Fogbows on Macdui - Times like these!
Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2020 10:13 amOnly 4 hours after going out my front door this was the scene laid out in front of me.
Ben Macdui - 17th of October 2020
There was a bit of luck involved here. The night before I came across some info that the highest hills in Scotland might be above the clouds in bright sunshine. I previously had no intention of going out at all! Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to leave Inverness until after 9 which ruled out Ben Nevis which was fine as I have been up there twice this year already.
Cairngorm the 6th highest mountain in Britain became the original plan. Here is the eventual route that I took.
Roughly forty five minutes gets me to the ski car park, not the prettiest mountain scenery in the world but a starting point which lets the car climb the first 600m.
Another 1 hour and 15 mins and I'm on the summit of Cairngorm. It's a fine path all the way up with a few ptarmigan to add some interest. It was a cracking day and I hung about for a while but Cairngorm never got properly above the clouds. It was time to head for Macdui.
I've been up here a few times and as soon as you leave Cairngorm things improve big time as all the ski junk is left behind.
I have seen fogbows on only very few occasions before but today, just about all the way from Cairngorm to Macdui they were truly spectacular.
Looking into the northern corries lightshow - Fogbows and Brocken spectres
It was mesmerising and I was tempted to stay here until it all ended and then head home via the goat track. Instead I opted to go for Macdui and come back this way later - good choice.
I exchanged waves and greetings with a famous mountain man on my way across the plateau and then on the gradual climb up to Ben Macdui I fully cleared the clouds but the fogbow was still following me and the clearest ever.
It didn't leave all the way to the top
By this point I knew there was an Inversion waiting for me from the summit spreading south, east and west. It didn't disappoint, the only hills visible were the nearby 4000ers, Ben Nevis and possibly Aonach Beag briefly.
Above the clouds
For the 2nd time today I dragged myself away, then reversed my route to the top of the corrie, descended the goat track in the rain smiling all the way back to the car park.
Coire an t-Sneachda and the goat track
It's not been easy the last while but - it's times like these you learn to live again...............
Ben Macdui - 17th of October 2020
There was a bit of luck involved here. The night before I came across some info that the highest hills in Scotland might be above the clouds in bright sunshine. I previously had no intention of going out at all! Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to leave Inverness until after 9 which ruled out Ben Nevis which was fine as I have been up there twice this year already.
Cairngorm the 6th highest mountain in Britain became the original plan. Here is the eventual route that I took.Roughly forty five minutes gets me to the ski car park, not the prettiest mountain scenery in the world but a starting point which lets the car climb the first 600m.
Another 1 hour and 15 mins and I'm on the summit of Cairngorm. It's a fine path all the way up with a few ptarmigan to add some interest. It was a cracking day and I hung about for a while but Cairngorm never got properly above the clouds. It was time to head for Macdui.
I've been up here a few times and as soon as you leave Cairngorm things improve big time as all the ski junk is left behind.
I have seen fogbows on only very few occasions before but today, just about all the way from Cairngorm to Macdui they were truly spectacular.
Looking into the northern corries lightshow - Fogbows and Brocken spectres
It was mesmerising and I was tempted to stay here until it all ended and then head home via the goat track. Instead I opted to go for Macdui and come back this way later - good choice.
I exchanged waves and greetings with a famous mountain man on my way across the plateau and then on the gradual climb up to Ben Macdui I fully cleared the clouds but the fogbow was still following me and the clearest ever.
It didn't leave all the way to the top
By this point I knew there was an Inversion waiting for me from the summit spreading south, east and west. It didn't disappoint, the only hills visible were the nearby 4000ers, Ben Nevis and possibly Aonach Beag briefly.
Above the clouds
For the 2nd time today I dragged myself away, then reversed my route to the top of the corrie, descended the goat track in the rain smiling all the way back to the car park.
Coire an t-Sneachda and the goat track
It's not been easy the last while but - it's times like these you learn to live again...............
