A Cold Camp In The Western Cairngorms

Winter Camping Photos

Well bundled up at a bitterly cold camp on the Moine Mhor in the Cairngorms. February 2016.

Last week I had my first camp on snow this winter and it left me longing for more. I love winter camping! Especially when it's really winter, when there's snow and frost. Too much Scottish winter weather isn't that wintry, just grey and wet and windy and cold. I do go camping then but it's not the same as when there's snow.

On Carn na Loine, a local hill in Strathspey. I skied here from my front door. Using skis and ski poles as tent pegs! February 2009

Thinking of the winter to come and hoping for plenty of sharp frosts and snow in the hills my mind drifted back to previous camps in the snow and I started looking through my photos, which made me even more excited. Here's a selection from the last fifteen years.  

Waking up to a view like this is always wonderful. Below Broad Cairn in the Southern Cairngorms. February 2010

I often use a single skin tent with a separate groundsheet in winter and only close the door if the weather is stormy. No midges to worry about. The camp below Broad Cairn again.

Below Orion on a brilliant night just below the summit of Mullach Clach a' Bhlair above Glen Feshie. February 2013.

A breezy site below Bynack More, Cairngorms. November 2013.

Melting snow for coffee as the sun rises. Often an essential winter camping task. November 2013.

Sometimes there's water, which saves time and fuel. By Loch Etchachan, Cairngorms. December 2014.

On the Moine Mhor above Glen Feshie. February 2016.

A hot drink on the Cairngorm Plateau. In an insulated mug. March 2016.

It's not always sunshine and blue skies! Misty on the Moine Mhor above Glen Feshie. December 2016.

A brilliant starry sky above the Shelter Stone Crag in the Cairngorms. The clear weather didn't last. March 2019.

Snow falling the morning after the starry sky. I closed the tent door! March 2019.

Sunrise on Tom Mor, another local hill which I walked up from home. Not enough snow lower down to ski. January 2021

Gentle snowfall in Coire Ardair, Creag Meagaidh. December 2022.

Dawn in the Cairngorms. February 2023.

A frosty night in the Cairngorms. January 2024.

An ice axe is useful for levering out frozen snow pegs. January 2024.

First Snow Camp of the Season

Dawn light

Freezing conditions having returned to the Cairngorms after the big thaw brought by Storm Bert I headed up for what I hoped would be the first camp in the snow this winter. The mountains were blanketed in cloud so I didn’t know just how much snow remained up high or how much if any had fallen since the cold returned.

Most of the winter I check the Scottish Avalanche Information Service for snow conditions as well as avalanche advice. However detailed reports don’t start until December 12^th. Before then there are just brief reports and occasional photos. For November 26^th the report said “currently there is limited and superficial cover in the Northern Cairngorms area with some shallow deposits in wind sheltered places”. There were no photos.

Lurcher's Gully

The description certainly fitted the landscape as I walked up the icy path to Miadan Creag an Leth-choin. The ground was frozen hard and the snow patches firm and crunchy, though sometimes I went in shin deep. Looking up Lurcher’s Gully into the mist I could see no sign of more consistent snow cover.

Coire an Lochain

However as I reached the mist the snow patches grew bigger. Before I was enveloped in the greyness I looked across Coire an Lochain to the cliffs of Cairn Lochan and there was much more snow there too.

Cairn Lochan

I plodded on through the mist with just occasional glimpses of crags high above. By the top of the ascent, at around 1000 metres, there was complete snow cover, though thin in places. I thought of continuing on to the Cairngorm Plateau but the idea of more walking in the mist didn’t appeal and I decided to camp.

Close to the steep drop into the Lairg Ghru pass I found a patch of soft deep snow where I could stamp out a platform for the tent. If the mist cleared it would be a fine site.

There was no sign of a clearance in the evening though and I stayed in the tent, reading, writing my journal, and melting snow for supper and hot drinks. Whilst doing the last I thought I’d make a little video about how I went about it and the gear I used, the stove and pot I’d brought to see how they worked for winter camping having proved as good as I’d hoped.

I was less sure about the video than the snow melting though. I’d never tried to film myself doing anything in a tent in the dark,  let alone operating a stove and stirring snow in a pot with the camera on a tripod wedged in the snow just outside the door, the scene lit with my headlamp, and in a temperature of -7°C. A couple of false starts and I’d worked out the best position for the tripod, the right angle for the camera and realised only my hands needed to be in the video – no need to see the rest of me. That meant the headlamp, which I’d tried unsuccessfully balancing on the pack and on a boot, could be on my head!

