The trip, 2nd day:
Daily summary:
Distance: 13.06 km
Total elevation: 1170.5 m
Maps (Ordnance Survey):
Distance: 13.06 km
Total elevation: 1170.5 m
Maps (Ordnance Survey):
We started the second day leisurely after a muesli with hot chocolate. Packing and saying my good byes I set off to my originally 27 kms long route. I managed to complete about half of this and even this has been a long a tiring day. Finally after about 9 hours of hiking I started to set up my tent at 8 pm. Without planning me and my companions from the previous night slept in neighbouring valleys. Me in Coire an t-Sneachda and them at the southern shore of Loch A'an under the Shelter Stone.
I had a good look around the bothy before I started to make my way to the south.
Ryovan bothy and the pass
The brook beside the bothy was a convenient water collecting spot.
hikers towards the pass
view to the west
in the pass
Considering the season the path wasn't difficult to walk on but for a couple of places... obviously this didn't help me much as I followed it only for about 1.5 kms.
An Lochan Uaine - the green lochan, at the moment rather frozen than green.
The last section on the path. Shortly after I turned left to climb up towards the higher regions.
Walking uphill towards Tom Da Choimhead and looking back into Ryovan Pass
Terrain ahead: knee-deep, snow-covered vegetation on a slope with 30 degree gradient ... fortunately my breakfast has already had time to settle in my belly and my gaiters held up well too.
Ryovan bothy from afar
in a gully
small peak: Tom Da Choimhead in the middle of the image
My route from here on was conveniently flat up util crossing the river called Caochan a' Ghuib about a km away.
Looking back at Ryovan: in the middle Meall a' Bhuachaille, Tom Da Choimhead to the right. A relative counterpoint to the road ahead of me, the higher grounds, as down here you find other colours apart from white and blue.
Rothiemurchus forest stretching on the horizon.
Both the biggest advantage and disadvantage of these lower grounds that you still find flowing water here so I had the displeasure of falling into several of the smaller brooks covered with snow. On the picture a small section of the water below is revealed.
Ryovan getting further away
Chalamain Gap 6 kms to the SW as the crow flies
A flosk of red grouse gliding over to a calmer place. I heard a lot of them all over the place but only in very foggy conditions during the next day did I have the opportunity to see them from up close.
Loch Morlich and Rothiemurchus
Behind Chalamain Gap the craggy peaks along Lairig Ghru started to appear thanks to the sunshine.
Ski Centre on Cain Gorm ...
... and its piste ...
... atop of them the Ptarmigan Cafe.
In the meantime I was making decent progress uphill.
The respectable mountain range ahead.
craggy gully
On the 697 m high top of Carn Lochan na Beinne. On the left side of this ridge avalanche suspicious deep snow, so I walked straight ahead. I experienced the nasty effects of the strong winds.
Stan na h-lolaire's half km wide corrie
Moon and rock
Descending to a lower section of the valley I traversed a now empty but formerly planted wooded area. On the ramp along the former row of trees the snow was knee-deep and waist-high in the ditches among these. When I didn't manage to jump long enough I usually landed in a ditch I had to escape quickly using hands and feet as they usually had water at their bottom. This definitely wasn't my favourite part but at least I didn't have to walk uphill.
Fortunately I met an other hiker who was headed for the same destination as me so afterwards I could follow in his footsteps and I didn't have to break the snow myself. This way I had an easier way until I reached the ridge.
Up on the ridge. Here the wind was in its element rampaging at around 50 km/h. The view: a 2 km long section of River Nethy.
UFOs landed in Cairngorms.
The top of Stan na h-lolaire with hikers on the left just to give you an idea of sizes.
Looking back
the magnificent view: the valley of Strath Nethy
prints left behind
frozen Lochan na Beinne, in spite of its 280 metres length it's apparently just a lochan
Thanks to the -5 degrees C and the strong wind my drink in my pocket froze almost solid already.
Nearing the top of the piste.
Let's sit down and relax.
the freezing wind created characteristic shapes everywhere
The summit of Cairn Gorm mountain ahead, below the sun and clouds.
you can see the wind even on this picture
the rocky face of Cnap Coire na Spreidhe
at 1028 m
snowy waves
Typical: an hour before I got to the summit of Cairn Gorm a fat cloud descended upon it.
lost burglar
local cloud over Cairn Gorm
the skiers carry on undisturbed
A bit to the right from the centre mountain skills were taught with the clouds gathering above them.
Near the top of the ski tows I had a longer break before the steep last km to the summit.
Here a group of hikers took over me in a hurry towards the summit, but within about 5 metres they all disappeared in the fog.
Skiers gliding downhill
It's really something to get a sensible picture while the camera is pointed straight towards the sun. The futuristic structure is the automated weather station ... and a couple of cubic metres of snow and ice obviously.
The hikers disappear once again.
Measurement in progress.
Cairn / snow pile on the summit
In the lea of the weather station I melted a handful of snow to make a hot chocolate because by this time all my water froze solid. A guy gave me half a litre of water fortunately. In his lunch break he came up to the summit on skis then set off to return for his afternoon shift ... how cool!
cairn
Towards the Ptarmigan Cafe the path was well marked so I chose this way.
Craggy rock face in sunset in the far side of Lairig Ghru.
Downhill along the piste
Ptarmigan Cafe
Skiing with a dog
Hiker (tiny black smudge) walking downhill on the ridge of Fiacaill a' Choire Chais.
Finally I chose this corrie, Coire an Sneachda for camping.
I buried the edges of the tent with snow against the wind, so in spite of the -6 degrees and the strong wind I spent a relatively pleasant night at 900 metres.