ROUTE: Followed the standard route as described in SMC Guide to The Munros. From Inshriach car park in Glen Feshie to Sgor Gaoith summit, returning via Sgoran Dubh Mor, Meall Buidhe, and Geal Charn.
MEMBERS OF PARTY: With my wife Marion.
CONDITIONS: Perfect winter conditions. Clear blue skies and sunshine, no wind. Snow level around 750m. Visibility probably exceeded 100km!
DURATION: 6 hours 15 minutes car to car.
SKILLS PRACTISED: Winter walking in snowy conditions. Crampons and Ice Axe carried, but not required - no bare ice or hard frozen snow encountered. Navigation straightforward with map alone in excellent visibility.
MOUNTAIN ENVIRONMENT: A stunning walk which progressed through native Scots Pine forest in the Invereshie and Inshriach NNR, through the transition at the treeline to "Krummholz" pines in heather and blaeberry heath, and finally wind-trimmed dwarf-shrub heath with Heather, Crowberry and Cladonia lichens, before the vegetation vanished under the snowfields. (A few shreds of Racomitrium moss occasionally peeked through the snow on the summit ridge). Perfect visibility to see the glacial landforms of Glen Eanaich and the western corries of Braeriach.
KEY LEARNING POINTS/CONTRIBUTION TO EXPERIENCE: A wonderful winter day - one of the most beautiful we've enjoyed in the Scottish hills. Reinforced the realisation that there is no need to travel outside of Britain to enjoy world-class mountain landscape experiences!
Area :
The Cairngorms
The Cairngorms are ‘a little piece of the arctic in Scotland’ according to the SMC Munros Guide and the area contains many of the tallest peaks in the East Highlands. Ben Macdui (1309m), Cairn Gorm (1244m) and Braeriach (1296) are probably three of the better known and the whole area is full of steep corries and high plateaux. Access to the mountains is typically from Aviemore or Braemar.
