EASTER IN THE HIGHLANDS, MEANS WINTER

 

Snowshoeing, Good Friday

The weather has been quite fine over the Easter period. We've had a top up of snow and the weather was settled from  Easter Friday until Easter Monday, perfect timing for the Easter weekend.  Now we seem to be in a run of grey, low cloud days but the temperatures up on the high Cairngorms are below freezing and we've got lots of fabulous snow here in The Cairngorms. Plenty of time to get that last minute winter skills course or a guided ascent of the big hills in this part of the Highlands. If you're just out of winter hibernation then maybe freshen up on some Navigation? I run navigation courses throughout the year.

I've had a good variety of guided trips during the Easter holiday period.

Friday I was running a snowshoeing day for Monica & Michael. They only booked 3 days prior to their chosen day out with me. It was a glorious day with very little breeze, lots of snow down to 800m and some fabulous  sunny spells, much better than all the forecasts indicated. We had the snowshoes on our feet for 90% of the day. It was also one of the very few days this winter when I didn't have my waterproofs on at any point during the day!

Great conditions for snowshoeing

Lunch at the finest viewpoint in the Cairngorms

Snowshoes on virtually all day

Plenty of blue skies and sun

Excellent snow-cover across the plateau

On Saturday I was guiding Mark on a mountain hare photography workshop. The weather in the middle of the day was fine, then a couple of big downpours in the afternoon. We had a couple of great sightings. Most of the hares are still well and truly in their winter pelage. More snow to come tomorrow so still time to get some winter images, with the hares still predominately white and hopefully some snowy backgrounds.

Still white and still some snow, even at 700m

Snow showers over the Cairngorms

On Sunday and into Monday I was running an intro to wild camping. What better area to head to than the fabulous Fisherfield Forest. A stunning, bright and sunny Sunday with warm temperatures at lower altitudes. Nice to be wearing summer lightweight boots as we were only walking up to about 400m so no snow around. Still it was a chilly evening and morning. 

Great camspot

View from the kitchen

Evening sunset over Slioch

Sunset behind Slioch

Sunset on the last day of March

The skies were clear at first light on the 1st April but the cloud was thickening out to the East and a dull day from 10am onwards. We managed to see the fabulous Belt of Venus at dawn.

Belt of Venus behind A' Mhaighdean

Cloud starting to envelop Slioch by 8am

On Tuesday I had the pleasure to take the lovely Kuradagi family out into the snowy Cairngorms. This was the very first time they had all stepped on snow and their first visit to Scotland. We covered many essential winter skills such as Snow Angels, building snowmen, throwing snowballs accurately, digging snowholes and rolling down snow. 

The Kuradagi family, first steps in snow

Making snowholes, great fun at 6 years of age, or 60 years of age!

Snow above 800m in Coire an t-Sneachda

Whilst it's great fun in easy angles snow just 1 hour from the carpark, it is very different high up on the mountains. Have you got the skills for winter? Last chance before Spring really arrives at the beginning of May. Or maybe not, maybe winter will linger on and on :)