BEST NEVE SO FAR THIS SEASON

Carol enjoying the neve and sun

Fiacaill Buttress looking fine

Great snow for step cutting

Brilliant neve for crampons

Mess of Potage

Alladin's Buttress

Windy Col

Beinn Meadhoin

Cairn Gorm

It was another very cold day on the Cairngorms. Summit temperatures around minus 7 degrees with a high windchill. Carol is out with me over this weekend on a 4 day winter course. Completely new to winter hillwalking. What a day to start off your career in winter mountains! Stunning morning with lots of sunshine. Coire an t-Sneachda looking wonderful. Easy, well trampled trail into the coire. We headed to the bottom of the slopes leading up to Windy Col. Having a West facing aspect this gave some fantastic hard snow, from being wind scoured over the last few days. Some brilliant neve so a full range of step cutting and cramponing techniques could be mastered. We moved up the hill and had brilliant views all day. The wind was gusting a bit near the top, it's not called Windy Col for nothing! The plateau is wind scoured but has a breakable crust for good stretches. We had a stroll up to a rime encrusted Cairn Gorm. The late afternoon light was wonderful on the summit. Another top winter day out in The Cairngorms. Tomorrow is looking like a cracker, enjoy!