SNOW AT EASTER

 

Still dressed for winter

I ran my penultimate (scheduled) winter skills course on Easter Sunday. Friends dave & Humza have been busy with work all winter but they finally got time to book onto a late winter course with me.

Dave & Humza, axe and crampons essential just now

Dave & Humza were out with Tarmachan Mountaineering for a 1 day winter skills in the Cairngorms. It was a bit breezy today with 40-60mph SE winds which always provide almost the same speeds down to lower levels. We battled through the headwinds to get into the coire. On the way we bumped into and chatted to Cathy ( one of the SAIS avalanche assessors), we saw hardly any other folk.

Humza enjoying the limited sun

Thankfully it was almost calm in the coire. The limited snow has been freezing up nicely overnight the last week or so. So if you're venturing out in the Cairngorms you'll definitely need crampons.

Plenty of useful snow to cover plenty of essential skills. We also discussed some avalanche awareness and assessment as part of your plans heading out in winter.

Windy high up, we were well sheltered in this location

We even managed some Mountain Hare Photography. The lads work in the Photography business and brought along decent enough telephoto lenses to capture some nice shots of a lovely we hare who sits in a specific place in the coire.

Good banter and fun with two keen guys travelling all the way up from Glasgow for the day.

My last SCHEDULED winter course this season is next Friday. If you want to make the last of the snow it's looking hopeful, we are back to more low temperatures and a top up of snowfall into next week.

Dave demonstrating the self belay

In the Cairngorms we regularly have plenty of snow right through most of April of course. By this time in April  everyone seems to be in their 'summer mode', despite the hills being cold, wintry and full of big areas of snow. I've one more course next weekend. It's never too late to get some winter fun, now's your chance. Looking quite cold and some heavy snowfall on Wednesday. 

Just catching up on my blog which I've been neglecting with plenty of days out and about recently Here's a few images from the last week or so.

Deer starting to moult

Pink footed Geese

Mo Charaid, enjoying some greenery and sunshine

Northern Corries of Braeriach

Red Grouse

Camouflage amongst the lichen for this wee guy

Some mountain hares are well into their Spring coats

....but Mo Charaid is still in his winter pelage

Atmospheric clouds

Peregrine high above the Cairngorms 

Reindeer enjoying the sunshine

Female Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia)

Buzzard

Loch Maree Islands from the summit of Slioch

Mountain Hare high in the Cairngorms

Mountain Hare at 270m, the lowest altitude hare I have photographed 

Osprey are back