A friend and I arrived at Aviemore on the morning of April the 2nd, 1940. Neither of us ever having been to Scotland before, we were glad to see that there were some snow covered mountains visible, but rather depressed when we learned that they were ten miles away. Later on the rest of the party appeared in a very ancient Riley. We were delighted to see the car, for we had not been looking forward to making a twenty mile march to and from the mountains each day. That same day we motored as far as Glenmore Lodge by way of a dreadful road, and then climbed up the north ridge of the Cairngorm. All of us were in poor condition and did not reach the plateau below the final slope until six o’clock in the evening. The weather was bad so we decided to run down while the light was still good, and came down by Corrie na Ciste, At first the snow was very wind-swept but lower down we found powder, and finally we had a run out on spring snow. We took off our skis at about 2,000fcet. It was then almost dark, and we had some difficulty in finding our way back to the car. Blundering along through thick heather, and falling into streams in the dark, especially when you have a heavy pair of skis on your back, is an unpleasant pastime.
The following day we climbed Carn Barn Mor (3,443 feet). The weather was dreadful, driving rain which turned to snow higher up, On top we could see nothing for mist, and spent a clammy twenty minutes looking for the summit cairn, without success. The descent was amusing, the snow being at first very slow and heavy, while lower down we found spring snow. We were able to ski down to 1,700 feet, so we had only a short walk back to the car, which had been left at Achlean in Glen Feshie. Next day we ascended the Cairngorm. We were lucky enough to hire some ponies from Glenmore Lodge, and these carried our skis and one lazy member of the party up to the snow. The rest of us plodded behind the caravan and were kept amused by the unruly antics of the ponies, who seemed most anxious to throw off their burdens. We reached the summit at about 2 p.m. The weather was fine and not particularly cold, so we spent an agreeable afternoon on the slopes of Corrie Raibert, where we found some good powder snow.
On an off day we motored over to Dalwhinnie, where we discovered a dreadfully steep looking slope and practiced a few slalom turns. A fall cost one about 40 feet in height, and if one was particularly unlucky a plunge into an icy stream as well. A rainstorm soon drove us back to the car, and we motored home to hot baths and a large tea. April the 10th was the best day of our holiday. The day was cloudless, and the sun shone with Alpine ferocity, with con- sequent appalling results to our faces. We let Glenmore Lodge early, and reached the summit of the Cairngorm before midday; here we basked in the hot sun and admired the wonderful view of snow-clad mountains in every direction, but we were not able to identify many of them as we had never been to Scotland before. The previous evening we had heard of the German invasion of Denmark and Norway, but on that day the war might have been on the other side of the world, so far as we were concerned. After a time we ran down Corrie Raibert as far as the Loch Avon precipice. The snow was in very good condition. We then turned west, climbed to the summit of Cairn Lochan (3,983 feet), and later crossed the plateau lying between Ben Macdhui (4,296 feet) and this mountain. About thirty minutes of climbing brought us to the summit cairn at half-past five. We saw no sign of the Grey Man, nor were we disturbed by the sound of an invisible companion. Perhaps these unpleasant creatures only manifest themselves in misty weather. The view from the summit of Ben Macdhui is very fine, and when covered with snow the diffs of Braeriach and Cairn Toul have a truly Alpine appearance. We had very little time before dark, so we were soon hurrying back across the plateau. At sunset we reached the col between Creag an Leth-choin and Cairn Lochan. A superb descent of 2,000 feet down Corrie Allt Creag an Leth-choin brought us to the Cairngorm bothy just as it was getting dark. We were well satisfied with our day’s expedition, with its perfect weather, good snow, and some 3,500 feet of downhill running.
On .html occasion we discovered that even as late as in April, conditions could be very severe. We were caught at an altitude of 4,000 feet by a blizzard of Alpine force. The wind was terrific, and the cold intense; we were all glad to get safely off the mountain. Skiiers should remember that these mountains are very isolated, and that a descent into the wrong valley may mean a twenty mile walk to the nearest habitation. The weather is fickle, and blizzards arrive without apparent warning. Parties should be fairly large, and plenty of warm and windproof clothing should be taken. Needless to say, a map and compass’ are quite essential. Except at Easter one rarely meets with other skiiers, so that in case of mishap a party would probably have to rely on its own resources.
There is generally plenty of snow from the middle of January until the middle of May. Before January the snow is seldom packed in the gullies and corries. Conditions vary considerably from year to year. During the first three winters of the war, ski-ing was possible from December until the end of May, while the winter of 1942-43 brought very little snow. Probably April is the best month all round for a Scottish ski-ing holiday. There is a reasonable hope for a fair amount of fine weather, and furthermore the days are longer and warmer. Later in the season one encounters spring snow, while earlier there is often a good deal of unpleasant wind crust.
Intending skiiers will find a great deal of useful information in the 1943 Year Book of the Ski Club of Great Britain, and also in the December 1939 issue of "Ski Notes and Queries ", which is published by the same club.