Ben Macdui Above The Clouds

[Cairngorm creeper]

With the weather very mild for January rather than attempt the walks we had planned for winter conditions we decided to revisit some Cairngorm favourites and today headed out for Ben Macdui. We followed the main path up to Ben Macdui (the Ben Macdui motorway) and then walked across the plateau and descended down Fiacaill a Choire Chaise.
It started of as rather a grey day with a uniform blanket of cloud but very litlle wind.
The new snow machines all up and running in the ski centre carpark although I cant help feeling they are a terrible waste of resources is this weather when the thaw factor must be very high. Didn't see a ny skiers but perhaps at 9:30 it was a bit early!

New beginners ski slopes

Although the ground was free of ice and snow the burns had held onto it .

Burn flowing from Coire an Lochain

By the time we reached 850 m the ground was frozen and we were in the clouds, walking in a world of white.

The world of white.

I was quite content in my world of white until we stepped out of it, into bright sunshine above the clouds.

Looking across cloud filled Lairig Ghru to Braeriach.

The cloud flowing just below the Cairngorm Plateau

and again

and again

Ben Macdui ahead

The navigation up Ben Macdui is straight forward with a good path under foot and a line of Cairns leading to the summit. There was snow over the steepest section which was straight forward if you stuck to the middle of the snow but I made a mistake of taking to the boulders at the edge and then when the boulders ran out a traverse on very hard snow was required to get reestablished.
The snow ended as abruptly as it started and it was back to the path all the way to the summit

Ben Macdui

We stopped for a brew and some noodles. A chap from Weston super mare, used to walking in the Breacon Beacons, asked about the descent, as he only had a map on his phone and spikes rather than crampons we advised him to follow the main path back .

Descent From Ben Macdui

Whilst we had been on the summit the snow on the side of Ben Macdui had hardened and an ice axe made the descent feel safer.

Descending the snow

The Lochans on the plateau were well frozen and with the frosty ground and patches of snow it certainly had a Tundra feel.

Frozen Lochans

There were notable patches of snow on the path traversing Carn Lochan, with some long run outs ending in the Feith Buidhe so the ice axe came into play again .

Traversing Cairn Lochan

As we were making our way along here, the chap from the summit caught us up, having decided to cross the pateau, and we walked with him round to the top of Fiacaill a Choire chaise when he wandered of and went his own way. I hope he got down safely!

The rim of Coire an t Sneachda

The Weather started to change as we reached the top of the descent route and some very moody looking clouds was gathering around the coire rims. However it stayed mild and calm during out descent. There was only minimal snow walking down the ridge and we followed our usual route across the two minor tops and down the heathery path into the bog at the bottom . We donnedhead torqches as we reached the minor tops on route and for once managed to avoid falling into peat hags making it back to the car for 5pm. Whenever we have not visited the cairngorms for a while we are struck by just how majestic they are.