Cairngorm

7 November 2011

Participants - Neil, Steven and Ben
Where - Cairngorm, 1245m, Munro, Map 36

You don't get many days like this in November, or any other month in 2011 come to think of it! Clear blue skies and perfect visibility and hardly any wind. It was just a pity that daylight hours are getting short and as I had to drive home afterwards, the objective had to be a hill that we could be up and down in a few hours. Cairngorm and part of the Northern corries fitted the bill exactly.

We drove up to the Coire Cas car park and set off up the main track to the Ptarmigan. I had the notion to come back down on the railway so took a picture of the train going up.....

 The main track is a bit boring so after passing the upper buildings, we headed for the Fiacall a'Choire Chais which was broad and stony and led up the west side of the corrie to its top at 1141m. This was a very easy way up but got us away from the ski area and provided ever widening views into and beyond Coire an t-Sneachda.....

We paused for a bit at the cairn at the top of the ridge. This is a favourite viewpoint of mine; coming up this way it provides a first view into the main range as well as the distant views to the north and west. Today we could easily make out Morven in Caithness and whole ranges of hills beyond Ben Wyvis; unfortunately they are so distant that my photographs don't do them justice.....

It was far too early in the day to go to the summit so we dropped down to the col for a wander along the top of Coire an t-Sneachda as far as the high point at 1176m. From here, we could glimpse the tops of Cairn Toul and the Angels Peak.....

look across the plateau to Ben Macdui (this one taken on a previous visit; the sun was in the wrong place today).....

look south over the top of Carn Etchachan to Loch Etchachan and Derry Cairngorm.....

and round to Beinn Mheadhoin.....

The latter brought back memories of days when I climbed Cairngorm, dropped down the back to Loch Avon to visit the Shelter Stone, climbed Beinn Mheadhoin and then came back either the same way or via the Saddle. Wouldn't be able to do that now! Today, we simply retraced our steps to the col and climbed the stony west slopes of Cairngorm.....

Here is a summit pic, looking down to Glenmore.....

Not far from the cairn is the weather station, I noted that it said that the wind speed here had reached 176 mph one February day.....

I suppose that the train ride down is a bit expensive- £7.50 for an adult and £1 for a dog- but it is a bit of an adventure and I think worth doing if only because it is a different and unique Scottish hill experience. Dogs had to travel in the standing only compartment at the back of the carriage (with their owners of course); I suppose you could say therefore that I ended up in the dog house! Here are a couple of views through the window; glad that that deer missed us!!!......

The sun was getting low in the sky as we drove back past Loch Morlich so I stopped and took a picture of where we had been, and also looking across the loch towards Glen Einich.....

They summed up the day perfectly.