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Getting Started....... Bennachie - Part 2

Getting Started....... Bennachie - Part 2


Postby neilfowlie » Tue Sep 21, 2010 8:35 pm

Route description: Bennachie: Oxen Craig and Mither Tap

Sub 2000' hills included on this walk: Bennachie (Oxen Craig)

Date walked: 05/06/2010

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Compass - Check.
Map - Check.
Food that could feed the 5 thousand - Check.

Things were looking good. Everything checked and packed. It was a fine sunny morning, running a bit behind schedule but everything looked good. The weather forecast was for light showers for late afternoon/evening but surely we would be back before then!!!!! As Andrea and I headed out I couldn't contain the excitement. I was like a kid on Christmas Day again. The weather was still good but you could see the cloud coming in from the far distance but surely this wasn't coming our way as it had only turned 11o'clock when we pulled into the car park at the Back O' Bennachie. As we headed off I suddenly realised how busy it seemed to be. A few tents were pitched up in a field just to the side of the car park and we could see a lot of kids up ahead. It must have been a school trip of some sort. Oh, how it brought back some memories. "Dear me, I can feel the back of my legs already honey". "So can I" she replied. Now, I'm not sure how far we had walked but put it like this I could still see were we had parked the car looking back through the trees. :lol: Not good. Not good at all.
We hadn't been walking long when we came across a small path with about 7 "stepping stones" leading to a flat stoned seat just off the main path. This was time for some photos, water and an excuse for a quick breather :-).
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Stepping Stones
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The Stone of Scone maybe ????

Soon we could see the tree line at about 300mtrs. "Are we nearly there yet" Andrea asked. "Yeah, not far to go now" Although we were only about halfway up Bennachie I felt I had to say that just for a bit of encouragement. The longer we walked on though the better I seemed to feel.
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The only way is up.....


That small "ache" I had in my legs when we had just started had now long disappeared. Maybe it was the view that was opening up behind us as we climbed above the tree line or the sight of Little Oxen Craig just in front of us (appox. 430mtrs).
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Andrea and Little Oxen Craig in the distance

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The view of Insch behind us.

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Hawk Hill I think???

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Little Oxen Craig

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Craigshannoch to the left with Mither Tap in the distance

Now before we started we decided that we would see how we were feeling, how the weather was and how we were doing for time as I really wanted to do Oxen Craig, Mither Tap and then over to Craigshannoch on the way back down to the car.
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That's were we want to be!!!!

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Almost there

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Oxen Craig, 528mtrs.

By the time we reached Oxen Craig (528mtrs) I was up for anything. We had made it but now the journey had just begun as we looked across to the Mither Tap 2km away to the east.
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Mither Tap and Craigshannoch

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Which way now???

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Millstone Hill

Time for a quick snack and refreshments. As I sat down to have a sandwich I could see in the far distance the sky as black as the ace of spades. "I think we need to start moving" as the black cloud seemed to be getting closer.
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Black cloud over Watch Craig

If we had gone back to the car we probably would have made it to the forest as it started to rain but being determined as I was we carried on. We were about halfway when we heard it, the rumble that is. "Did you hear that?" I asked. Then a flash and another rumble. This was new to me being 500mtrs up with a thunder storm in the distance. If I was to say I wasn't worried then you could call me a liar but knowing we could seek shelter by the side of Mither Tap kept us going.
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On route....

By now we were climbing the side of Mither Tap. The thunder and lightening seemed to be a fair distance away still but i wasn't taking any chances. I think we spent about two minutes at the top (518mtrs) when the heavens opened.
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Mither Tap

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Was that a flash of lightening

I had noticed that the cliff face on one side of the Tap seemed to cornice outwards forming a nice shelter where we decide to have lunch and wade out the storm. At one point the rain was bouncing off the hill side and a few bolts of lightening striking just a couple of miles away but we were dry, fed and watered so all was good. :D
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View from cliff side with Millstone Hill to the right

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Has the rain has passed yet??