The video turned out surprisingly well so I posted it on my YouTube channel. Here it is.

For those interested in took it in 1080p on my Sony a6700 camera with Sony 10-20mm F4 lens at 10mm.

The video finished I had a mug of hot chocolate then snuggled deep into my sleeping bag and turned off the headlamp. If the skies cleared I planned on going to Ben Macdui the next day. If still misty I’d just go round the rim of the Northern Corries.

Neither came to be. And it was nothing to do with the weather. Around 2pm I woke with a streaming nose and a thick head. A cold, damn it! Some co-codamol and I dozed off again, only to wake several more times and fill my bandanna from my snotty nose. The latter then froze. I wasn’t bringing it into the sleeping bag! So I used my woolly hat. The top of that froze too, though that was mainly through contact with the tent roof as it was covered with frost. The temperature was -9°C.

Dawn begins

After a long dark night light began to seep in. I looked out. A crescent moon hung in the sky amongst dappled clouds. To the south a band of bright light lay above the horizon. Maybe it would be a fine day. I hoped so even though I wasn’t going any further feeling as I did. Just descending seemed a challenge.

Early morning

I couldn’t resist the dawn light though so I donned all my warm clothes and staggered outside. The band of brightness grew. To the east the sky was blue and orange. I looked down into the Lairig Ghru, a cold tunnel with brightness shining through the clouds that were beginning to sweep in from the south.

The Lairig Ghru

Across the Lairig Braeriach was starting to disappear into the mist. Soon it was all around me, visibility down to a few metres. I retreated into the tent for breakfast and my warm sleeping bag. Staying there was very attractive. I really didn’t want to get up again, pack my gear, take down the frozen tent, and walk down the hill. I just wanted to stay lying down, warm and comfortable. That not being an option – this was only a one night trip - I had a second mug of coffee then dragged myself outside again.

Braeriach

The tent pegs having been prised out of the snow and the crunchy icy tent stuffed away I heaved my pack on and followed my boot prints back down the hill. I met a few walkers heading up, most of them unsure about whether it was worth continuing.

Mist in Strathspey

I was almost back at the car park before I dropped out of the mist. I’d soon be back in it. Not far below I could see tendrils of it filling Glenmore and Strathspey with little hills protruding through, a dramatic sight.

A Winter Walk & Camp In Coire Ardair

 

James Roddie in Coire Ardair

Several weeks ago I was asked to do a photo shoot feature with photographer James Roddie for The Great Outdoors magazine. The editor asked for an overnight trip in cold, wintry and ideally sunny conditions. On a walk into Coire Ardair on Creag Meagaidh we got the first two.

Entering Coire Ardair

James wasn't camping so after photographing me setting up camp he departed, returning early the next morning.

View from camp at dawn

The idea was to take some old well-used gear and see how it performed. I'm pleased to say it all worked well.  I had a comfortable camp. The temperature fell to -7C and there was light snowfall overnight but it wasn't hard staying warm.

A fresh covering of snow at dawn.

After James had photographed me packing up camp we continued up Coire Ardair to its dramatic head where the mostly frozen Lochan a' Choire sat under massive cliffs, their tops shrouded in cloud. A Scottish winter mountain landscape at its best.

Lochan a' Choire

At the lochan we turned and walked back down the corrie. Soon afterwards the clouds lowered and the cliffs vanished. A few minutes later and we'd have had no views of them at all. Light snow fell as we retraced our steps.

Black grouse, birch tree

As we entered the first birch woods we spotted half a dozen black grouse sitting in a birch tree, a wonderful sight. The above image of two of the grouse was taken with the long end of my 18-135mm zoom lens ((202mm full frame equivalent). Below is a severe crop showing the lower bird.

The full story of the trip including the gear I took and how it performed along with James's photos will appear in a forthcoming issue of The Great Outdoors.

James Roddie in Coire Ardair

Winter's coming! A video and some links to features

Winter in the Cairngorms

The first dustings of snow have arrived on the summits in recent days. More is forecast. It may be early autumn in the glens but winter is coming to the mountains. There could be heavy snowfall soon. The winds are cold and often strong, nights often frosty. It's time to add winter items to the pack - gloves, mitts, hats, warm clothing, extra headlamp and more. Once the snow comes ice axes and crampons or micro spikes will be added.

Over the years I've posted a number of pieces on preparing for and dealing with winter in the mountains. Here are links to some of them, including a video from a few years ago on the gear I use, plus some for inspiration.

