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For a while I had been looking at the Northern Corries. After a long frustrating summer I was able (on a good day) to climb around 700m - this meant that a sort of truncated version of the Northern Corries might be possible, on a good day. With the 600m start that the Ski Centre car park gave, this would mean I would be able to get up high
As always we started late (I really can't manage mornings at the moment) so the car park was busy when we arrived. But once we had walked around the corner the people seemed to disperse a lot and we were able to enjoy the views towards Loch Morlich
Ahead to Coire an Lochain
The stepping stones across the burn were a bit of a bottleneck so we got out of the way so I could play with my camera (any excuse for a break
)
We finally managed to locate the path up onto the Fiacaill ridge (as it turns out, it's really obvious; Malky has just failed to find it every time so far
)
Steep and boulders
It was slow going!
Looking back to Loch Morlich and Meall a' Buachaille
Ben Wyvis in the background
Creag Meagaidh
Finally it felt like we were getting somewhere....
Coire an t-Sneachda
Ahead - the Fiacaill ridge itself
I was very tired so we stopped for lunch - the worst of the ascent was done; the last push to the plateau was the "fun" bit but in terms of height it wasn't much...
After enjoying a delicious lunch and some tea, we got going again. Looking back we could see people climbing up and down cliffs, presumably on climbing courses
Sgorr Gaoithe peeking out
We were now up against The Tricky Bit. Given that pretty much all I'd climbed recently had been small heathery lumps, my scrambling mojo was at an all time low....
I gave it a go, before Malky jumped ahead to show me where to go...
He then got to a bit where he thought my small arms would struggle. He was trying to describe it to me... I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get back down if I couldn't get up, so I decided that was enough. I slid my way back down and cut around the side.
I climbed down most of the route from the top to have a look - there was a family coming up behind Malky - maybe I'd manage it another time. Extra stress was the last thing I needed at the moment...
We did carry on up the ridge from there, and despite being awkward I made it up. The final climb (not dignified but I did it!)
And we were there - I'd made it onto the plateau. I was chuffed to bits
Now on the plateau we could actually consider where to go next - we hadn't really discussed this beforehand as I wasn't sure I'd make it! Rather than follow the normal route, we decided to see if we could get a view down to Loch Avon. Malky assured me I wasn't dropping myself into a hole - if I couldn't manage the ascent to get out again, we could walk straight out down the other side of Cairn Lochan.
Carn Etchachan ahead
Stob Coire an t-Sneachda and Cairn Gorm
Back down the Fiacaill ridge
We were aiming for the lump above Hell's Lum crag - we tried to keep to the best ground without adding any extra height - today was going to be my biggest day Post-Covid without adding anything else
Views back to Cairn Gorm
Stacan Dubh (our highest camp yet) on Beinn Mheadhoin and Carn Etchachan
Ben Macdui
We crossed the Ben Macdui path and dropped a little above Hell's Lum and...boom - the views down to Loch Avon that we were after
We had a short breather here, before deciding that I had enough in me to walk along the top of the cliffs, so we dropped to the burn (not as bad to cross as it looked!)
Shelter Stone crag and Carn Etchachan
There were traces of a path as we came around the corner
Snow!!
Incredible views
We climbed the short distance to the top of Stag Rocks - there were a few climbers packing things away as we approached. The views across to Stacan Dubh and Beinn Mheadhoin were grand
Looking down a gully towards Carn Etchachan
We dropped over a few rocks to find a nice sheltered spot with some good views (shame about Malky
)
Sunlight hitting the slabs at the head of Loch Avon
Loch Etchachan just visible
Trying to identify the Shelter Stone!
Beautiful Loch Avon
Beinn Mheadhoin
Loch Avon
No actual summits today, but a fine spot for a Jaxter
Now we had run out of food there were no more excuses for not carrying on. This was going to be the hard bit - climbing back out. We aimed for a rising traverse which would hopefully get the best ground and the shallowest ascent. Progress was not as bad as I'd thought
Cairn Gorm - a mountain for another day
At last we had made the path! I was feeling my chest a little but nothing too bad. It was definitely enough for today though. A last glimpse of the impressive bits....
Coire an t-Sneachda
Fiacaill ridge and Cairn Lochan
From here it was a long weary descent...
Back at the car I was exhausted but absolutely chuffed to have managed it - my biggest day so far. I hoped I wouldn't pay for it... We bumped into David in the car park - he'd been out Bagging and hadn't wanted to walk with us as we didn't go near any summits
But he did consent to join us for ice cream at Miele's in Aviemore before heading home
