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Recommendations for munro/hills

Recommendations for munro/hills


Postby terezski » Thu Mar 31, 2022 10:06 am

Hello,

Anyone got a recommendation for a munro/hill within 1.5-2hr drive from Aberdeen that's currently not closed after storms and not too snowy/icy these days?

Obviously got good gear and slip/fall awareness (and not hiking in snow novice) but wanting to see if there's anywhere not too challenging in terms of ice etc as my friend who will join is less used to the conditions.

If not, we'll find somewhere with less elevation :)

Cheers!
Terese
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Re: Recommendations for munro/hills

Postby Andy Milne » Thu Mar 31, 2022 4:26 pm

Most of the Munros in your driving timescales will be those in the Cairngorms. The Linn of Dee road has been shut during the week to repair all the potholes, but the last I heard was that it was meant to be finished for this coming weekend. Might be worth checking with the Mar Lodge estate if you are going during the week to ensure the road is open (I believe they opened it last weekend to allow access)
Otherwise you are looking at Dreish / Mayar or Mount Keen
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Re: Recommendations for munro/hills

Postby HalfManHalfTitanium » Thu Mar 31, 2022 5:29 pm

terezski wrote:Hello,

Anyone got a recommendation for a munro/hill within 1.5-2hr drive from Aberdeen that's currently not closed after storms and not too snowy/icy these days?

Obviously got good gear and slip/fall awareness (and not hiking in snow novice) but wanting to see if there's anywhere not too challenging in terms of ice etc as my friend who will join is less used to the conditions.

If not, we'll find somewhere with less elevation :)

Cheers!
Terese


One possibility would be Carn an t-Sagairt Mor via Loch Callater. I've not done this route but I looked into it in detail and it looked interesting and easy. There's a report here including a map - https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=98871

If you get to the loch and there's snow on the upper slopes of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor, you could instead reverse this WH route to a smaller hill (a corbett not a munro) - https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/creag-nan-gabhar.shtml

If you are happy with not doing a munro, then there is also Morrone - I've just posted a report on it (second part of the whole report - first part is a separate walk) - https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=111428. A nice walk with great views, but at the summit you have to mentally blot out a radar mast and other human intrusions.

None of these use the Linn of Dee road.

Tim
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Re: Recommendations for munro/hills

Postby jmarkb » Thu Mar 31, 2022 6:04 pm

Any old snow is likely to be very icy at the moment, so it may be better to stay below 900m.
Other good smaller hills might include Morven https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/corbetts/morven, Conachraig https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/corbetts/conachcraig and (Linn of Dee road permitting) Sgor Mor https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/corbetts/sgor-mor
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Re: Recommendations for munro/hills

Postby Veryhappybunny » Thu Mar 31, 2022 8:38 pm

If looking for somewhere smaller, Benachie is a lovely wee hill, with great views and remains of a vitrified iron age fort on top.
I know someone who has been up it this week, so storm damage has presumably been cleared or can be avoided.
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Re: Recommendations for munro/hills

Postby KatTai » Thu Mar 31, 2022 8:55 pm

You can still do Mayar and Driesh going up from Glen Prosen as it is just the Glen Doll side is problematic (can still go up/down the Kilbo Pass though). Glen Prosen is a nice enough approach though. Can't comment on ice, could well be a fair bit of snow higher up given todays weather.
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Re: Recommendations for munro/hills

Postby Caberfeidh » Sun Apr 03, 2022 5:57 am

Clachnaben near Banchory, off the Slug Road near Brig o' Dye is a nice hill, not a Munro and all the better for it as it is not busy and gives a good wild vibe. Excellent views of the vast bulk of the Cairngorms and out over the plain of Angus. It's easily visible as the hill with the big rocky tor on top.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/aberdeenshire/clachnaben.shtml
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Re: Recommendations for munro/hills

Postby al78 » Sun Apr 03, 2022 10:35 am

Caberfeidh wrote:Clachnaben near Banchory, off the Slug Road near Brig o' Dye is a nice hill, not a Munro and all the better for it as it is not busy and gives a good wild vibe. Excellent views of the vast bulk of the Cairngorms and out over the plain of Angus. It's easily visible as the hill with the big rocky tor on top.

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/aberdeenshire/clachnaben.shtml


Yet the walk description says this:

"Due to the great popularity of Clachnaben the local trust recommend returning the same way."
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Re: Recommendations for munro/hills

Postby KatTai » Sun Apr 03, 2022 11:11 am

Clachnaben can be busy with only a small parking area so on nice days especially in the holidays and at weekends you need to get their early to get parked or start later in the afternoon. Not usually too bad at this time of year but I didn't go passed when we had the nice weather a couple of weeks ago to see what the parking situation was! I suspect it might have been a bit on the busy side.
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Re: Recommendations for munro/hills

Postby Giant Stoneater » Sun Apr 03, 2022 12:24 pm

KatTai wrote:Clachnaben can be busy with only a small parking area so on nice days especially in the holidays and at weekends you need to get their early to get parked or start later in the afternoon. Not usually too bad at this time of year but I didn't go passed when we had the nice weather a couple of weeks ago to see what the parking situation was! I suspect it might have been a bit on the busy side.



For Clachnaben there was parking at the road entrance to Glen Dye just before the bridge over the Charr River, which gives a good circular walk.
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