David Pickering - 477593

Cairngorm Plateau - 2 Day Solo Journey with Wild Camp - Day 2: Started the day from the wild camp in the saddle between 'The Devil's Point' and Stob Coire An t-Saighdeir. After a rough night of gusting strong winds and rain blasting the tent, checking periodically throughout the night to ensure no water was raising into the tent, woke and dressed, and packed the rucksack before exiting the tent as it was driving rain. (I love my Fjallraven Abisco 1 Lite for its light weight, Four Season capability, weather resilience, and small pack down size, but as for getting dressed and packing inside, it seems not much bigger than a coffin). I was still able to boil water for a boil in the bag breakfast by hovering over the stove to keep the flame from blowing out. Then packed up the tent by keeping one end staked to keep it from blowing away. Visibility was poor, varying between 20m to 50m. This was the start of the most miserable, (albeit good experience) day I have experienced in the mountains. From start to finish I was walking in gale force winds. I am very familiar with the feel of wind speeds as I usually carry a Kestrel hand held weather station, which includes a wind meter, and have clocked wind speeds to 56mph in the past (on Cwm Idwal - a squall line racing across Llyn Idwal that knocked me off my feet when the meter registered 56mph before I was knocked over.) And I was also a precision long range rifle competitor in the past (thus the Kestrel). So I feel I can judge wind speeds pretty well, and the winds where average 40 to 45 mph, with gusts over 50 mph, in clouds, mist and light rain, that was occasionally sleet. I took only 1 photo all day. There were just no views to shoot, and the 'summits' on the west ridge above the Lairig Ghru were difficult to even identify going over them. They were basically boulder fields. The terrain on the plateau is non-descript even if there had been good visibility. Below is a photo comparison of the visibility on the previous evening compared to the visibility in the morning.

The biggest challenge, besides just pushing through the hours of walking in gale force winds, was navigating the extensive boulder fields in low visibility, driving rain, and non-descript terrain on the plateau. Being solo I could not send someone out ahead to maintain a bearing. And walking carefully over boulders while being blasted with gale force winds did not lend itself to continuously following a compass bearing. I had to take periodic bearings when I got to flat ground. There was only one occasion when I did get off course. It can be seen near the summit of Braeraich, which was covered by extensive boulder fields. I went off about 45 degrees west for 100 or so meters and noted the terrain start to drop off, which was not right. I was able to adjust using a back bearing and once out of the boulder filed ran into a flat patch with an obvious path, which confirmed I back in the center of the plateau.

From the wild camp site I pushed on a northerly track over Cairn Toul (1,291m), Sgor an Lochain Uaine (1,258m), and Braeriach (1,296m), Sron na Lairige (1,184m) until dropping off the plateau to the east and back down to Lairig Ghur, crossing the Dee, and then ascending up to Chalamain Gap. The most difficult boulder field was saved for last. The maps gave no warning as to the massive boulders to cross at the end with knackered legs, but made it over to the lovely path that led all the way to the Horseshow parking lot. I checked my GPS at this point. Curious as to time and distance and noted that it was about out of battery, so I turned it off at that point, though I still had the final ascent up to the Cairngorm Mountain Ski parking lot.

Total Time: 8 hours, 14 minutes; Total Distance: 20.41km; Total Ascent: 1,418m

Weather: Reviewed weather forecasts from Met Office 'Specialist Forecast' for Aviemore and Cairngorm summit. Also tracked MWIS forecast and the regular 'Fleeting View' reports. A review of the Synoptic Charts showed a low pressure moving across the UK with a High Pressure moving in from the Atlantic. Weather for Day 2, reviewed before I departed at the start, had called for rain all day and winds to 35mph. So I expected wind and rain. However, there is a big difference between 35 mph and 40+ mph with gusts above 50mph, especially when you walk in that weather for 9 hours straight. That was not in the forecast. The Cairngorm Plateau is known for these gale force winds though and winds have been clocked as high as 170 mph.

Navigation Planning: This was an entirely new area for me. Started planning with the OS Maps App on my computer to assess and plan the detailed routes. Printed the route maps and laminated A4 size maps for the journey to leave at home with my wife, and carried them with me. Carried a Harvey Superwalker XT25 1:25000 "Cairngorm & Ben Avon" map as my primary. Also carried and compared a Harvey/BMC 1:40,000 map "Cairngorms & Lochnagar" as backup. I found I used the laminated OS maps (printed in four sections to have the print large enough for good detail) because they were the easiest to use in the strong to gale force winds.

Safety and Risk: I carried my First Aid Kit and my Garmin InReach Mini, with a 'Professional' level subscription. Since I was solo I did not carry my group shelter or blizzard bag as I was carrying a tent and sleeping bag. I also left a copy of the route plan at home with my wife. The ground (rock) under foot was mostly wet from rain and marshy ground, and there was a lot of loose rock and boulders to scramble over, and a regular steep descents. Care and attention to footing was important. I have started carrying and using walking poles. These were critical in the gale force winds with a sail of a backpack on my back, crossing extensive boulder fields in low visibility. Risk was assessed as Low during planning, but I would say in hind sight it was Moderate when scrambling over boulder fields of wet rock in low visibility. Extra care was taken.