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Scottish Winter Meet Report – Cairngorms.
The Cairngorms don’t do gentle welcomes in winter. They test you first; wind that rattles your balance, spindrift that fills your hood, and decisions that matter. After a few lean years of hoping for snow and arriving just too late, this winter meet finally got what we asked for… and then some.
After three winters of poor conditions from rapid thaws, bare hills, and snow that never quite arrived, this year the pendulum swung the other way. Heavy snowfall in the week before the meet, combined with strong south-easterly winds, had loaded the hills with unstable windslab on north-west through to north-east aspects. Avalanche risk sat firmly at considerable all weekend, shaping every decision we made and keeping us firmly in winter-thinking mode.
The team rolled in on Thursday evening, the drive north already hinting at what lay ahead as snow fell steadily on the A9. Railway Cottage, our now well-established base camp, was as welcoming as ever, warm, familiar, and perfectly located in the town of Aviemore. A few pints of Cairngorm Brewery’s Wildcat helped us settle in, pore over forecasts, and sketch out flexible plans for the days ahead.
Friday brought gale-force winds, and the road to the ski centre was buried under more than two metres of snow. Rather than force our way higher, we made a great winter mountain journey over three Corbetts above Glenmore Lodge: Meall a’ Bhuachaille, Creagan Gorm, and Craiggowrie. Above the snowline, the hills were transformed with thick rime, savage gusts on the ridges, and navigation that demanded full attention. A refresh on snow pits along the way, led by Brendon, gave us a clear look at the unstable windslab lurking on lee slopes; a timely and very real reminder of why avalanche awareness matters. A long stomp back through the forest tracks rounded off a properly satisfying winter day.
Saturday delivered a slight easing of the wind and open snow gates, giving us access to the Northern Corries. The gullies were heavily loaded and still firmly off the menu, so we opted for rock routes and some classic Cairngorm winter mountaineering. Coire an t-Sneachda was the venue, and we set our sights on Twin Ribs (II), followed by Fiacaill Ridge (II). With crampons, axes, and harnesses on, the day became everything a winter meet should be: careful movement, good decisions, and a steady build of confidence. Excess powder forced us to bypass the final pitch of the Fiacaill Ridge, and reversing the route in rising wind and spindrift added an extra layer of ‘spice’. Descending on wind-loaded powder slopes demanded focus from everyone, but the team handled it brilliantly.
The reward was an excellent day out, and the simple pleasure of food, beers, and shared stories back at the cottage that evening.
By Sunday morning, with warmer temperatures forecast and a sense of quiet satisfaction in the group, there was no rush. A slow breakfast, bags packed, and we headed south, leaving the Cairngorms behind, already talking about the next one.
Winter adds something raw and uncompromising to the mountains. It sharpens judgment, deepens skills, and turns familiar hills into somewhere entirely new. The Cairngorms are a perfect classroom for this. Big terrain, serious weather, and endless scope for learning, whether that’s navigation, movement on snow, avalanche awareness, or technical climbing. Winter meets aren’t just about two-axe climbing. They’re about journeys, ridges, mountaineering days, and shared experience in serious conditions.
If you love the mountains and want to experience them at their most demanding and most rewarding, get involved next time. Scottish winter is something special, and it’s even better when shared.
Members: Stu G, Brendon, Jamie, Steve D and Charlie.
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