STEEP GROUND, SNOW SHELTERS & SOLITUDE

Brilliant snow at Feithe Buidhe Slabs 

Marnix & Eva enjoying the winter conditions 

Point Five Gully 

Snow shelter break 

Navigation time

Loving the solitude of Feithe Buidhe 

Loch Avon & Shelter Stone Crag

Ice holding on

Feithe Buidhe & Hell's Lum 

 Another big change in ground conditions again today. Within 24 hours we lost the cold temperatures, fresh snow, rimed crags and cloudless skies. All is never lost and you can always find fun in the snow, especially with Tarmachan Mountaineering! We know the Northern Cairngorms so well and where the best of the lean snow can be found. Today return clients Marnix & Eva were back out with me for a day of winter mountaineering . Last year we had plenty of snow and ice. This time we made use of the best places.  We kicked off with a fun time on Point Five Gully.  There's a couple of small broken sections,  otherwise it's complete. After gaining the plateau we headed over to Coire Domhain and a quick snow shelter for a break. Then a descent into the beautiful Loch Avon basin. Over on the Feithe Buidhe Slabs there are still good amounts of deep snow and most of it well frozen despite the jump in temperatures. Higher up it was freezing point so really good. Nice steep sections here, usually it's a bit more banned out by mid January.  We walked across the plateau in a few snow showers and stiff breeze. Definitely winter like! Eva did the navigation across the high  ground and back to civilisation. Top day and we saw no one after the lochans in Sneachda.