Winter in the Cairngorms

Saturday

Training in crampon and ice axe use by Al and Rupert of Wild Adventures, just below Cairn Gorm. Rather chilly, and quite windy.
Walking up. Distant bloke. Big scenery below Cairn Gorm.
Some guy asks for directions. Rupert advises on finer
points of ice-axe use.		    
Robin. Mike, Andy as the wind gets up. In shelter for lunch.
Big scenery, little people... Toasty warm, thanks
to layer upon layer.		  
Panorama taken on the descent. Self portrait. Andy in a hole.
Digging shelters (AVI video)

Sunday

Walk up Geal-Charn via Coire Allt a'Mharcaidh (Ordnance Survey Grids NH857033 to 883045 to 895030 to 888007 to 875007 to 853013 (I think) in case you're interested. Write to me if I'm wrong and have inadvertently walked us all over a cliff). Clear, warmer than Saturday, less wind and better visibility. Wonderful.
Looking roughly west from the treeline on the way up. Awesomely beautiful.
Looking north and east in the valley on the way up.
Navigational conflab. Meet the other half of the group coming the other way. Rupert (dark
jacket and trousers, blue hood) does a passable Eagle-Eye Action Man impression.
Looking east from near the top.
Icicles in valley. Wallpaper fodder. Mike, Robin, Andy, me. Sunset.

Monday

Up Maell a'Bhuachaille with Simon, Julia and Clare. (Nitty details: start at car park grid ref NH978098 to col at 985116 to summit at 991116, descent to bothy at NJ006115 and return to start via valley track). Warm and calm, great visibility. Andy, Robin, Mike and Richard are off on Cairn Gorm.
Closeups of frozen stream near the treeline.
Looking south to Cairn Gorm after leaving the treeline.
Looking north and west from the col between Maell a'Bhucaille and Creagan Gorm.
Creagan Gorm is the summit on the left hand side.
Loch Morlich Shelter at summit. Ice on shelter stones. Simon enjoys lunch.
Descent down eastern side of Maell a'Bhucaille
toward Ryvoan Bothy. Clare and Julia lead, Simon
follows, I'm limping behind with a sore knee (ow). 		Mirror-calm reflective lake.

Tuesday

Fairly foul weather, combined with people's assorted aches and pains in shins and knees and toes prevent any escapade to altitude. Gentle pottering around a lake, eating of cake, drinking of tea and other traditional holiday activities are undertaken. On Tuesday, I mainly took close-up pictures of lichens, mosses and tree bark. Though I say so myself, I think some of them came out really quite well.
Loch an Eilein, and its tiny ruined castle. A bull.
Tree. Bark (Scots Pine?) Lichen on wet bark. Lichen on fence rail.
Lichen on fence post. Assorted lichens growing on rocks...  
      Red spotted lichen.
Album index. Front page