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| One of my favourite spots in The Cairngorms |
What an absolute stonker of a day. Wall to wall sunshine, solid, firm snow cover up high and zero wind. A day to be out on the high mountains. I cycled up from the house on a fabulous morning. Just the bike ride up Glenmore is enough for a memorable morning! Lovely and quiet and that is how it was for the rest of the day. I fancied a day on Ben Macdui, the UK's second highest point. With solid, firm snow it was crampons in the bag along with my usual camera gear including the big telephoto lens and one for landscapes. You don't see many folk cycling from Aviemore to the high Cairngorms laden with a 15kg rucksack. I can safely say it was only me doing that today! It is utterly satisfying though.
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| Mother nature at its finest |
It had been a much colder night than last few days. It was around freezing point in Aviemore when I set off. Above 800m on the hill there was some beautiful frosted heather and icicles around the burns.
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| Snow bridges with holes appearing! |
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| More wonderful icicles |
I wandered into Coire an Lochain on the lookout for Ptarmigan and Mountain Hare but non seen. I had elevenses beside the beautiful chaotic icebergs at the lochan. Utterly beautiful and silent, just the sound of the twin burns flowing into the lochan. These 'icebergs' are the remaing blocks of ice that were pushed out of the hollow from the huge avalanche back in February.
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| Coire an Lochain |
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| Avalanche debris still visible |
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| Big blocks slowly melting |
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| Icebergs |
After whiling away an easy hour I donned crampons and headed up beside the twin burns area. Completely solid, refrozen snow. You wouldn't get up here with your microspikes, if that is your preferred choice of hardware in Winter. You would be on very shaky ground above 20 degrees with spikes. They seem a popular choice for some folk. They ain't for mountains terrain.
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| Frozen snow above Coire an Lochain |
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| Crampons obligatory |
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| Frozen |
Another essential bit of kit for today were a pair of sunglasses. Amazing glare off the high sun and full snow cover on the plateau. Despite the air temperature being around freezing I was wearing just a base layer and light fleece, gloves and wooly hot stayed in the bag. Not a breath of wind and no footprints all the way along the plateau.
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| Full snow cover across the plateau |
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| Stunning views to Braeriach |
Fabulous strolling across to the summit of Ben Macdhui. Still no one seen. Very clear air and of course that superb view of the trio high summits across the Lairig Ghru; Cairn Toul, Sgorr an Lochan Uaine & Braeriach.
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| Lairig Ghru & Braeriach plateau |
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| What a view |
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| Garbh Choire Mor |
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| My favourite spot! |
What a day. I savoured this remote and beautiful place.
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| Loch A'an glory |
4pm and still bright sunshine. A brilliant time of year, it doesn't get dark until around 8pm in early April. So a leisurely saunter back over the plateau via the Northern Corries.
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| A distant Cairn Lochan |
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| A frozen Loch Etchachan & Beinn a Bhuird |
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| Hellsum Crag |
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| Feithe Buidhe |
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| A look back to Ben Macdui across Coire Domhain |
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| Loch Morlich |
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