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| Cairn Toul & the Lairig Ghru just before sunset |
One of the big advantages of the winter months in the Scottish Highlands is that sunset is in the middle of the afternoon not the middle of the night. I took advantage of this late in November when the forecast suggested clear calm weather. Just right for watching the light and descending in the dusk.
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| At the start of the walk, looking towards Cairn Gorm |
My plan was to climb to the Cairngorm Plateau. However I made a mistake just before I set off. I left my snowshoes in the car. There wasn’t much snow visible at the start of my walk so I decided I didn’t want to carry them. Soon the snow became deeper and walking more difficult. I’d come just far enough that I didn’t think it worth going back for them. It would have been.
Enough people had been along the route to punch holes in the
snow but not enough to create a trench. Some of the holes were knee deep. I
stepped in and out of them. Laborious but easier than breaking my own trail.
Sometimes shallow boot prints collapsed under my weight. I lurched slowly
upwards.
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| Cairn Lochan |
A couple passed me descending then a lone walker. This turned out to be Dan Bailey of UKHillwalking and we spent a pleasant few minutes discussing the snow (should have brought snowshoes we agreed), the weather, gear, the state of outdoor publishing, and more. Dan said he had a down jacket to test but it was too warm in the sun to try it.
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| Last sun on Creag an Leth-choin |
I was in the shade as I headed up and it was well below freezing. However as soon as I reached the large flat area of the Miadan Creag an Leth-choin the sun reached me. It certainly was too warm for a down jacket. Indeed, I took my gloves off, unzipped the top of my Paramo jacket and sat on my pack while I had a snack and a hot drink and admired the snow and the view.
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| The sun about to set over Braeriach |
The very best views here are on the edge of the steep slopes leading down into the Lairig Ghru pass so I left the boot holes that marked the path and headed that way. My admiration for whoever had broken the first holes soared. Plunging through the snow was incredibly arduous and the two hundred metres or so I walked seemed endless. I wished I’d brought those snowshoes!
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| Sunset sky over Sgor Gaoith & Sgoran Dubh Mor |
Every step was worthwhile though. The view up and down the Lairig was magnificent. The sun was close to setting behind Braeriach and the light made the landscape glow. Orange and red crept across the sky as the vanishing sun lit up thin bands of cloud out to the west.
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| Last sun on Cairn Gorm |
As the brightness faded from the mountains they suddenly looked cold, the pink tinge on the snow turning blue. Just the summits and then just the sky kept the warm colours.
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| The dusk darkens over Cairn Gorm |
I set off back down, admiring the snow-plastered cliffs of Cairn Lochan. A crescent moon appeared in the sky. It had been a good day. Even without snowshoes.
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| Moon rise |
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| Cairn Lochan |
I made a little video while I was up there.
