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Munro Tops: Creag an Leth-choin
Date: 08/03/2015.
Distance: 22km.
Ascent: 950m.
Time taken: 6 hours, 50 minutes.
Weather: The lot - sunshine, warmth, strong winds, snow, spindrift.
Laziness has made me pass on a few weekends due to unexciting weather forecasts. Stupid really as there have been some decent days. Still, I was determined to head out this weekend, although a minging Saturday forecast made me re-think my decision to spend the weekend in Knoydart. Sunday looked OK though, so I set off for Glen Feshie, with a view to following the glen most of the way out to the Geldie watershed before gaining the Moine Mhor plateau. After driving over the Spey at Kincraig, the road promptly disappeared into about 3 ft of water - about turn! I could probably have reached Glen Feshie via the road from Inverdruie, but I had started a bit late and who knew what other floods there may be on the Inverdruie road.
Instead I opted for parking next to the campsite at Coylumbridge and setting off up the traditional Lairig Ghru path. There were a couple of unvisited Munro tops either side of the northern Lairig Ghru which could be possible destinations. At very least, this would complete my piecemeal crossing of the Lairig Ghru by the most traditional route (although it is possible to start from Whitwell or the Sugar Bowl carpark to save a couple of miles these days).
Lots of this passing through Rothiemurchus:
The first 40 minutes or so to the footbridge are pleasant but very samey - you could be going in circles in these woods and not know any better. The bridge feels like a significant point on the journey, and probably was much more so in the years before the ski development and the road up past Glenmore made access easier by other routes.
Cairngorm Club footbridge:
Am Beanaidh – plenty of water in it today:
Beyond the bridge, the woodland begins to open up a little - there are glimpses to distant snowy peaks surrounding Glen Einich and the Lairig Ghru. The sun came out and there was an abundance of birdsong - finally a feeling of spring in the air
.
Sgoran Dubh Mor appears to the west:
Carn Eilrig:
Track soon turned to path and I began to gain a little height. I decided Creag an Leth-choin would be my target, and had a brief surge of optimistic route planning - I could carry on to Ben Macdui then drop down the March Burn into the Lairig Ghru in the glorious spring sunshine!
North across Rothiemurchus to the Monadhliath:
Carn Eilrig and Creag Dubh:
A boggy stretch of path (mostly from recent snowmelt) led me to where the Sugar Bowl path joins the pass. I had now linked up all bits of the Lairig Ghru, having passed over the summit via the Chalamain Gap last August and walked into Coire Garbh from the Linn of Dee some years ago.
Today’s hill – Creag an Leth-choin:
Pulling away from the infant Druie, a cold wind started gusting. I took a shortcut, scrambling directly up over scree and large blocks to the north of the crag proper. On the shoulder of Creag an Leth-choin, I met fresh snow and stronger gusts.
Back down the Lairig Ghru:
…to Aviemore:
Creag an Leth-choin:
Across the Ghru to Sron na Lairige and Braeriach:
By the time I reached the plateau, the wind was whipping spindrift around and I was in and out of the cloud. A brief stop under the summit cairn to have a bite and peer over the edge of the cliffs, and I was on my way back down. My fingers were icicles - sod Ben Macdui or anything else in that direction, and so much for spring! I was being overly optimistic anyway - due to a commitment later that afternoon, I needed to be back at the car by 4pm, and would have had nowhere near enough time for an extension that long.
Looking down into the Lairig Ghru from the summit of Creag an Leth-choin:
I headed down towards the Chalamain Gap. The remainder of the hard-packed snow was softening rapidly, and I broke through into some interesting cavities between buried boulders a couple of times. This ended after I lost a bit of height, where the only snow was the measly remains of what had fallen last night; sugary and fresh.
Loch Morlich. Spindrift was the theme of the higher part of the walk:
At the Chalamain Gap, the wind had dropped and the sun had come out again a little. I decided to stay high in the hope of some more scenery, so I followed a well-worn path to the summit of Creag a' Chalamain. Again the weather and wind moved in.
Looking into the Chalamain Gap:
Across Loch an Eilean to the Monadhliath:
Things improved as I crossed easy heathery ground to Castle Hill, and I was able to get some great views back up into the Lairig Ghru as I dropped back down to the path.
Loch Morlich and Meall a’ Bhuachaille:
Strathspey:
Braeriach from Castle Hill:
Back on the path – looking into the jaws of the Lairig Ghru:
There were a couple of other parties in the vicinity today, but I didn't actually cross anybody's path until a mountain biker passed me descending towards Rothiemurchus. I had spied him earlier coming up from Rothiemurchus Lodge and he had initially continued on towards the Lairig Ghru, mostly carrying his bike at this point. Until he passed me, I thought he was going to attempt the crossing - probably not the time of day or conditions to be hauling a bike over there!
Creag an Leth-choin and a mountain biker:
Then it was a simple retracing of my footsteps back down to Coylumbridge, passing a couple more folk. The upper part of the Druie where it flows through the woods looks gloriously wild and remote, running as it does at the bottom of a tree-lined gorge.
Allt Druidh:
Back at the footbridge:
Back at the car shortly after 3pm. I was a little surprised to encounter a flood on the road just before coming into Aviemore - that hadn't been there earlier on
. The Spey does begin quite a way west, but I thought most of the snowmelt and rain would have passed this point in the night - there had only been a small amount of rain today plus colder temperatures, so I certainly hadn't expected the level to rise throughout the day. Oh well, a talking point with my flood modelling colleagues for Monday
A fun end to the day – driving back into Aviemore:
