The Cairngorms | Loch An Eilian, Creag Dhubh and The Argyll Stone 

I really like how you do longer videos it makes viewing so much more pleasurable and fun. Well done.

Thank-you. Inspiring, beautiful, a lovely start to my morning. ❤

Better safe than sorry and I can attest to that. Went up Stob bahn by myself on a snowy cold day. Crossing one of the frozen streams that cross the path I lost my grip, even with crampons on and instinctively swung my ice axe as a started sliding. I gathered myself and dug in one crampon which gave me time to take stock of my situation. I was at a point on the path where there is a near vertical drop of a few hundred metres down into a stream. When I fudged my way across the ice and was safe it made me think about just how vulnerable you are when out by yourself. Never be afraid to trust your gut and turn back.

Abbie, you love to share, I love to watch. What a beautiful day for that walk. Being on your own up there looked amazing, You inspire us to be adventurous and show us how to keep safe. Another great video.

Another great video Abbie. …and nice to see you honouring the country you are in by dressing in the colours of a can of IRN BRU (orange/blue)!

Thank you Abbie for all your inspiring videos. They are much appreciated.

6:53 - Abbie, that spot on the trail reminds me so much of the path up North Glen Sannox (NGS) valley on Arran, the route west from the main road (A841), starting from the NGS car park. Best done toward the end of winter (I did it on 19/Mar/2022), when there's still snow on the high ground, start off early morning, reach the tree line when the rising sun hasn't quite yet burned off any mist amid the trees, it's totally awesome, like a scene from LoTR. One could be forgiven for thinking one had slipped sideways into an Elven domain. :D If you're ever back on Arran, I highly recommend it. Continuing along the trail, I took the left fork at the river bridge where the main path ends, followed the eastern river bank, shortly after crossed the river to the western bank, headed south or south west up the mostly heather & bracken slopes, to then climb the eastern slope of Caisteal Abhail (859m, the 2nd highest peak on Arran), which is a wonderful climb, partly because few tourists go there, so it's very quiet, also because there isn't any predefined path toward the final stretch of the climb, presenting a more interesting challenge in exactly where to go. It's also great when one reaches the snowline. I would cite some picture links but YT hates such links in posts. To keep things interesting, I descended via the south side into Glen Sannox valley (in the process inventing a fun method of traversing relevant stretches of slope which I have dubbed Heather Bum Sliding), the end of which is not visible from the beginning of the valley; excellent view of a terminated glacial feature called The Saddle. From there a walk back east following the emerging river, eventually past the cemetery and back to the main road. The day before I met you in Blackwaterfoot, a friend & I climbed Goatfell (874m) which is an ok climb I suppose but it's for sure an easier route, with so many people heading for the summit in the high season (great views though). Btw, look up the North Ayrshire Cemeteries App, it's an amazing web site map which uses older style maps that provide all sorts of extra terrain, countour line, summit/feature name, archaeological and other information which is not present on Google Maps by default. Indeed, I found it way more useful than Google Maps in planning my trip.

I’m very late watching this…..sorry 😔 love watching your adventures, you mentioned at the beginning of this video you weren’t feeling 100%……. I want to tell you what an inspiration you are! No matter what you push forward….you’ve helped me overcome so much. Saying ‘Thank you’ doesn’t seem like much, but it comes from the heart 🥰

Hi Abbie. Love your videos. The Cairngorms are very special to me and I have exhilarating memories of the forests, lochs and mountains. I am too old now to ascend the highest peaks so your adventures are meat and drink to me. I particularly admire your meticulous regard for safety, your preparedness. It’s the approach everyone should take. I once turned back before the summit of Bynack More because I wasn’t sufficiently well equipped for the icy conditions on the summit plateau. Like you I was alone and responsible for my own safety. Less than an hour later, whilst descending, I saw the rescue helicopter go over. You are an inspiration, a role model, a lovely human being. Stay well, and stay safe as well as wild.

You are such an inspiration Abbie.. truly, you are. We all have our struggles, and your channel and voice has inspired me (all of us) since it's inception. Thank you! ✌️💚

Amazing content as usual. Thanks for sharing!

What a great day out in the hills, and how wonderful to have that summit all to yourself! I just finished reading Nan Shepherd's book about the Cairngorms so seeing your video was a great and timely window into the landscape. It looks like there's plenty to explore and I look forward to seeing you visit again. Orange is a great colour to be wearing in the snow 🙂 Actually, it's a pretty great colour anyway....

I love the solitude of this hike. Especially when you were on top, looking at your own footprints. That's what I prefer myself. so beautiful. thank you for taking us along.

Awesome scenery. You can't beat being in the mountains on your own - Heaven. Hope you're continuing to recover xx

It was nice to see you in that part of the Cairngorms. I'm from the US, and it's the only time our hiking paths have "crossed." I did a solo trip around Scotland by myself. Not easy, but my desire overcame my qualms, and I just did it. I was in Rothiemurchus Forest to experience a Scottish landscape as close to what it was before humans as is possible. It was in September for 3 days when the multi colors of the heather were still blooming with added color from the yellow leaves scattered around from silver birches and the honey tones of the bracken, some bluebells, very bright yellow-green moss, big, mossy hillocks, Spanish moss in the trees, old Scots pines with their reddish bark and shapely character. It was the most stunning flora landscape I'd ever been in. My hikes included Eilein and Gamhna. At the far end of Gamhna there was no one else, and I experienced that atmospheric silence you talked about. I really connected with that. Although eerie, it was good - just another part of experiencing something new that I'lll always treasure.

