A SCOTTISH SECRET
Touring in the Cairngorms this winter? Keep you eyes open for Britain's only free-ranging herd of reindeer…
Photo Joe Green
Sandy Allan, Course Director for Mountain Tracks’ Scottish program, reveals the joys of ski touring in the Scottish Highlands
There is no denying that skiing in Scotland has a dodgy reputation. Often days start with some hardship, waiting for four-wheel-drive snow ploughs to open the ski road (our roads get notoriously blocked by windblown drifting snow). You would have spent days in the lead-up reviewing the history of the snowpack, and studying multiple weather forecasts and the avalanche bulletins provided by the Scottish Avalanche Information Service (SAIS).
Once you get skiing, you are often faced with highly variable conditions, changeable weather, ferocious winds and rudimentary up-lift infrastructure. Here in Scotland you can forget about immaculately groomed pistes and heated seats on the chairlifts. More likely, no matter where you go, there will be gusting winds, unpredictable and sketchy snow conditions, frozen heather and Cairngorm granite gravel sticking to your skins. Your hands will get cold if you take too long donning your skins, or decide to faff about with your bindings.
With all this in mind, it’s not surprising that people are often willing to accept a higher carbon footprint to travel to the European Alps, and even further afield, than ski in Scotland. But they are missing a trick. The good days skiing in Scotland really are too special to forget.
When carpeted with snow, the Highlands’ rugged and wild mountain terrain becomes Tolkenesque and magical
Tolkienesque Terrain
I can assure you that ski touring in Scotland is unique, incredibly special and truly rewarding.
Every winter the Highland hills come into their own; when carpeted with snow our rugged and wild mountain terrain becomes Tolkienesque and magical.
For me personally, many of my best ski touring days have been in the Cairngorm National Park. The Cairngorm Mountain ski area can hold snow from the early winter until early summer, and due to the high winds there can be huge ribbons of deep winter snow that endure and can be linked together for a glorious ski descent (all be it at times with occasional sections of slushy mud, stones and snow-encrusted heather linking the ribbons together).
One of my favourite tours is to drive up to the Cairngorm upper car park where skis and skins can be donned by the side of the piste. Then, depending on my mood, I sometimes take the lifts to get higher and away from the maddening crowd quicker. But, as is often the case, the lifts are closed and it feels more pure to skin up the ridge named Fiacaill a' Choire Chais. I choose either the east or west side, depending on which lea slopes the wind has deposited the snow. This cushion of snow brings me up onto point 1141, which is clearly marked on the OS map and remains obvious even when the snow is deep and blankets other terrain features.
This is the boundary line where one enters the illusive Cairngorm Plateau, which is worthy of great respect. Be warned that here many very experienced mountaineers have got lost in the tricky rounded and relatively featureless terrain, and when the mist comes down and there is good snow cover you will need excellent navigational skills to stay on route. Even if it's sunny, bright and clear when you arrive, always be aware of the variabilities of the Scottish weather. Mist and low cloud can blow in and obscure your view in an instant.
However, there are many days when it's brilliantly clear and if you do have the luck to have a wonderful weather forecast, one can ski over the plateau with a multitude of route choices. A nice alternative takes in the summit of Cairngorm and over to one of the area's best long runs. with often good powder or superb spring snow. This run takes you from the summit down towards the Marquis Well. This summer landmark is clearly marked on the map but in winter it's frozen over, often covered in sastrugi and hard to find.
You can then continue downwards in large sweeping turns, or short swings, taking pitches that take you progressively southward to ski down towards Strath Nethy; it is vital you aim your sights well to the south of the saddle, but avoid the steep rocks (and amazing winter climbing) on Stac an Fharaidh. Often I rest a while here above the crag, Stac an Fharaid, and savour the stupendous views over Loch Avon along to the steep crags of Stacan Dubha and the famous and huge Shelter Stone crag.
Photos Ric Potter
Outstanding Downhills
Often I’ll stay high above the crags and skin up again above Stadc an Fharaidh, and then after a few hundred meters of ascent, skins can be removed and you’ll catch a cracking descent down through Coire Raibert and continue to contour around towards Hell's Lum.
From there, depending on your mood, you can skin up and follow the rising traverse over towards Lochan Buidhe, and then a wonderful slow climb with the occasional zig-zag to bring you to the summit of Ben Macdui, the second highest mountain in Scotland at 1309.
However, if you are feeling lazier or if you have doubts about the visibility, it's wise to head back in a general north-westerly direction along from Coire Raibert to Coire Domhain, and if you feel like it, along to the summit of Cairn Lochan at 1215m and over. Then you aim westerly towards Lurcher's crag and take the almost always outstanding downhill off-piste run along the Allt Creag an Leth-choin and traverse back to the upper ski car park. Or, if the snow is good, you’ll find it hard to resist continuing downwards to end up at the ski road by the Sugar Bowl car park. If you end up that low you’ll have to skin back up to the upper car park or hitch a lift. However, if the snow on the descent is good, it's undoubtedly worth the extra effort for those superb extra turns.
You’ll be skied out by the time you cover all that ground, but I can assure you that the terrain is outstanding, the views on a good day are truly among the best, and you should get lots of exciting descent with hundreds of turns, along with some challenging up-hill skinning. On top of that, you'll have the warm satisfaction of knowing that you have immersed yourself in many ski-mountaineering skills, including avalanche awareness, route choice, map reading and navigation skills, which only enhances your experience. So while you will definitely feel tired, you’ll also feel like a million dollars!
Behind the guide
Sandy Allan was born and raised in Dalwhinnie in the Scottish Highlands and has been climbing since his teens. He qualified as an IFMGA/BMG mountain guide in 1993. He is renowned and respected throughout the climbing world for his daring and epic first ascents. Perhaps most notably is the first ascent of Nanga Parbat's 8126m Mazeno Ridge in 2012, for which he and climbing partner Rick Allen were awarded the prestigious Piolet d’Or. Sandy acts as Course Director for Mountain Tracks' Scottish courses.
FACTFILE
Mountain Tracks is offering a five-day group Ski Touring & Ski Mountaineering course in the Cairngorms aimed at beginner ski mountaineers on 14 February and 14 March 2021. The price is from £695, including guide fees and transport from a hotel to the hill venue each day. Accommodation, food, equipment hire and travel extra. There is also the option to set up a private trip (date flexible).