
Skills day. Ski road closed so walked from bottom car park along forestry tracks to ski centre. From ski centre followed t-sneachda path to east side of coire. Deployed rope and practiced steep ground management & anchors, to summit 1141m. Buried axe made difficult with hard ice beneath recent freeze/thaw crust. Snowpack felt well consolidated and freeze/thawed on west facing aspects but when returning down from 1141 there was lots of windslab and recent snowfall on easterly side, due to south westerly and westerly winds throughout the day. Gusts of up to 80mph were experienced and walking conditions were tough. Ice axe arresting was practiced briefly during descent. Walk back to lower car park made for a total journey time of 6hours+
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.