It's a great feeling being somewhere nobody else has been. Well, we can pretend and imagine what it was like for all the great explorers that have gone before. Happy trails, Abbey.

Great video. Up there is as close to wilderness as you'll get In the UK. Had the same emotions up there myself as a solo traveller.

I lived in Braemar for a couple of years 20 years ago now... It was wonderful to have such easy access to the Cairngorms during that time... Fond memories of a lot of good times. They can be very serious indeed in winter though!

Best thing about hikes in wintrr is making your own footprints in the new snow! Beautiful place!

As always thank you for sharing your journey with us! "Motivation follows movement" is such a good mindset. I'm going to write that one down.

abbie well said , ive got a big challenge coming up

Wow stunning scenery thank you for sharing it with us.

Hi Abbie, Love the honesty with this video and yes, it’s so important to trust your instincts. You’re so inspirational! Thank you 👍🏻

Choice of champions. Almost all of my clothes are blue and orange/peach, too. Hike on! I enjoy your videos so much.

Nice one Abbie. Thku for your inspiring words. 😀🤙

Hi Abbie, I really love the style of this video. It made me feel like I was there. I'm so jealous as I have Patella Tendonitis and couldn't even manage my local hill today. If anyone has any tips for hiking with a bad Patella, please let me know!

Fun tagging along from here in Oregon, USA. Wonder what those dog- like tracks were doing … perhaps after a hare🐇

Really enjoy your videos Abbey, you're a great narrator. I've wandered around a lot of your Scottish locations as I live here. Please do give me a shout if you're back in Rob Roy Country, I do pony walks and I have a thought you'd love the connection :)

Great video, thanks for sharing 👍

Excellent video Abbie, Good thing about Montana walking trousers they dry so quickly.❤️☮️

👋👍🤗❤️

That was a lovely walk amongst the trees, thanks for sharing Abbie 😊 Your comment about having to feel safe to make safe decisions was insightful - it makes absolute sense, but I've never realised. The drone misting up is strange. I guess there's warm humid air inside? the lens. So somehow it needs drying out - like saving wet electronics - keep it somewhere warm, surround it with rice or silica gel to absorb the moisture ? I guess the lens part should be airtight, so perhaps it was incorrectly assembled in a humid environment ?

Go up onto the plateau at the end of the year, not much in the way of climbing obviously, but a nice test of your gear.

STAND FAST CRAIGELLACHIE.......

👍🏻👍🏻🥰😘

The Cairngorm Mountains are certainly stunning. Stay safe. With Campbell, you don't pronounce the P. It's pronounced Cam-bill.

This is completely the incorrect and unsafe use of crampons, they are meant for ice fields and walls. If you step wrong in the scree, a rock crack, or some tight goarse and lock a spike in, you’re going to seriously hurt yourself and then to have your ice axe to fall on? The skiff of snow you’re walking across doesnt even warrant snow shoes let alone crampons. You would be far more safe with waterproof trail runners and thermal Sox. As for avalanches, are you carrying an avalanche beacon? A wall of snow coming at hundreds of miles per hours isn’t going to break for crampons or anything else. You’re beacon is you only best shot at rescue. I visited the UK and the Lake District and it’s beautiful there. I also understand you dont have much terrain in the UK for Avalanches and ice walls so you’re alpine instructor is doing the best they can with what you have. I come from the Sun Valley, Idaho at the top of the Rocky Mountains, we average 200 to 300 inches of snow a year. We dont use crampons, we use snow shoes and skis to at least have a chance of getting out of the way of an avalanche. Most importantly we use Beacons and an in Reach Mini ii. Ski patrol and SAR mitigate the danger by shooting 105mm Howitzers at the Couliers and Ridgle lines. We do use crampons and ice axes where appropriate to scale a wall or attack an incline the requires technical skills to climb. I do enjoy your videos but the last two are very misleading to people who dont have decades of actual winter alpine experience.

I found this a difficult watch again following your last adventure on Meall an't-Seallaidh. Once again, inappropriate or unnecessary use of crampons and ice axe and talk of possible avalanches with just a powder covering of snow was a little ridiculous! I get you want to show your vulnerable side and you take various actions during your walk that highlight this, which I understand. My issue is with good mountaineering practice. If you are hoping other beginners will emulate your actions I do not think is correct or right and don't think Mountain Rescue would approve either. Crampons are meant for use on ice to stop you sliding away on a hard frozen surface, not soft very thin powder snow with lots of rocky ground. You are most likely to damage or blunt your crampons in such conditions, which I'm surprised you did'nt do! Likewise an ice axe is called an ice axe because it is for use in icy conditions. If you slip and slide you use your ice axe adze to hopefully halt your slide by getting it to grip in the ice as you slide. Its absolutely no good in soft snow apart from balancing you like a walking pole. My worry is that in watching this vlog, beginners will think this is the right technique to use in such conditions. I don't believe it is. By all means be safe, I get that, but use your equipment correctly if you are likely to influence others so they can use theirs in the same manner. Just my opinion and no offence meant but I think the Winter Technique schools would agree with me. For info (context), I have completed the Munros (2001), Corbetts (2013), in all season's conditions, have 88 Fiona's (Grahams) to bag, 9 Donalds and 4 Wainwrights as well. I have ascended Mounts Teide (Tenerife), Toubkal (Morocco), completed the GR20 (Corsica), the SW Coast Path, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and circumnavigated Anglesey amongst others....