Once again Doug and I went out for a ski, there has been a massive thaw going on up here unfortunately and a lot of the snow has gone.  There is still more than enough to ski on, but not as much as last weekend!

We skied up Carin an Tuirc and along to Cairn of Claise, both Munros.  The snow is quite patchy below 750m but once above that there is plenty to go at

Doug on his way up the first Munro (they are both munros). At the top we sat and ate our sandwiches and chatted to a couple of other people who had skied up.

The obligatory cheese photo fest at the top,  I think I might start taking flags with me as well soon for the ultimate cheese, and one of those oxygen masks for true hero points!

from here we dropped down a little then along to Cairn of Claise,  and when down the the big valley back to the car. 

 A great little ski and hope the forecasted refreeze and more snow for the end of the week happens!

rest of the pics are here

The forecast was fora clear night, a few phone calls to other idiots and the three of us were driving out west to go skiing after work on Monday night.

.

The ski up was clear but the moon was virtually non existent and it was not a very bright night, never mind we have head torches.  It took us an hour and a bit to get to and find the top where decided it was too cold to hang around and quickly got ready to go back down again.  Andy and I had both brought our big lights with us, and when we turned them on Miles shouts of “what the f*ck are they” made us laugh as he looked rather disappointed at his rather lacking light source in comparison to ours!  We did not stand around for long on the top as it was freezing and we were fast getting cold standing around.  Miles whipped out his hip flask full of whisky for the courage needed for the ski down, we each had a few gulps and we set off

The ski down was fun, really changeable snow with the odd rock showing, Andy was skiing on his new skis for the first time and seem to find all the rocks!  A small yelp and whimper every time he went over one.  I still don’t think he has plucked up the courage to look at his bases yet!  We got back down and home by midnight and straight to bed with smug smiles on our faces.  A great night.  Rest of pics can be seen by clicking here

I am sure that everyone reading this will have been subjected to the recent snow falls that have dominated the UK news and talk for the last 2 weeks,  some of us like it more than others.  I am one of them that loves the stuff!  With the Cairngorms receiving it’s first coating of the year it was time to rummage around in the attic and hunt out all the ski gear.  Got in touch with Doug and made plans of where to go.  With a lot of the mountain roads shut, access to the bigger hills in the north cairngorms was not an option, Deeside it was.

We drove to Invercauld and skinned up through the Ballochbuie Forest and out onto the Druim Adhar.  The snow was pretty wind scoured up higher in the open, with snow in the trees being a lot deeper.

It was a glorious day with virtually no wind and was pretty warm.  The poor old legs were not quite used to dragging skis up hill so were complaining a bit,  they better strengthen fast!

Yours truly at the lunch stop just below the top of the Stuic which was the aim of the day, this is a hill just to the west of Lochnagar.  As we went up the snow changed in patches, from wind effected snow, to powdery slab to nice spring type snow.

Doug with the top in site.  Once on the top we sat and had a look around us for future skiing plans and then changed the skis ready for the downhill, we decided to go follow a small gully down that looked like it had caught a lot of the snow being blown around.  It had, the skiing down on the most was great.  There were the few patches of snow that caught you out and threw your weight all over the place.

The ski down through the forest is a nice way to finish of the day, an easy gentle track that gives you enough time to admire the current states of the hills as you go down through it,

A great first day out for this season.  Hopefully it will be another snowy winter, Poor Lara was a bit green with envy at me going out skiing, but she is being very kind and understanding and saying that I should go and enjoy it and there is no point in me missing out just because she has too.  What a lovely wife I have!  When the baby comes I have promised her lots of baby sitting duties so she can go out and ski.

Rest of the the pictures can be seen by clicking here