BRAERIACH TO CAIRN TOUL - FINAL WINTER TRAVERSE?

Sgurr an Lochain Uaine and Ben Macdui

Garbh Coire Mor

Ben Macdui from summit of Sgurr an Lochain Uaine (Angels Peak)

Looking west from summit of Cairn Toul

Angels Ridge

With a small weather window before more wind and showers and cloud I headed up Glen Einaich today and in pursuit of possibly my final 'winter' traverse of Braeriach to Cairn Toul. This is the finest high level mountain walk in the UK and even more so in winter conditions. The high winds this morning were due to ease so with the bike in to Loch Einich this killed some time to let the gales die. The cloud soon broke up by mid morning and the forecasts were spot on, mid morning and there was a definite easing in the SW  winds. So a 'Cairn Gorm breeze' of about 40mph was just tolerable. There was some rime ice on the exposed rocks but in general the snow was pretty soft making it hard going but as always an absolute joy on this high level roller coaster. Still a good covering of snow and Cairn Toul was easy, rather than the summer conditions of boulders to negotiate. I saw no one all day, only a couple of stags jumping across the Einich track in front of the bike! So with warmer and wetter conditions maybe this will be the last full 'winter travesre' for me, this season.

THE LAST DAY OF WINTER?

Walking in the river bed, Braeriach behind

Lurchers Crag

Mountain hare just starting to get into Spring colours

It was another sub zero night and clear. frosty morning in The Cairngorms. A temperature inversion first thing this morning but by mid morning the southerlies were bringing cloud to the higher summits and a freshening/strong wind on the tops. Karen and I were thinking of walking the Lairig Ghru right through to Linn of Dee but that comes with problems-getting back home! No public transport and a high taxi fare back round decided the day! With fantastic snow all the way through the lairig it was just as spectacular to get up to the high point at the Pools of Dee. I think by the end of tomorrow there will be running water where we were walking on today! So maybe the last cold and low snow cover day in The Highlands? With double digit temperatures tomorrow and next few day a lot of snow will be heading into The Dee and Spey!

BRAERIACH, COIRE BROCHAIN

The Lairig Ghru well filled with snow

Ice hanging on at Lurcher's Crag

Not much in the way of views today, a near white out shortly after this

Deep snow in the burn bed

The plan for today was to head up to Coire Brochain, one of the spectacular coire's on Braeriach's Eastern face. By the time I'd got up to the Pools of Dee at the top of The Lairig Ghru the clag had set in and near white out. For such a wonderful place I decided to leave it for a sparkling clear day! Amazingly the whole of the burn bed in the Lairig has a complete cover of snow of around 1-2 metres in depth. It was an absolute joy to plod up this, most of the snow being hard and crunchy. It felt much warmer today with the moderate Southerly wind, Looks set for the big melt down on Sunday with double digit temperatures and rain/strong winds. So the start to the end of winter?

CAIRNGORMS, FEELING LIKE MID WINTER!

Beinn Mheadhoin  & Carn Etchacan, Shelter Stone Crag

A quiet Coire an t-sneachda

No one on The Vent for a while!

The Coire an Lochain cliffs

Coire an Lochain in afternoon sun

Fresh windslab

A bitterly cold SE blowing across the Cairngorms today making it feel more like a mid winters day. There was a fair bit of drifting snow, even at lower altitudes. The morning started off cloudy with just the odd break in the clouds, by mid day there were big breaks in the clouds and some fine sunshine once more. Plan was to go up the big Grade 1 gully to the right of Carn Etchacan  but the last couple of days of snow showers and strong winds as produced a fair bit of new wind slab, even at lower altitudes, always another day. I dropped down into the Loch Avon basin were there was some shelter from the wind, as well as great scenery. On the way home I enjoyed the sun on my face making it feel a tad warmer and less frost nip on my nose! Saw only one other soul on the hill today, so quiet.  No sign of Spring on the mountains yet! :)

A PLEASANT DAY ON SGORR GAOITHE

A very pleasant day afternoon on Sgorr Gaoithe. There were a few snow showers down to Aviemore level first thing this morning but by mid morning there was some blue skies. A nice bike ride up Glen Feshie and no one on the hill today. A cold, moderate wind making it feel very much like winter still.

PINNACLE GULLY, SHELTER STONE CRAG, ANOTHER STUNNING ALPINE DAY :)

The Shelter Stone Crag

The Shelter Stone & Pinnacle Gully

Top of Castle Gates Gully & Carn Etchacan

Nearing the top of Pinnacle Gully with the obvious Forefinger Pinnacle

Loch Avon basin and Shelter Stone to the right

Looking down, mine the only prints :)

Looking east from the gully

I was pleased I made my own weather forecast today by looking out the window and going by what has happened in the last few days- blue, blue skies! I wandered over toward the Loch Avon basin and fancied climbing Pinnacle Gully which lies to the side of the marvellous Shelter Stone Crag, what a wonderful position. The route down from the plateau to Loch Avon is amazing, normally this time of year there would be running water from the Feithe Buidhe & Uisge Beag but at the moment it is just heavy snow cover. When I got to the foot of the gully I was so pleased as completely untrodden. The snow was wonderful and a great, if awkward finish on some ice and rocks ( I took the right hand branch from the Pinnacle). A couple of skiers went down just as I was topping out, the only folk I saw since leaving the Cas area. A stunningly beautiful day, no winds and another glowing face!

WINTER STILL IN THE LAIRIG GHRU

A snowy Lairig Ghru

Braeriach

Lurcher's Crag

Cairn Gorm from just above the Chalamain Gap

Despite a forecast of cloudy skies over the Cairngorms today, it was another glorious afternoon with beautiful blue skies and warm sun. I had a quick blast on the bike up to The Lairig Ghru, for the second time this week I was halted by deep soft snow at 450m! There is an amazing amount of low snow still, the path junction where the Chalamain Gap path comes down to the Lairig path has over 1 metre of snow still! I'd imagine it to be hard going in the deep soft snow for a walk through the entire Lairig Ghru. For anyone who has had their Easter weeks holiday up in The Highlands they will be going home very happy bunnies!

TRUELY ALPINE DAY ON BRAERIACH

Cairn Toul from the summit of Braeriach

Glen Einich still holding snow at low altitudes

The North corries of Braeriach

600m of neve! Sgurr Gaoithe in the distance

The summit

Ben Macdui from the summit

For regular viewers of this blog you may have noticed that I've used the word 'Alpine' quite a few times this winter, especially just recently with all this glorious weather and snow conditions we've been enjoying. Well today I have to say that it really was 'Alpine'. I had a very leisurely 11.15am start and headed off on the bike from the house up the track to Loch Einaich. The skies were completely blue by this time, very little breeze and feeling much warmer down at glen level. I hit the snow quite low down, around 400m on the track which was fun but then the drifts and ice got more awkward so it was much easier to walk! The views into the glen and up to Braeriach were superb. It was down to base layer in the hot snow. For over 600m I enjoyed neve to the summit, linking up all the superb, well filled in gully's and stream beds. The views amazing, the best day on Braeriach this winter. Not a breath of wind on the summit and wonderful clarity. I made the summit in 3 hours 25 minutes from the house, the neve helped! A fab run down on the bike with the odd icy patch to skid on! Days don't get much better than this. Please winter don't go away!

A QUIET SNEACHDA AND GREAT WINTER CONDITIONS

Rob & Ted enjoying a fine pic nic spot in Coire an t-sneachda

Excellent neve below the Fiacaill Buttess

Serious run outs on hard neve

Fiacaill Buttress

The guys enjoying getting on the ridge

The locals wondering when it's Spring

Cold, sunny, excellent snow - it's becoming the norm on The Cairngorms. Rob & Ted were out with me on day two of their course. Today we got loads covered. Some ice axe arresting first thing this morning then we moved from the foot of the Fiacaill Ridge and into Coire an t-sneachda. After a recap on basic movement on snow and ice we tackled some ice bulges and Rob's earlier training on axe arresting came in handy as he took a wee slip but recovered well. After lunch we had a look at analysing snow pits and found that there is some consolidation taking place but very variable, the Goat Track didn't look appealing despite two parties descending it. We found some excellent neve to practice steep ground below the Fiacaill Buttress. Then we made our way to the notch on the Fiacaill Ridge, easily avoiding the odd bit of small wind slab patches. A fine day and a wee bit milder than yesterday with hardly a breeze on the tops and another cold week to come, winter hanging on! Sympathies to Andy who had suffered with a pair of hired old plastic boots which gave him a lot of jip yesterday and his feet were well bruised. It really is worth investing in a pair of new winter boots - that fit well!

ANOTHER EGGZELLENT DAY

The guys heading up the twin burns area from Coire an Lochain

Fabulous cornices on the Lochain cliffs

Not much climbing activity at Coire an Lochain, I wonder why?

Looking over to The Shelter Stone Crag

Braeriach beyond

Coire an t-sneachda from Cairn Gorm

Fab views on Cairn Gorm

Another eggzellent day to be out on the hills, blue skies and lots of snow. Rob, John and Ted are with me for a two day course. We headed into Coire an Lochain for a run through on axe and crampons and then we had a wonderful day of views and sun as we made our way over the Northern Corries. Stunning! I'll let the photos say it all.