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| Sgor Gaoith & Loch Einich |
Sometimes the weather and underfoot conditions conspire to
make a walk a little harder and more challenging than expected. Such was the
case a couple of days ago when I headed up Sgor Gaoith from Glen Feshie. The
forecast suggested light winds, a little sunshine, a bit of cloud, good
visibility, no precipitation, freezing temperatures. The last was correct.
Underfoot I had no idea what to expect other than some remaining snow after a
couple of days of a slow thaw.
The temperature at home was -5°C and there was a thick frost
as I set off for the Cairngorms. There’d been no change in temperature when I
arrived in Glen Feshie. The tree-shaded parking area in the glen was slick with
ice and a thick ribbon of the stuff covered the track through the trees.
Reluctant to put on crampons – micro spikes would have been better – I hugged
the edge of the ice, my trekking poles stopping the occasional slip from
becoming a fall. Higher up the ice turned to crunchy snow and the going became
a little easier.
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| The track in the forest |
Eventually the track became a path and the path grew thinner
and thinner until it faded away altogether on a snow and heather covered
hillside. More snow and it would have been crampons and ice axe but although
there were extensive patches there were also big sections of heather with only
a little snow on top that I broke through with every step. Crampons would have
been a liability here. Zigzagging erratically across the slope I linked the
heather, where a fall wouldn’t have meant a slide, with smaller snow patches
where I wouldn’t slide very far.
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| Extensive snowfields remain after the thaw |
Once the terrain eased off and I reached the broad ridge
south of Sgor Gaoith the snow was just about continuous. It was quite firm and walking
was now easy, the easiest of the whole day in fact. However the bitter wind
made it feel extremely cold and bands of damp cloud swept over me, adding to
the chill. Most of the peaks were shrouded but Sgor Gaoith itself was
cloud-free and I was thrilled yet again with the tremendous view 600 metres down
the shattered cliffs to Loch Einich. I will never tire of this view.
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| Sgor Gaoith |
I didn’t linger though. There’s no shelter on the tiny
summit and the wind was strengthening. The Peak of the Winds was living up to
its name. I headed north for Sgoran Dubh Mor but on reaching the low point
between the two peaks decided climbing it in the cloud and wind wasn’t worth
the effort. Instead I turned off for the wide rocky ridge that runs over the
two subsidiary tops of Meall Buidhe and Geal Charn. The stones were slippery
with frost and ice and the patches of snow a mix of breakable crust that wouldn’t
hold my weight and icy refrozen snow that was as hard as rock. The south-west
wind was strengthening and pushing me sideways as I stumbled over the
unforgiving ground. On Geal Charn I was in the densest mist of the day, a grey
cloud that hovered over the grey frost and refrozen-snow covered rocks, an
eerie scene.
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| On Geal Charn |
Descending from Geal Charn I plunged into the most difficult
terrain of the day. Deep heather and soft snow made the walking arduous and
treacherous. I never knew how deep each step would go. Despite trying to avoid
hollows and channels that might hold water I suddenly plunged in over my knee
with one leg and felt the cold icy water rush into my boot. I stumbled on as
darkness fell, heading for the relief of the outward path. My wet foot didn’t
feel too cold until I reached the car. I had dry shoes but had neglected to
bring dry socks. By the time I reached home my foot was painfully cold. I won’t
forget the socks again!
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| Dusk |
Despite the weather and the tough terrain, or maybe because
of them, it had been a satisfying day. A familiar walk had become unfamiliar
and a surprising test. It’s always good when that happens.
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