Ben Macdui loop from Cairngorm Base Station — Cairngorms National Park

Fabulous day on the mountain in really deep snow. Parked at the ski station and headed up the Northern Corries path. Once on the ridge the plateau opens out in front of you with the toute to Cairn Gorm off yo your left. Braeriach & Cairn Toul are off to your right. Cross the plateau and then your destination of Ben Macdui can be seen for the girst time. The path heads fownhill from here into a dip before making its ascent to the summit. North top first and then the actual summit. We did this in thick powdery snow which made each sunken step a challenge but the views at the summit are worth it. Returning we retraced out steps before taking the path towards Cairn Gorm staying just under the summit before heading sterp down back to the ski station. A fabulous hike!

Today was the 2nd attempt to climb Ben Macdui - with success 👍🏻🏔️💪🏻 I've been keeping an eye on the weather forecast for the past few days and today, after the aborted tour, a second window of opportunity opened up. Much better than the storm the day before yesterday, today there was pure sunshine. The climb was a mix of sun and clouds, with a slight breeze and fantastic views. After the first tough meters of altitude came the scree field of Ben Macdui. This is actually not to be underestimated and in bad weather conditions you can get lost very quickly. At some point Ben Macdui appeared and I had the goal in sight. One last climb and the effort was worth it. For a short time the sun even appeared on the summit, but it quickly clouded over again. Happy and motivated, I started my return journey over the Cairn Gorm towards the base station. The way back was in full sunshine and through a beautiful Scottish landscape. Look at the pictures - I almost couldn't get enough of them. The last climb up the Cairn Gorm was again challenging and the path runs back the full height to the starting point in one go. The Cairn Gorm offers more fantastic views. Exhausted and tired, with a souvenir from the shop, I started my journey home. An amazing day with incredible impressions. I am particularly pleased that a second window opened up and I was able to complete this round. Many thanks to the Scottish weather gods for this day 😉 History (Wikipedia) Ben Macdui was long considered the highest peak in Great Britain. It was not until 1847, when the state surveying company Ordnance Survey carried out the first precise survey, that it was discovered that Ben Nevis was higher. Its name means "hill of the black pig". According to legend, Ben Macdui is the home of Am Fear Liath Mòr ("the big grey man"), who is said to resemble the Yeti. Happy Thursday everyone 🙋🏻‍♂️ Collection Scotland: https://www.komoot.com/de-de/collection/2403444/-schottische-highlands-das-nordwestliche-hochland