20 March 2016
The Stuic (grade I), Carn a’Coire Boidheach, Lochnagar
On the promise of a good forecast a few of us who couldn’t make the Kintail meet decided to head out on Sunday. We’d decided to tackle The Stuic, a grade I ridge to the West of Lochnagar.
The weather was looking very promising in the car park but unfortunately it’s a bit of a long trek into the coire. Two hours later saw us at the bottom of the ridge, a cloudy sky at the top of the ridge and a chilly breeze blowing through the coire. Ah well, nothing for it but to wrap up warm and keep moving. The ridge itself was short lived but great fun, snowy enough to need crampons and axe but never too scarey: the rope stayed at the bottom of the bag all day.
After that it was a gentle stroll over the plateau taking in Carn a’Coire Boidheach before heading up to the twin summits of Lochnagar. Cloud stayed just high enough to afford us good views, and as we bum slid down snowy slopes back to the valley the weather improved. By the time we’d made the long trudge back to the car it was all blue skies and glorious sunshine again.
- Dave (plus Dom and Simon)
