Saturday, 22 February 2014

Winter Mountain Skills Course - Cairngorm.

Serious amounts of snow have fallen over the Scottish mountains this year, apparently the most in 50 years.

Being new to this amount of the white stuff, we felt it was prudent to undertake a little training in the skills we might need if we should be foolish enough to blunder into any wintry type weather.

Having seen an advert in our local Tiso (Inverness), we booked onto a basic Winter Skills Course.

Loch Morlich and Glenmore Forest Park from near the car park (NJ002077)

Friday evening was spent in the coffee shop at Tiso, doing the classroom bit with Emma, our instructor.

Digging snow holes by a frozen Allt Clais a'Mheirlich, Coire Laogh Mor

We met, on Saturday, in Aviemore and due to the blue skies and reasonable forecast we went up to the ski area lower car park on Cairn Gorm.

It really wasn't very far to the snow.

Digging snow holes
by a frozen Allt Clais a'Mheirlich, Coire Laogh Mor

Many ice axe arrest practises and a snow hole later, we donned crampons and headed up...

Coire Laogh Mor from the snow hole

The weather was great (a touch windy at times), the views superlative.

Creagan Dubh from the snow hole

Snow hole by a frozen
Allt Clais a'Mheirlich, Coire Laogh Mor

Frozen Allt Clais a'Mheirlich, Coire Laogh Mor

Coire Laogh Mor

Coire Laogh Mor to Loch Morlich

Coire Laogh Mor

Old avalanche debris in Coire Laogh Mor

Checking for avalanche risk in Coire Laogh Mor

Coire Laogh Mor to Loch Morlich

Crampon practise on Creagan Dubh

More crampon practise on Creagan Dubh

On Creagan Dubh

Ice axe arrest practise into Coire Laogh Mor

Feeling just a bit more confident to go up in the snow.

After glissade into Coire Laogh Mor

Whoop whoop!

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