Aviemore

High Winds and Helping Hands – The Ninth Frostbite Report…

by Nigel Vardy
January 23, 2018January 23, 2018
1 Comment

Every winter in Scotland is a lottery when it come to the weather. I’ve experienced everything from snowdrifts to sunburn and blue sky to thick fog. Driving north to the Cairngorms, my friend Ian and I were buffeted and bashed even at lower levels. We drove to the Cairngorm Mountain Ski Centre for a quick look at the conditions before checking into our accommodation. We opened the car doors and almost took off. The next days foray into the hills saw us beat a hasty retreat when the wind speed picked up to hair-raising and visibility dropped to nil. For some, this would be scary to say the least. In my world – welcome to the mountains.

Holding Your Nerve – The Eighth Frostbite Report…

by Nigel Vardy
March 13, 2017

My eyes had been stuck on the weather forecast for weeks, before my annual trip into the Highlands with my friend Ian. There had been snow, sun, snow, sun, ice, melt, ice, melt, and then Storm Doris had her day. Reports of driving blizzards and road closures filled my heart with joy. There would at least be snow..!Read More »Holding Your Nerve – The Eighth Frostbite Report…

Trying to Tip Toe in Torridon – The Sixth Frostbite Report…

by Nigel Vardy
January 23, 2016

The end of 2015 brought miserable weather to much of the UK. A time of supposed frosts, snow and ice had produced nothing but rain, and I was concerned about conditions on the mountains of the NW Highlands. As it turned out, they were as challenging as ever…

Scotland – What Did I Expect..? – The Fifth Frostbite Report…

by Nigel Vardy
February 13, 2015March 15, 2015

Friends across the Alps had been complaining to me about the lack of snow for the skiing season. Indeed I experienced this myself in Austria during January, where the pistes were turning a delicate shade of brown. Scotland was to be another matter…

Old Friends, High Winds and Clotted Cream – The Fourth Frostbite Report…

by Nigel Vardy
February 16, 2014February 16, 2014

I had been watching the weather and avalanche forecast for weeks before I headed north to the Cairngorms with my friend Ian. The web was full of reports of horrific looking conditions, with deep snow and driving winds battering the highlands. Thankfully the journey north was swift and ridden with only with tea and pies, but the first night was a bit disjointed…

Aviemore, Avalanches and an OAP – The Third Frostbite Report

by Nigel Vardy
February 10, 2013February 11, 2013
5 Comments

Sitting as many of us do, reading blogs like this in the comfort of our own homes, it’s easy to criticise other peoples actions. I’ve just returned from a week in the Cairngorms where I was fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to witness this first hand.

Scotland the (not so) brave…

by Nigel Vardy
February 11, 2012

For almost 20 years I have climbed in the Scottish Mountains during winter. They hold a magical place in the history of Mountaineering and many pioneering climbs were done here before people moved to tackle peaks across the world. I have just returned from the Cairngorms where conditions were typically Scottish. When I say that I mean, nature bringing everything from beautiful sunshine to blasting blizzards in a day! I spent a week with two climbing friends in the Northern Corries climbing exposed ridges and snow gullies in very different conditions…Read More »Scotland the (not so) brave…