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Inspired by Monty's epic walk in the sunshine this is a report on the same area to show the contrast in snow coverage between May 2010 and March 2012.
Our plan had been to climb Monadh Mor and Beinn Bhrotain which we knew would take us a while so we'd kept it for the long daylight of May. We parked a kilometre north of Achlean and took the Hunter's Path up the hillside on the east side of Glen Feshie.
Views west into Strath Spey
Distant Loch Insh
The path crossed more snow than we expected and without spikes slowed the pace.
The dots are Evelyn and Moira
The dogs were exhilerated and raced up and down as we waited
Then did a bit of digging
Here they come
We passed the turn off for Sgor Gaoith and the view ahead was breathtaking.
View east to the Cairngorm giants - Braeriach, Angel's Peak and Cairn Toul
Braeriach (Moira's pic)
Angel's Peak and flat-topped Cairn Toul
View south over Moine Mhor
Our intended target, Monadh Mor (Moira's pic)
That's the spot - scratch right there!
With the unexpected coverage of snow our collective speed was slow so the decision was taken with some regret that we didn't have time to make our intended target of Monadh Mor and Beinn Bhrotain. Personally I was more concerned about how cold it was going to be wading across the Eidart burn if it was in spate!
So we had a change of plan and turned right to head for Mullach Clach a' Bhlair which Evelyn and Moira had climbed before but I hadn't (so a tick for me then - thanks girls!
)
That view again
North to Sgor Gaoith
Hobbit house
Dogs patiently waiting while we ate lunch
Maps out to check the route
We headed across the tundra
Until we reached the landrover track which seems a bit misplaced in this wide open wilderness!
Did I mention it was cold? It was so cold that even the cairn had its pink woolly hat on.
Summit cairn of Mullach Clach a' Bhlair
We followed the track down which went through lots of snow requiring careful footwork (Moira's pic).
We skirted the edge of Coire Garbhlach which at one point had quite an impressive drop.
Coire Garbhlach (Moira's pic)
We maybe should have taken the high path cutting the corner but instead headed down to the river to find a pleasant area of meadow and old pine trees. So we had to stop there for a wee drink and a blether.
Looks like I've got a touch of snow blindness from all that snow and sun!
The return to Achlean was longer than it felt it should be and I thought I'd be helpful and go ahead so I could bring the car up to the farm to meet the girls. So off I charged, a woman on a mission, until I came to a T junction in the path and didn't know whether to go left or right. I didn't know that if I went right up the hill I would almost immediately come to a left turn into the woods (a dog leg) so because it didn't feel right to go uphill I turned left down towards the river. That was fine for a while but then the path petered out and I ended up traversing an increasingly narrow ledge above the river just because I was too stubborn to turn back.
Then I came to a raging torrent (well a steep sided burn flowing into the Feshie) so there was more clambering and huffing and puffing to get up the side of it and find a place to cross. By this time the other two (who had taken the correct turning at the dog leg) were ahead of me and on the far side of the burn. So much for trying to be helpful!
There was another burn in spate to cross which had the dogs a bit anxious until I found a place to jump over and after that it was an easy walk up the glen to where we left the car.
But what a contrast with Monty's walk the other day with hardly any snow visible!