Liathach winter traverse

Roger and Mike had booked flights to Inverness for our spring Munro outing. However, the forecasts predicted winter rather than spring and after some UKC condition updates (thanks!) and insider tips (thanks!) we decided to do the Liathach winter traverse. We stayed in the Ling hut and got up just after 6 am. Here the classic photo of the Ling hut with Liathach, the grey one, behind. 

 We walked into Coireag Dubh Mor on the Northern side of the hill. We climbed to the ridge via 'Way Up' I**, whose bland name contrasts with the character of the gully and the Torridonian landscape below.

 Rather than going directly to the col we took a line further right...

 ... to reach the ridge that led to the summit of Spidean a' Choire Leith, the first Munro summit. Here are Mike and Roger in beautiful spring light... 

 ... and here the view down to the Eastern end of the mountain with Beinn Eighe to the left.

 Clouds came and went whilst we descended to the Fasarinen Pinnacles...

... which lie in front of us here. 

 As it is a grade II winter climb we climbed it, as the gully before, roped up. Here are Roger and Mike making progress 'au cheval' (on the right it is very exposed at this stage)...

 ... and here we have reached a col with the sun shining. 

 A lot of up and down...

 ... before the final ascend to the second Munro summit, Mullach an Rathain, on the Western end of the ridge. 

 The weather started to close in and the wind picked up, as had been predicted. However, the tops were still cloud free and we saw the Cuillin on Skye with plenty of snow cover and the feature-rich coastline of the Northwestern highlands. Cuillin traverse will be Alpine in nature for the foreseeable future.

 Finally the summit with Beinn Alligin behind...

 ..., a Golden Eagle,...

 ... a meal and drink in the Torridon hotel and a good night in the excellent Torridon youth hostel.
HW

4 x 4000 feet in the Cairngorms

For ski touring in Scotland the classic challenge is to do the four 4000 feet peaks in the Cairngorms. The peaks are Cairn Gorm (1245 m),  Ben Macdui (1309 m), Cairntoul (1291 m) and Braeriach (1296 m). This tour is over 30 km long and there are more than 2000 m to ascend and descend. Here is a video of the main ski run down Ben Macdui before we tell the story with pictures:

Ben Macdui ski descent from Henning Wackerhage on Vimeo.

On Saturday at 7 h Paul, fit after an Ironman triathlon last year and just back from two weeks of ski touring in Chamonix, and I were skinning up the piste... 

 ... to reach the hoared up summit of Cairn Gorm. 

 The descent was somewhat tricky as we had to avoid half covered boulders. But what a view towards the Northern Corries and the Loch Avon basin. 

 Here is Paul milking the descent with the top of Carn Etchachan to the left. 

 We eventually put the skins back on and made quick progress...

 ... towards Ben Macdui...

 ... which we reached in a whiteout. Skins off for arguably the best ski descent in Scotland which is the Allt Clach nan Taillear burn. It starts at 1309 m, the Ben Macdui summit, and goes down to under 600 m into the Lairig Ghru. Here is Paul leading the way...

 ... and here is Paul's shot of myself which for me is the shot of the day. Just to my right in the distance is the devils point. 

 We crossed the Dee on a snow bridge and were skinning up just to the right of the Devils point.

 The forecast predicted a calm morning followed by an accelerating Southerly in the afternoon and so it happened as forecast. When we reached Cairn Toul and the Angel's Peak, the wind was already strong and we skinned several long hours in a whiteout to reach the summit of Braeriach (or thereabouts) in a near gale. Here we nearly skied into a steep corrie on the left but we took the skis off and climbed back onto the ridge. Skins off for some descending...

 ... back on for another short ascent...

 ... and we finally reached a snowfield just to left of the wide ridge that leads from Sron na Lairig into the glen and out of the wind. 

 We managed to reach the Lairig Ghru mostly on snow but then had to take off our skis and walk...

 ... through the Chalamain Gap, where an avalanche had caused a disaster earlier in the winter. We remebered the victims...

... and carried on to reach more snow which allowed us to skin the last kilometers to the car park where we ended, with little glycogen left in our legs, our winter seasons. 

HW

The grand traverse of Ben Lawers

'The traverse of Ben Lawers is undoubtedly one of the three or four best ski-mountaineering expeditions in Scotland, giving a day of extraordinary variety and interest, both as regards skiing and scenery' Bennet D and Wallace B. Ski Mountaineering in Scotland. 1987.

Simon and I initially wanted to ski the four 4000ers but then the Met office forecast for the Northern Cairngorms predicted mist and clouds and so we looked for a new tour until we read the above sentence. Here the start after a short walk...

 ... and here the slopes of Beinn Ghlas lower...

 ... and higher up.

 We decided to ascent via the Corrie on the Southern side of Beinn Ghlas...

 ... to finally see Ben Lawers.

 Here is Simon on the connecting ridge on the final ascent.

 Great views from the tops and some company.

 Finally the long run down...

 ... on sometimes icy, sometimes creamy snow, softened by the sun.

We knew that An Stuc had a steep descent and mistook a top for An Stuc but then found a way with a steepish descent into the corrie towards Meall Garbh.

 Here is Simon on the final ascent to Ben Garbh...

 ... and here he is on the top. 

 Skin's off and a long run to the col...

 ... before the final ascent to Meall Greigh. 

 Here the last metres with the ridge behind. 

 On the descent heather stopped us relatively early...

 ... but we were 'milking' the thinner and thinner snow lines until walking was inevitable. With every step winter went and spring came with buds on the trees and the first daffodils. 

PS. As an encore the descent from Carn an Tuirc the day after:

Cairn an Tuirc downhill descent from Henning Wackerhage on Vimeo.

PPS. The clip stick in one of the photos was not used for clipping bolts but as a second ski pole as I had forgotten mine in glen Tanar!

HW