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I first did this route in June 1994 to celebrate my son Doug's 18th birthday. The entry in my log reads "June 1994 with Donald, Pete D, James, Douglas to celebrate Doug's 18th birthday. Bitterly cold (-2 degrees at top) despite previous roasting hot day in Dundee. Walked up from car park via Cairn Lochan and round top of corries. Spectacular views of cliffs".
I remembered it as a straightforward walk with a good path and great views. The car park starting point is already up a fair chunk of Cairn Gorm's 1245m height and on a fine weather day it would be an excellent choice for anyone wanting to climb their first Munro. I was keen to take my 4 grandsons and a day in August was earmarked for it but we had to cancel due to a forecast of very strong winds.
After disappointing weather in August I was confidently hoping for an Indian summer in September. Well that didn't happen. But my second date looked a bit more promising with MWIS predicting 80% cloud free summits - except that the day before it dropped to 50%, along with the possibility of showers. I knew by this time the grandsons weren't coming as they'd gone down with a bug but James (of the original 1994 group) was bringing his 11 year old daughter so I checked with him if he thought it was okay to go ahead, which he did.
In addition to James and daughter Katie we had Ian, Rona (with her collie) along with Sonya, Darina and Anais (from Spain, Slovakia and France). For Sonya, Darina and Anais it was their first Munro and I warned them it would be cold. They would need warm layers, gloves, hats and waterproofs as it was forecast to be minus 5 degrees on top. Darina said they were used to much lower temperatures than that in Slovakia and it would be fine..... but I think perhaps she hadn't reckoned on the additional wind chill factor.
We met in the car park at 9.30 and were soon on our way, down the steps and over the bridge - all in good spirits.
Group at start
Good path heading west (Ian's photo)
Crossing the Allt Coire an t-Sneachda
Not feeling the cold - yet
A pre-summit conference
Once into the cloud there was a persistent smirr of rain so we donned waterproofs. I regret now not giving my waterproof trousers to one of the girls since my Paramos meant I didn't need them. I offered them at various points but they were declined and remained at the bottom of my rucksack for the duration of the walk, doing no good to anyone. I was wearing woollen gloves (okay until they got soaked) so gave my waterproof gloves to Anais who didn't have any with her and wished I'd brought my ski gloves to give to Darina whose half gloves left her fingers exposed. Note to self: Always assume newbies won't be adequately equipped if weather turns challenging.
During the first half hour we played a game of team tag with a large group of men heading for Ben Macdui. Some of them started in shorts and fairly quickly stopped to add a layer. They passed us and we them about four times before we left the path to cross the flat wet area on the way to climb the stony shoulder of Cairn Lochan.
Macdui men below us
Coire an Lochain
View north from slopes of Cairn Lochan
Once on the plateau the weather ratcheted up to strong wind from the south driving horizontal wet snow and sleet (if there's any difference between wet snow and sleet) into us. It was very fine and doesn't show in the photos but gave the effect of walking into a grey opaqueness. By the time we reached the top of Cairn Gorm my Paramo trousers which have never failed me yet had admitted their first defeat. Constant sleet-drenched wind from the right had penetrated the side zip and water had seeped in.
To be fair to the Paramo trousers they don't owe me anything. I got them reduced in a Tiso sale in 2011 and have worn them on most winter walks since, have torn the seat sliding down a snow field and ripped the inside leg climbing over a barbed wire fence. I just didn't expect them to come unstuck on an easy walk up the Cairn Gorm. It goes to show how much we need to respect the changing weather on the arctic tundra of the Cairngorm plateau.
View north into the abyss
When we reached the cairn at the top of Cairn Lochan we took our rucksacks off and sat down to have a bite to eat. Through a break in the cloud I could see Loch Etchachan and launched into my tale of Moira's broken ankle and our rescue by helicopter, dogs and all. But if anyone was listening their faces registered no interest and (my dubious story-telling skills apart) it crossed my mind that unresponsiveness can be an early sign of hypothermia. James must have had the same thought as he said "We need to get moving" so the rucksacks went straight back on and we were off. Sometimes it's a fine balance between the need for food and the need to keep moving.
I felt sorry for the girls experiencing more challenging conditions than they'd bargained for and can still hear Darina's plaintive voice "I can't feel my hands...". There was nothing could be done about it except keep going and to their credit they kept up a good speed, with Ian in the lead and me bringing up the rear to make sure we lost no stragglers.
Photo doesn't show it but wind was driving fine wet snow at us from the south
Skirting above Coire an t-Sneachda
Looking back at Stob Coire an t-Sneachda which we came over
As we approached the start of the final ascent the clouds parted to give clearer views to the south west. I'd got moisture on my camera lens and with everything about me wet I didn't even try to dry it so the photos are very poor, but it gives some idea what it was like up there.
We could see the tors of Beinn Mheadhoin
Rainbow as we neared the summit
Snow on lens makes this more like a blurry water colour
The kind of conditions I'd hoped for were the blue skies of 2001 climbing Ben Macdui with Pete and Douglas, or Beinn Mheadhoin in 2010 with Moira, or the scorching hot day in 2013 with Rob and Mary.
Cliffs of the northern corries July 2013
Blurry photo of bedraggled group at Cairn Gorm summit (1245m) Sept 2017
It lifted everyone's spirits when the sun came out as we left the summit and began the descent. Following the row of cairns we headed for the pitched path between rope hand rails down to the Ptarmigan restaurant. The photos of the descent are so blurry I won't bother to use any but once we were inside I dried the lens and had a bowl of Sweet Potato soup which tasted good. Mind you anything warm and nutritious would have tasted good at that point, having not properly stopped for food since we started.
View from Ptarmigan
Loch Morlich
Well done you three on climbing your first Scottish Munro!
We arrived at the Ptarmigan about 1.30 and once in the warmth the girls were in no hurry to leave. After a leisurely lunch and browsing the shop I asked them how they wanted to go down - walking or by the funicular, which would cost £10 per adult, £9.30 per senior (me) and £2 for the dog. I was a bit surprised it was as much as that for a one way ticket and offered to walk down with anyone who wanted to but not one person voiced any objection. They were getting the train down, no question about it.
The ride down took 10 minutes, accompanied by a commentary about the landscape and how the funicular works. Looking back up to where we'd been it was now so clear I pulled into the car park on the north side of Loch Morlich so the girls could see where they'd walked.
Tracing their route looking up from Loch Morlich
Cairn Gorm means blue hill, which sounds cold and for us it had lived up to its name. Just a pity we hadn't been up there a few hours later when the sky was blue and the sun was shining!
Cairn Gorm and northern corries from Loch Morlich
After the blues of their cold wet walk round the northern corries the girls were in jubilant mood. They'd found it challenging but were so chuffed they'd done it and only sobered up when we came across an accident at the junction with the A9. Two badly damaged vehicles and police in attendance were a timely reminder to take care on the journey home.
Here are a few photos from a walk up Cairn Lochain in August 2011 which show Coire an Lochain in a better light than we got in September 2017!
Final one in a post.
