hilltrek

It is blowing a gale today in Aboyne and we are on the valley floor. What the conditions will be like up in the local hills let alone on Lochnagar or on the plateaus of the  Cairngorms?   Stormy I guess.  I have taken a few batterings from the wind over the years while out walking in both summer and winter.  I rate a blasting wind as one of the most dangerous weather conditions to be out in, I’d rather have it raining hard or -20c below.  While both these conditions have their dangers good outdoor clothing can keep you dry and warm.  However, add the wind to those conditions and life becomes real tricky.  Sure, the clothing will project from the elements but it does not help you keep your feet.  And keeping your feet on the ground is a critical and mandatory element of being able to walk.  It is also the unpredictability of the wind that makes it a top weather concern.  I recall walking up Meikle Pap on Lochnagar, it was a windy winters day.  It was windy from the car park but sheltered SE slopes were keeping the wind at bay until an exposed plateau delivered the gusting wind however, get close to the next SE slope and some shelter was to be gained again.  At the top  of the Pap, there is no plateau but an increasingly sharpening summit.  Not only are you now high enough for the uninterrupted storm force NW wind to hit you directly, you have the vexing of the wind around the summit twisting up the wind.  It is an un-nerving experience, your body knows it is in danger, it can not win.  What I like to do is to ‘listen’ to the wind.  You have to say, OK, today I will not get right to the summit today.  You learn the pattern of the wind, its gusting routine, this gives time to brace yourself to the mountain before making head way in the less severe troughs of wind.  The wind does not run like clock work so you have to keep alert to anomalies but if that is happening lot then heading down the hill is the best answer.

A windy day with rain or snow is even more challenging.  Here the windchill effect really comes to the fore.  While we all do our best to find outdoor clothing and equipment to keep us dry, rucksack need to be opened, gloves taken off and on etc.  The weather gets in.  And the wind just gives the rain and the snow much more energy to achieve that.  Once in, the wind adds it chilling effects.  When out walking in such conditions my goal is to find a place of shelter to perform those tasks.  Whether is be under a tree or lee side of a boulder or the side of a gully.  I use these places to prepare for the challenges ahead or to address changes in clothing or equipment.

In summary, it is the intelligence of the hill walker plus the performance clothing and equipment that makes you best prepared to walk in stormy conditions.

The current northerly wind direction has brought the first covering of snow to the highest plateaus in the Cairngorms.  The day broke brighter than of late today so I headed up the Fungle to see if a view to the Gorms would be on offer?  The wind had kept a frost at bay but the wind was fresh and I expected it to be even fresher at the top of Craigendinne Hill so I opted for my ventile walking trousers, their first outing of the autumn.  Sure enough the Ben Avon plateau has lying snow in the gullies.

Over the next few days the freezing level will descend below the summits of the highest Scottish Mountains.  One of the local weather services for hill walkers is MWIS.  But nothing beats seeing, so a review of the webcams is also advisable.  While this is an early blast of arctic air for us, add in the windchill factor and dangers of winter won’t be too far away.  So, pack for winter hiking this weekend.

The calendar said 15th June but high on Ben Avon and in its gullies winter was still hiding.

The walk to the summit of Ben Avon is best characterised as three long plateau walks, the valley floor walk-in, then the moderate climbed through Fairy Glen to the moorland plateau before things get a lot steeper as the gully climbs the side of Ben Avon to the long flat top of Ben Avon.  I found it a gentle and less threatening walk compared to those around Ben Macdhui however, there was a still a lot of risk around.  Mainly, whether to trust the snow bridges that were clearly being used by other hill walkers?  There were three occasions where the path took a snowy turn.  The first couple looked safe enough as the main stream was some distance way, but I did get a ‘post hole’ on the way down.  However, the last snow bridge was a straight burn crossing.  Plenty of foot prints and boot dirt stretched over the snow but I opted to follow the stream up a side gully and to cross on some expose bare granite, no fear of that collapsing.  Safety first. The weather on the summit was OK but it started to rain and add in the wind, it was not a day for hanging around in the great outdoors.  I could have opted to put on my rain jacket on but I decided for a quick descent to the mid plateau.  I wore my Hilltrek made to measure venture trousers that were ideal for the walk up and half the way down but the lower valleys had heated up a lot.  A quick change into the CraigHopper shorts made for a more comfort.  A 20 mile, 7 hour summers day when winter thinking was still required.