The last two January Lochnagar trips with the Cairngorm Club had been blasted by high wind with nobody making the summit on the day, and this one looked like it might be going the same way with the met office mountain forecast showing similar. As I’d volunteered to lead the main party, I started planning out a number of alternative routes that didn’t go as high.
I was conscious that on a previous long day out, the club had failed to return to the coach in good time, the lateness impinging on driver hours, and I’d resolved that that proceedings would go smoothly and tightly scheduled – not just for the bus but also the meal after where we’d booked a private room in a pub. Timing can be quite difficult in winter conditions as rate of travel can slow drastically. I checked for reports of snow cover, double-checked SAIS and MWIS and plotted checkpoint times and distance tables in OS maps.
The last time I’d been party leader for the club I’d also went off on a slight tangent from the main group to take a more interesting snow gully route, but had neglected the main group a bit, so I also resolved to stick to the main task – no galivanting or random adventuring just making sure the group proceeded as best as we could do.
The trip came at the end of a prolonged cold spell, and as dawn broke the winter snowscape presented itself – it was looking great with clear skies and no sign of the forecast fog. The road to the car park was however slippery in places and the coach took care along it. I took the opportunity to chat with those in the bus to see who wanted to join the summit party and discuss the route options and get a consensus; we were going to try the regular “tourist” route.
Out of the 31 there, 13 decided on a summit, with various others heading off to the Shielin o’Mark bothy, Conachcraig and around the loch.
We made a start and the snow was great – not too deep and not compacted (often becomes an ice rink up to conachraig) and the stream boulders weren’t glazed either. A few of the faster members headed off into the distance, and at the Conachcraig junction where we took a quick break, I told them to power onwards ahead of us and to not wait; if we were delayed at least somebody would make the top today.
At Meikle Pap we stopped to “batten hatches” there being the possibility once we got up the ladder that the forecast wind might appear. With neither compaction or ice around, we didn’t don spikes on the feet.
Arriving on the plateau no storm-force wind materialised and we could enjoy the winter hues without any ducking of the head or staggering.
I’d thought there might have been deeper snow on south facing slopes, but we made short work of a small snowfield heading to Cac Carn Mor, and a glance back down towards the upper Glas Allt showed “texture” instead of pillowy white curves – so no wade through waist-deep snow today – we’d be able to do the full circuit.
Reaching the top we rejoined with the fast team who’d been there for 20 minutes, and it was time to break out a surprise treat for the troops – I’d lugged a big thermos full of hot mulled wine to dish out. After a shortish lunch, a cloud suddenly engulfed us, and it was time to head on, now taking a bit more care to keep together.
As we headed lower visibility improved, but the first signs of windforce increasing were creeping in. I measured windchill of -15c on my gauge.
I spotted another unlikely unfrozen moss patch which I’ve noticed in the last few winters. Even in times when it’s been below freezing for a long time, and all around everything else is frozen solid, these boggy moss patches seem immune. I’ll need to take a thermometer and probe along some time and do some measurements. A bit of googling though may have some clues – I’ve read a few papers that touch on how in the arctic, moss forms a symbiosis with bacteria, which in return produce chemicals hat act as anti-freeze, though whether this is applicable to moss lying deep in water rather than out of it is unknown.
A new member who was also new to winter hiking, got a very brief demo and chat with regards to ice axe use, though the snow wasn’t hard enough to do any real sliding to try an arrest, but we were tight on time anyway. Approaching the footbridge over the Glas Allt, the stream disappeared under waves of snow.
Looking closely at this pic – the yellow spot top right is an apple core. Who does that sort of thing “I’ll just chuck shit out on to the pristine snow to hell with what anybody thinks”? Yes it’s organic but it’s just a crap lazy mindset to litter obviously in such a place .
At the falls, the stream at the base was entirely frozen across and allowed for a rare opportunity for a group photo here. Heading onwards, the pace slowed as a few found the path tricky slipper going – in retrospect I should have intervened and insisted on the fitting of spikes/crampons to increase confidence and progress.
Some of the more confident in the group had shot off ahead and got a welcome break in the bothy before the final push along the loch, but the slower group unfortunately had to be told we’d slipped way behind schedule and were now going to be late, no break for them unfortunately.
Heading around the loch the wind was now roaring past, in our backs until crossing the ‘beach’. The chill was soon forgotten once we disembarked into the Boat Inn, and hot food and beer came forth round our tables, and the room resounded with tales of the day retold.
