TARMACHAN MOUNTAINEERING: HEATWAVE, BIG MUNRO DAYS, NAVIGATION & WILDLIFE

A very hot period all across the Highlands the last week or so. With very little wind on the summits it has been a t-shirt job most days up high. A busy wee work period for me with big, adventures on the Munros taking in superb scenery away from trade routes, Navigation Courses and Wildlife photography days out with clients. A catch up on where I've been with groups recently.

TUESDAY 13 JULY

A fab day with the Mountain Hares. This wee fella I had the privilege to spend 2 hours with in the sunshine. He gave the full works. Stretching, yawning and 'high 4's.

Yawning and smiling

High 4

Cool and relaxed

Time for food

Adorable

Another yawn

Licking toes

WEDNESDAY 14 JULY

Lynne enjoying Angel's Ridge

I was guiding Lynne for a couple of days in the Cairngorms. I have guided her on many Munros, Corbetts and Graham's over the years. She has completed 3 rounds of Munros, 2 rounds of Corbetts and all the Graham's! So she has a heap load of experience. She was keen to gain the Braeriach plateau via Angel's Ridge, a route she has never done to the third highest mountain in the UK.

Lairig Ghru

Angel's Ridge is a very easy scramble, you can avoid virtually all of it by walking around the harder bits. It finishes right at the summit of Sgor an Lochain Uaine. A perfect way to bag this Munro. Lynne is also a very keen botanist. On the route up from the An Garbh shelter to the lochan we found many wonderful plants including Arctic Mouse ear and possibly the highest recorded Red Campion growing at an altitude of over 1050m!

Mossy Saxifrage

Red Campion at 1050m!

Arctic Mouse ear

Ben Macdui from high up

Garbh Choire Mor

On Angel's Ridge

Lochain Uaine

The snow patches in the Garbh Choire Mor

It's a long walk in to the Garbh Choire Mor. Made easier and quicker with a bike up to the start of the Lairig Ghru which is what we did. A stunning day, warm sunshine and very little wind.

The top of Angel's Ridge

On the Braeriach plateau

Angel's Ridge in profile

Lots of Moss Campion on the plateau

Garbh Coire Mor & Macdui

Cairn Toul & Lairig Ghru

Gorgeous evening

It was a glorious early evening. We extended the day by descending off Braeriach and down into Loch Coire an Lochain. A top day out.

Loch Coire an Lochain

THURSDAY 15 JULY

The summit tors of Ben Avon

Another big day out on the hill with Lynne. Ben Avon is one of the remotest of the Cairngorm Munros, most folk gaining its summit from the South, the easiest and fastest route. A finer way of reaching this mountain is from the Tomintoul and following the River Avon to gain the huge plateau. There is an excellent 4 WD track all the way to the foot of the hill. A great bike ride in. It was a glorious morning.

Excellent track on the bike in

River Avon

Beautiful low level scenery

Empty trail

Beautiful pools, and no Fairy Pool crowds

The bike ride in is very easy with excellent tracks, half of it on tarmach. After dumping the bikes it's an excellent trail up to the huge Ben Avon plateau. It's a long way across to the main summit, passing by lots of granite tors with some being Muro Tops.

Lots of granite tors

The 2 hour walk across the high plateau gives a real taste of space. It's also the largest area of high ground in the British Isles. Many km's of Arctic Tundra above 900m or more. We spotted 6 Ptarmigan and 1 human. The only human we saw all.day!

The summit tor

Playing around on the rocks

The summit

Place to ourselves

Eventually you see the highest point of the mountain. To gain the summit tors requires some short and very easy scrambling.

Wild corries

Another excellent day, excellent company and stunning weather.

Heading home, Alpine trails and weather

FRIDAY 16 JULY

Goat Track

Final day with Lynne this week. A very knowledgable botanist so she was keen to get into some of the Cairngorms corries to seek out some rareties, top of her list Highland Saxifrage. Unfortunately we didn't see it but had a brilliant day seeing many other wonderful plants and flowers.

Pyrenian Scurvey Grass

Best view in The Cairngorms

Snow lingering

Starry Saxifrage

It was another hot day.

Cairngorm plateau

Dwarf Cornel

SATURDAY 17 JULY

Rachel, her sister and friends were on a 2 day Navigation Course. Unfortunately it was another clear skies day. When you want oud you don't get it! We went into the more featureless areas of the Northern Cairngorms.

Pathless terrain

Map and compass

Navigation to the snow

It was actually a very windy day on the tips with winds of over 40mph. Unusual for Summer.

Not a Google map app in sight

Route selection

SUNDAY 18 JULY

Day 2 for Rachel and family/ friends on their bespoke Navigation Course. We headed to the Glenfeshie mountains. Lots more pathless terrain.

Pathless at 500m

Featureless

The ladies, top navigators

Sgor Gaoithe

MONDAY 20 JULY

Very hot weather. Far nicer in the late afternoon and early evening. A great time to head our and the crowds have gone.

Glorious evening

TUESDAY 21 JULY

More clear skies and hot sun

Yet another day of very hot weather. No breeze on the summits and temperatures properly high teens at 1000m. A day of Ptarmigan Photography for Geoff. We went into an area were there was a good opportunity to see and photograph these wonderful birds. We were not disappointed.

Our route over to the South side of Cairn Gorm

Hot

Enough water for these to flourish

WEDNESDAY 22 JULY

More hot weather

Another hot day, another late afternoon wander to photograph the Mountain Hare. Its certainly been a hot period but strangely not many butterflies around this summer. Maybe its too do with the cold and snowy late Spring? Nice to see some today and Dragonflies.