What I Wear And What I Carry

Winter Gear Laid Out 

Thoughts On Winter Sleeping Bags 

Twenty Tips For Winter Camping 

Essential Gear For Winter Weather

On the Cairngorm Plateau

Winter Is Coming: Time To Prepare

Winter Camping - Soon I Hope! 

Wild Camping In Winter

Lightweight Gear In Winter 

The Joy Of Winter Backpacking

Winter camp in the Cairngorms

Thoughts on Winter Sleeping Bags

With snow settled on the Scottish hills I’m looking forward to a winter camp soon. It’ll be my first camp of the year – later than usual due to waiting for my hand to recover from an operation just before Christmas. Planning what to take I started thinking about sleeping bags and decided to share my thoughts. I’ve combined parts of various introductions to winter sleeping bags I’ve written for The Great Outdoors over the years with some additional ideas to make what I hope is an interesting and useful feature.

The lowest temperature ever recorded in Britain is a chilly -27°C. That’s cold. Very cold. However, it is an extreme and most winter nights don’t get anywhere near that. In fact, temperatures below -10°C aren’t that common and most winter nights in the hills are in the +5 to -5° range.  So, whilst you certainly need a warmer sleeping bag in winter than summer it needn’t be one that can cope with sub -20 temperatures. For most winter nights a bag with a rating of around -10C and 14-16cms of loft (thickness), should be adequate. You could carry a -30°C bag just in case but it’ll be heavy and bulky and at zero degrees probably too hot. Better to have a bag that will keep you comfortable most nights and if the temperature does fall much lower wear warm clothing, which can increase the warmth of a bag considerably. This said, those who sleep really cold might well do better with a bag with a bit lower rating.

The weight of a bag doesn’t necessarily determine its warmth. Heavier down bags may have more down of a lower quality to achieve the same temperature rating as lighter bags and often thicker shell fabrics as well. But if they’re as lofty as lighter bags then they should be as warm. Their big advantage is much lower cost. Synthetic bags are always heavier than down bags with equivalent ratings though the difference is not as great as it used to be. Again, the cost is an advantage.

SEASONS & RATINGS

The warmth rating standard EN 13537 is useful for comparing bags but should only be taken as an approximate guide. Those who sleep warm may find ratings understated, those who sleep cold may find them disappointing. There are other factors that determine how warm you sleep too, especially your sleeping mat. If this is inadequate you might be cold even in higher temperatures than the bag’s rating as much heat will be lost to cold ground. However good it is the fill of the sleeping bag will be flattened under you and so much less effective.

Your shelter plays a part too. A double-skin tent with a solid inner is much warmer than a tarp. Which is not to say don’t use the latter – I often do, or else a single-skin tent – just that you will probably need a warmer sleeping bag. 

 

Also important are the clothing you’re wearing (remove anything damp!), how cold you are when youget in the bag (it’s easier to stay warm than to get warm), and how recently you’ve eaten.

DESIGN

Winter sleeping bags are usually mummy-shaped with hoods and a tapered body. Companies usually show sleepers flat on their back in them, face framed in the hood. If you sleep on your side or your front – I do both – lying in a mummy bag doesn’t look so neat. If the bag is roomy enough for you to turn over in it you end up with your face inside the hood. If the bag turns over with you the hood may end up on top of your head. As mummy-shaped bags were the only ones available for many decades I adapted to using them. One feature I did watch out for was bags with less fill on the bottom on the assumption this would stay under you. After waking chilly when testing such bags with the bottom on the side or above me I now avoid such designs. In recent years different-shaped sleeping bags have appeared from a few companies designed for side or front sleepers. I’ve tried a couple and they are more comfortable.

The right size bag should fit reasonably closely while still allowing you freedom to move. Masses of room may be comfortable, but it also means lots of dead air space that has to be heated up and that can feel chilly when you turn over into a patch of it. Close-fitting bags are the most thermally efficient but can feel restrictive. There won’t be room for wearing thick warm clothing in them either – this can be draped over the top if extra warmth is needed.  Many bags come in different sizes and it’s worth seeking out one that fits.

Hoods come in different designs. Ones that can be opened fully are good for warm sleepers, like me, who only use hoods when it’s really, really cold. If you always use a hood then shaped ones that don’t open fully are very snug. With any hood, check you can easily pull it in close around your head without any big gaps appearing as these will let in cold air, and that the drawcords are easy to operate in the dark – it’s not pleasant struggling to open a bag in the dark.

Rather than neck baffles that operate separately from the hood many bags now have baffles, sometimes called neck gaskets or collars, that run round the edge of the hood and pull in round the face and neck. These work well and are easier to use than neck baffles as only one drawcord is required.

