An Atmospheric Walk in the Cairngorms

View from Cairn Lochan

Summer continues wet and windy and cold. The Met Office says there have only been eight calm days this year – defined as ‘the number of days each year, for the UK overall, where at least 20 weather stations have recorded a maximum gust speed of 10 Knots (11 mph) or less’ – and none of those days were in May, June or July. Certainly in the Cairngorms wind and rain and low cloud have seemed the norm for many weeks.

Sometimes though conditions like this can give tremendous skies with swirling mists and towering clouds and a landscape that fades and sharpens in the changing air. On such a day I wandered into Coire an Lochain and then along the rim of the Northern Corries over Cairn Lochan and Stob Coire an-t Sneachda. Fierce squalls brought sharp icy rain on a bitter wind. This was not a day to linger but one to stride out invigorated by the stormy weather.

Cairn Lochan

 

Many large snow patches still decorated the walls of Coire an Lochain, unusual in late July. One lay across the path that angles up the west side of the corrie. The snow was hard and icy and steep. Without ice axe or crampons I skirted below it then climbed up a moss-filled stream tumbling down beside the old dirty snow. Better wet feet than a slide onto boulders. A party descending worked their way along the upper edge of the snowfield, slipping and sliding on wet rocks and sodden moss. 

On Cairn Lochan the ragged mist tore through the cliffs and spread in waves across the summit. Views came and went as I followed the corrie edge. Distant hills suddenly appeared then abruptly vanished. At times I could see only a few yards, at others many miles. Gazing down a gully I followed the smooth bronze line of the Great Slab to the lochans that give the corrie below its name.

View down the Great Slab to Coire an Lochain

 

Descending via the Fiacaill a’Choire Chais I was enveloped in the densest mist of the day, blotting out all views. Then as the Coire Cas car park abruptly appeared not far below the sun briefly burst through and the clouds fled to the summits. By the time I reached the car it was raining again.

Red Squirrels

The red squirrels that visit our peanut feeders are usually very defensive and won't allow other squirrels on the same feeder. There are regular squabbles with the squirrel in possession of a feeder fending off hungry rivals. Sometimes the squirrels fall to the ground locked together with one then chasing away the other before returning to the feeder. Other squirrels just have to glance at the approaching squirrel and it backs off.

Very rarely two squirrels will feed together. This happened recently and the two squirrels were so similar I think they must be siblings. They were clearly used to being together, pushing against each other as they moved round the feeder.

Watching the squirrels is always a delight. Taking photographs of them makes me feel I'm doing something productive at the same time though actually I think the pleasure of just watching them is good for me anyway.

Terra Nova Elite 250 Sleeping Bag & Marmot Precip Jacket Reviews

On my last few wild camps I used Terra Nova's new lightweight Elite 250 down sleeping bag. My review of this reasonably priced bag has just appeared on the TGO website here.

 My review of the lightweight low cost Marmot Precip waterproof jacket is also now on the TGO website.

Map Decorations

Maps make great decorations. I’ve had various ones up on my office walls over the years, mostly stuck up with Blu Tack and often with pins poked in and lines scrawled on them – these are working maps. And in our hall there’s a framed OS 1:50,000 map of the local region that I look at regularly. 

Recently I was contacted by a company called Wallpapered.com about its bespoke map wallpapers and map canvases and offered one of the latter. The web site looked interesting so, intrigued, I asked for a canvas of my local area in green (other colours are available), which you can see above. The canvas is solidly mounted on board and looks really good. Various sizes are available, right up to 142.2 x 91.4cms . Mine is the 40.6 x 40.6 cm one.. The map is from the OS 1:50,000 – Wallpapered is an OS licensee. 

If you want something much bigger Wallpapered also offer wallpapermaps to any size. You could cover a whole wall or even a room with maps! I really like that idea. And the results would look much smarter than my stuck on maps – though I’d have to avoid the pins and pencil lines.

If you’re looking for some decorations or new wallpaper and fancy an outdoors theme Wallpapered is definitely worth a look.