Still wintry on Cairn Gorm

Stormy to the west

Late February and the Cairngorms don’t look very wintry from afar. Only patches of snow can be seen. But the lack of snow doesn’t mean a lack of winter high up as I found on a walk over Cairn Gorm.

Artificial snow slope

Lower down there really isn’t much snow. Just above the car park in Coire Cas a short strip of white stood out from the brown slopes, artificial snow made by the ugly snow machine whirring away noisily just below. Skiers queued for a drag lift to take them to the top of the slope. I’m sure they were having fun but it all looked rather sad.

Cairn Lochan

The ascent of the Fiacaill a’ Choire Chais was mostly on dry ground with only the occasional spot of snow or ice. But the ground was frozen and the cliffs of Coire an t-Sneachda and Coire an Lochain were white. I met many groups of climbers descending. Conditions were good, one told me. I met several more at the top of the ridge, removing crampons before the descent.

Stob Coire an t-Sneachda

The weather was calm with bursts of sunshine though out to the west thick clouds were boiling up. I’d had all clothing zips open and my head and hands bare on the ascent and I still felt a little too hot. The gentle but cold breeze blowing across the Cairngorm Plateau soon cooled me down when I stopped for a hot drink and a snack after the climb. Hat and gloves were soon on and all zips closed.

The Cairngorm Plateau

The Plateau was speckled, with much dark rock and gravel amidst patches of snow and ice. I could see tiny figures in the distance. Ben Macdui was in cloud. East was sunny and bright, west stormy and dark.

Icy!

Ice lay between the stones. Just below the western slopes of Cairn Gorm a wide band of it rippled over the ground, snow that had started to thaw and then frozen hard. Reaching it I decided it was time for crampons. I’d picked my way across the stones this far but that looked much more difficult here. The crampons gave their usual confidence. I stopped being so careful and headed straight up to the summit, the few deviations necessary were to avoid stones rather than ice.

Cairngorm Weather Station

The Cairngorm Weather Station was rather sparely clad in frost and ice. It’s often a mass of white at this time of year. A few people were sheltering behind it.

Beinn a' Bhuird

I had thought of staying on the summit for the sunset but out west the sky was dark and the clouds were approaching, Cairn Lochan now hidden. To the east it was still sunny, Beinn a’ Bhuird a long bright white wall of snow.

There was more snow on the north-east side of the mountain and I linked large patches quite a way down Sron an Aonaich (aka Windy Ridge) before they ran out and I stopped to remove my crampons.

Muirburn

Away to the north-east I could see a thick plume of smoke from muirburn on the flanks of the Cromdale Hills. This burning of heather, killing insects, reptiles and more, and preventing any other plants from growing just so rich people can enjoy slaughtering grouse always infuriates me. 

Stac na h-Iolaire

Much closer and better for my mood the low sun was turning snow free Stac na h-Iolaire golden brown and sent long rays across the slopes towards Ben Avon. Turning back I could see the clouds had reached Cairn Gorm. There would be no sunset up there.

View west

There was lower down though. Out west the sun shone below the clouds turning a narrow band of sky orange. Down in Strathspey mist was forming.

Mist in Strathspey

The sun made a brief appearance before setting, a last surge of colour. I reached the car without needing my headlamp, just.

Last of the sun