An hour had passed when it finally stopped raining and although still looking as it could open up again we thought it best to make a move.
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On the road again

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Last photo of Mither Tap

Craigshannoch was our next point of interest as it was on the path back to the car and after a few more photo's
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Craigshannoch, 480mtrs

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Looking North

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Wish YOU were here

we were soon walking though the woods with the car in sight. Back at the car I've got to admit that I was glad I had came to a stop and was ready to go home for a much needed rest but in the same breath I felt really good about myself and what I had just accomplished and to think how I'm going to feel when the time comes to walk the Lairig Ghru, well like I said, bring it on. :lol:
neilfowlie
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Re: Getting Started....... Bennachie - Part 2

Postby kevsbald » Wed Sep 22, 2010 5:09 pm

Nice atmospheric photo of Mither Tap. Hope your post coincides with a win tonight!
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Re: Getting Started....... Bennachie - Part 2

Postby neilfowlie » Wed Sep 22, 2010 8:26 pm

Yeah, here's hoping there isn't ANOTHER shock cup exit to a minor team. :?
I was looking at your reports this morning and seen that you have did Mount Keen about a year ago. I was intending to be going up there this Saturday. Looks a really good walk. Any tips or "look out for" sights and is this Balnamoon's Cave that I've heard about far off the beaten track???
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Re: Getting Started....... Bennachie - Part 2

Postby kevsbald » Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:41 pm

Thank Vernon for that! Mount Keen great walk - can't go wrong. Great path the whole way.
I think the cave is a good walk from the Queen's well, off to the left and towards the impressive looking mound to the West, where someone on my post commented on it. Good luck finding it.
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Re: Getting Started....... Bennachie - Part 2

Postby neilfowlie » Thu Sep 23, 2010 7:44 am

My thoughts exactly. Aberdeen with a prolific striker, surely not :lol:
I had a moment last night and and found it on the map. You're right, it's about 3km of to the left at the Queens Well. Will see how the trek is going and if the weather is good might try and catch it on the way back to the car. After bagging my first Munro cave hunting might be the last thing on my mind :D
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Re: Getting Started....... Bennachie - Part 2

Postby walk aboot » Thu Sep 23, 2010 9:59 pm

Great report, those walks look good, lots of character to them :) .

Oh and you'll love the Lairig Ghru, seeing as you like to keep on keeping on, it's a terrific walk :D .
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Re: Getting Started....... Bennachie - Part 2

Postby neilfowlie » Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:49 am

Thanks for that. Just love going up Bennachie. There are so many different ways you can approach Bennachie as well which is always an added bonus. Doing the Lairig Ghru was a couple of weeks ago. I won't say much as my report is to follow but all I will say is "awesome" and that I'm nae still roaming the Cairngorms tring to find our way home :lol:
I was say as well I love reading your reports. I remember reading Lairig Ghru, No nae noo...Pub calling. Superb :D All I can say is thank god where we started there isn't a bar at the Lynn of Dee as that's were we might of ended up. :lol:
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Re: Getting Started....... Bennachie - Part 2

Postby walk aboot » Fri Sep 24, 2010 10:06 am

Good stuff, look forward to reading your report :thumbup: .

Bennachie was my 3 year old nephew's first hill walk this Summer 8) (he lives in Inverurie), so I'm hoping he'll take me next time I visit (might have to bribe him with sweeties first) :) .
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Re: Getting Started....... Bennachie - Part 2

Postby neilfowlie » Fri Sep 24, 2010 1:39 pm

Three years old. Superb! He'll be bagging his first Munro before he hits primary school :lol: If you manage to tempt him with a bag of sweeties you must do a walk report for it. I would love to know what you think of Bennachie.

Hopefully I'll get a minute to myself at the weekend and get that report done :)

Are you out and about walking this weekend???
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Re: Getting Started....... Bennachie - Part 2

Postby walk aboot » Fri Sep 24, 2010 1:55 pm

...Well his mum did have to carry him back doon :lol: . Will do, when he takes me :) .

Nope, I'm having a lazy long weekend (September bank holiday weekend in Glasgow, yippee!) at home :) ....for the first couple of days anyway, might do something Sunday or Monday :think: .
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