Most sleeping bags have full length zips. These need to have thick baffles behind them to prevent cold air entering. Some bags have short zips, which saves weight but makes the bag a little less versatile. It’s even possible to have a bag without a zip, which makes for a light bag with no chance of cold air getting in at the zip but which you can’t unzip if you feel too hot. Side zips are the most common, but central ones make it easier to use your arms while sitting up in the bag.

FILL

Even the best synthetic fills don’t approach down for warmth for weight or low packed bulk. -10°C rated synthetic bags are big and heavy. For backpacking I think down is far better. As well as being much lighter it’s comfortable over a wider temperature range and far longer lasting. It does need to be kept dry but so do synthetics, as sleeping in any wet bag will be very unpleasant in the cold. I’ve used down bags on many winter camping trips, some up to 6 weeks long, and have never got one more than slightly damp. I keep my bag in a stuffsack inside a waterproof liner in the pack and air it whenever possible. 

 

If you’re really concerned about getting your bag wet one with water-resistant down could be worth considering. I think this is more useful for jackets though. Or you could use a bivi bag. I carry one but rarely use it as I find my bag gets damp from condensation inside it.

Down is available in different grades, measured by the fill power, which is the volume that thirty grams of down in a cylinder will fill. The higher the fill power the higher the quality of down and the warmer the bag will be for the same weight of down. There are different machines for testing fill power and these produce slightly different results. Generally American methods produce higher fill power figures for the same down. Rab, for example, says that its top grade down has a European fill power of 750 and an American one of 850.

SHELL FABRICS

Sleeping bag shells are made from windproof, breathable, fast drying fabrics with a light water repellent finish that sheds the odd drip but isn’t waterproof. More water-resistant shells are available, but these aren’t fully waterproof either, as the seams will leak. Bags with waterproof shells with sealed seams are very expensive, and heavier than ones without such shells. I’d rather have a separate bivi bag and only use it when essential.

FINALLY, DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED A WINTER SLEEPING BAG?

Good winter sleeping bags are expensive. There’s not a big market for them and the materials are costly. So, do you really need a bag that’s probably too warm to use at least half the year, the half when you’re likely to spend more time camping? If you camp regularly in winter I’d say having a winter bag is worthwhile but for the occasional winter camper there are other options.

The first is to use two bags, one inside the other. Combine a three- season bag and a summer bag and you have the equivalent of a winter bag plus you can use the bags separately at other times. Two bags generally weigh a little more than one and may not be as comfortable – the inside one can get quite twisted – but the system does work. If you’re worried about damp the outer bag could be a thin synthetic one. A liner bag made of fleece is an alternative but doesn’t add as much warmth and is even more prone to tangling in my experience.

Rather than two bags you could use a bag and a quilt. The latter can be tucked in round the edges of the bag. I haven’t tried this combination, but it should be less prone to tangling than two bags.

 

Next you could plan on wearing warm clothing inside a three-season bag to boost the warmth. Insulated jackets, trousers, and booties can all add many degrees to the rating. The main drawback to this is that if the temperature is exceptionally low you’re already wearing your insulated clothing and might feel chilly when you exit the bag.

A bivi bag also adds a little warmth but as I said earlier condensation can be a problem.

 

Winter Camping - soon I hope!

 

As December approaches I'm getting excited at the thought of winter camping. Real winter camping that is, in snow. I love camping in wild places year round but snow camping is special. Lying snug in a warm sleeping bag gazing out at starry skies and a vast white mountain landscape is one of my favourite camping experiences.  Under snow the mountains seem bigger and wilder, the scars of summer hidden. Hillwalking becomes mountaineering when the paths and cairns are covered in snow.

In the Cairngorms, my local mountains, winter camping can last half the year, from November to April. Most years though conditions aren't suitable until sometime in December. The best months are often February and March.

Camping in the mountains in winter does require care. I watch weather and avalanche forecasts carefully when planning where to go and always have an escape route worked out if conditions worsen. 

As winter loads are heavier - bigger pack, thicker sleeping bag and mat, more clothing, ice axe, crampons, snow shovel -, daylight hours much shorter and the terrain often tougher I don't plan long days in winter. I may set off in the dark, I may make camp in the dark, but even when I do I want to enjoy the experience and not exhaust myself - though soft deep snow or strong winds does result in the latter at times.

Thinking of winter camping I've been looking through my photos from past camps, and relishing the memories of these wonderful trips. I've posted some of them here, all taken in the Cairngorms in the last decade. I hope to have pictures of new winter camps very soon.