Monday 18 February 2013

4 star touring - beinn mheadhoin

In the SMC book Ski Mountaineering in Scotland, this tour is given 4/5 stars, and today it was worth every one of them.


Our adventure today took us up to 1141m at the top of Fiacaill a'Choire Chais before the fantastic descent down Coire Raibeirt.


 Perfect spring snow, a (very nearly) complete gully - just one hole to avoid - and amazing views.



Neither of us felt brave enough to ski across Loch Avon, so a quick skate around the side of the loch brought us around to the start of the skin up to Beinn Mheadhoin.




From the summit, we headed into the Creag Dhubh and being very careful not to catch an edge, enjoyed the ever steepening slope back down to Loch Avon - definitely not spring snow on this north slope.


Thinking light thoughts, we were brave enough to ski across the loch this time and headed back up to the saddle, onto the plateau, where we joined the masses for the final (and without doubt) the worse descent of the day - the piste.