The Cairnwell Munros
Braemar and Ballater
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1. Park at the car park at the Glenshee ski centre. Look out for the sculpture of the famous Lakeland guidebook writer A Wainwright and his wife Betty on the other side of the road. Begin the walk by passing the far end of the main ski building, turning left across a gravelled yard to join a track. Follow this diagonally to the right to reach a ski-lift and the restaurant building. Turn right here, following a track between two ski-lifts and steeply uphill. The track then bends left and forks; take the right hand branch and continue on the badly eroded track under a ski-lift to reach a junction on the summit ridge. Turn right here and then look out for a path which goes off left uphill – take this path.
Photo ©Mick Garratt, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
2. The path leads to the summit cairn at 917 metres; with the high level start this is probably the easiest of all Munros to reach. Unfortunately the extensive developments probably also make it the least inspiring peak on the famous list. Return to the track junction where you first met the summit ridge, and this time continue ahead along the ridge. This descends to a bealach, with a view down to Loch Vrotachan; don't take the path that heads off downhill towards it.
Photo ©Bill Copland, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
3. Instead, continue along the track and take either the next narrow path off to the right (which saves a little reascent) or descend further on when directly above the 808 metre bealach. Cross this bealach – with the ski developments now out of sight and mind – and climb the path up the grassy slope beyond. This continues round above the broken crags of Creag a'Choire Dhirich and passes a couple of small lochans before reaching the small plateau Carn nan Sac.
Photo ©Stuart Meek, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
4. To reach the second Munro, continue west from here across the flat, featureless ridge, beyond which is a final short climb to the cairn. This is Carn a'Gheoidh, the highest of the three peaks at 975 metres, and unlike the other two it does have a feeling of remoteness and escape. From here, retrace your steps back to the bealach below the Aosda – Cairnwell ridge; take the right fork here to shortcut up to the track you left earlier. The track soon passes the top of the chairlift.
Photo ©Richard Webb, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
5. Beyond is the summit of the Cairnwell, the third Munro at 933 metres and crowned with an ugly pair of transmitter masts. It is worth continuing a little beyond in order to enjoy a grand view down Glen Shee with no distractions. Return over the summit of the Cairnwell and back down the track for some distance until you reach a convenient point to leave the ridge and descend steeply to the right. There is no path and the slope is steep, but the going is fairly straightforward – aim for the ski centre and the start of the walk.
Photo ©Tom Courtenay, licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence.
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