12, it was their first time out in the winter mountains. We had a fun time, walking into a very quiet Coire an t-Sneachda. Well it was quiet until the arrival of the Coastguard chopper on a mountain rescue job. Hopefully it was a good outcome. We started the day digging snow shelters in the moraines for our morning break. Then it was some basics with axe and crampons before heading up the hill, gaining the plateau by Windy Col. The snow was absolutely beautiful up from the moraines to the top. Hardly any boulders poking through the surface. There's not many days you can take a rising traverse from the moraines direct to Windy Col with no obstacles or sinking in holes en-route. It was Alpine. The sun made it feel like a furnace at times. No wind on the col today. Great snow conditions for novices, a thin layer of fresh snow on top of the hard neve. The boys bagged their first Munro in the afternoon, Cairn Gorm. The summit was quiet, just two folk. Where were all the people today? We descended down beautiful snow slopes and had a peep into the snow holes at Ciste Mheared. The boys still had bags of energy as they pounded down Windy Ridge to end a fun day out. Hopefully their first of many days in the hills!