Cairngorm Views!

Looking south from Cairngorm

Day 2 of Hanna's winter skills course had us packing at the ski car park and heading up the Cas Fiacaill towards the Cas headwall. Again the neve was solid today and we had crampons on from about 100m from the car! We headed up the fiacaill chatting about various avalanche assessment ideas and indicators but not really expecting to see much as the snow was so stable. So I was please to find some windslab on the east facing aspect of the Cas Headwall and although it was stable it allowed us to look at hasty pits, hand sheers, trenching and assessing layers using our axe shaft.

We then had a look at some steep snow movement skills like front pointing and choking the axe before getting back onto the ridge and heading to spot height 1141m. From here the cloud started to lift and we did some navigation across Coire Raibeirt and up onto Cairngorm were got some stunning view south. From here we dropped down to Ciste Meredith were we could look at some more steep snow movement skills in both ascent and descent as well as having a look in some snow holes that had been slept in the night before.

Hanna then lead us on a few more navigation legs back down through the ski area and to the car. Another great day.