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| Ben Macdui |
December is usually a gloomy month - dark, stormy and bereft of sunshine and light. This year though some of the finest days since last spring are occuring this month, a relief after the wet summer and autumn. Today I went up Cairn Gorm on a cold, calm and sunny day. The sky was streaked with dramatic clouds. Even on the summit the air was still and people were relaxing and enjoying the sunshine - unheard of in December - and admiring the spectacular views.
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| Cairm Gorm |
I skied down the unspoilt, hidden south side of Cairn Gorm - a lovely descent on perfect snow - to the edge of the crags above Loch Avon. Ahead, beyond the deep trench that holds the loch, the mountains stretched out, white and pristine. Early afternoon and there was already colour in the sky.
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| View south from the slopes of Cairn Gorm |
From Stac an Fharaidh there was a dramatic view down to the partly frozen loch. The eastern end was a mass of fractured ice but in the centre there were big ice floes and open water, creating an unusual pattern.
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| Loch Avon |
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| Loch Avon |
The pictures look breath taking. I am currently living outside of the UK at the moment in Australia (yes it is extremely hot at Xmas) and this has made me feel quite homesick. I am not familiar with the Scottish mountains only the Welsh ones, but I have made a promise to myself when I am back home I am going to do a tour of Scotland.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! What ski / binding / boot combo do you use Chris? Might want to invest if we get a snowy winter.
ReplyDeleteRegards
My skis are Tua Hydrogens - a long gone brand and model. Bindings are Rottefella Riva II cables, boots Garmont Excursions.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteStunning photos, Chris ! Yes, it has been an unusual December so far ...
ReplyDeleteChris - great photos, slightly baffled with the two of Loch Avon - the second of them includes Stacan Dubha, and looks to be open water with ice sheets, yet the first looking north east where the outflow is, shows the loch frozen over. More snow than this time last year, I reckon.
ReplyDeleteDavid
Thanks for the comments. David, yes the two Loch Avon pics don't seem to match!But that's what it was like. The south-west end of the loch was frozen too. There was more snow than this time last year.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really beautiful photo of Ben Macdui. I particularly like the play of light on the snow in the right foreground.
ReplyDeleteHi Chris,
ReplyDeleteI love the west side photo of Loch Avon. Well done!
Alastair