GUIDED WALKING & WILDLIFE

Juvenile ptarmigans

I was out again with Duncan & Joanne who I guided last week in Torridon for two days. Today we were out in my local Cairngorm hills and they brought along their friends, John & Sarah. They were after a nice walk with great views and some wildlife watching opportunities along the way. As always with Tarmachan Mountaineering, I offer bespoke days out geared towards what the customer wants. One reason I have not gone down the road of 'click and collect' trips which seem in vogue at the moment. A huge part of guiding folk in the hills is offering a personal service. Very rarely do I put groups of individuals together and run a bog standard day on a set route up to a Munro.

Windy on the tops and at the carpark 

An extra layer or two required 

It was a lovely bright sunshine morning but this soon faded as the cloud drifted in from the Southerly winds. It was also very windy, not the norm for a summers day but of course this is the Cairngorms and they are the windiest hills in the UK. At least there was never going to be an issue with midges, that's forsure.

Hillwalking relitively new for Sarah

Fiacaill Buttress and ridge

Sarah and John a relitively new to hillwalking and never been to the Scottish hills. Living in the New Forest it's a long way up to this part of the world. They were loving the scenery and had already climbed a Munro on Monday,  Mullach Clach a Bhair at Glenfeshie.  We headed onto the Cairngorm plateau via Coire an t-sneachda and then up the Goat Track. In the coire in was well sheltered from the Southerly winds so a respite.

Ptarmigan, juvenile 

Mum and her offspring 

We had a lovely half hour or so before heading up high with a family of Ptarmigan. Hen and her 4 juveniles amongst the granite boulders. The masters of camouflage. I've been seeing this family the last few days so good to see they're doing well.

Ever watchful mum

Keeping an eye out

Some nice cloudscapes at times, the wind creating some dran put clouds up high.

Alladin's Buttress 

Cairn Gorm and Coire an t-sneachda 

We savoured the shelter and the wonderful flora, high up in Sneachda. There were also a couple of juvenile snowbunting on the cliffs.

Arctic Mousear 

Alpine Scurvey Grass 

No wind here

Up on the plateau it wasn't actually that windy, 40mph probably. We sat and had lunch in Coire Domhain,  sheltered from the winds again. Joining us were about a dozen Reindeer.

Reindeer at Coire Domhain 

 After grazing with the Reindeer we went to the finest viewpoint in the Cairngorms, above Loch Avon.

Coire Domhain snowpatch

Reindeer.

Grazing reindeer

Windy here again

Threatening skies

Heading back to the carpark we had the winds on our backs so much easier going. Dark outside and a spot of rain on the plateau came to nothing.

Shelter again in Coire an Lochain 

Autumn shades beginning 

Sunny again in the late afternoon