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Hello and Cairngorms advice for October 20-23

Hello and Cairngorms advice for October 20-23


Postby haslamslane32 » Sun Aug 08, 2021 4:23 pm

Hi all
i have just joined this site and it looks great. I'm an experienced hillwalker getting into backpacking, and I'm visiting the Cairngorms alone in late October. I have a 3.5 days. A half day walk-in followed by three full days - basically leaving the car Thursday noon, arriving back late afternoon Sunday. My roadhead could be in near Auchlean in Glen Feshie or Whitewells or under Cairngorm. Camping, carrying approx. 18kg + food and water.
I know I'm fit enough to make 2km/hour over a whole day in the mountains with an expedition load, and I know in theory there should be about 11 hrs of usable daylight.
I could do with some suggestions as to what is and what is not possible and advisable. I was last hiking in the Cairngorms in 2005 in May.
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Re: Hello and Cairngorms advice for October 20-23

Postby tigerburnie » Thu Aug 19, 2021 8:55 pm

You might not get 11 hours that time of the year if the weather is not kind, days are getting shorter.
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Re: Hello and Cairngorms advice for October 20-23

Postby Caberfeidh » Sat Aug 21, 2021 10:14 am

The Cairngorm ski area car park is good in that you are starting out from high altitude already, though you may want to leave a note with some authority telling them your car reg, and when you are due back so that you don't spark an unnnecessary hunt for yourself! Another good starting point is by Glen More Lodge, heading up the track towards Ryvoan and turning up towards Loch Avon (pronounced A'an) for some spectacliar scenerery around the head of Loch A'an.
The hike through the Lairig Ghru is renowned for roughness and grandeur of geological sights, you could combine this with a trek through to Derry Lodge (good areas by the river for camping, then up Glen Derry to Loch A'an and back over to Ryvoan and down to Glen More or some variant route over the tops. October is an interesting time in the Cairngorms; the midgies and cleggs die off and the air is cool and autumnal, with the roaring of stags in the rut echoing across the hillsides. Beware of rutting stags getting too stroppy; they can be dangerous. Wet and windy weather conditions are more likely than snow, though snow can happen any time high up in the hills, it is unlikely to lie in any amount that would cause problems in October. Let's assume you are sensible enough to seek shelter if the weather turns bad; there are bothies/shelters at Corrour, Ryvoan, Shelter Stone at the head of Loch A'an, Etchachan near Loch Etchachan, Bob Scotts downstream from Derry Lodge and a mountain rescue hut (locked when not manned) near Derry Lodge. In Glen Feshie there is Ruigh Aiteachain bothy.Try searching this forum for posts on routes through the Carngorms, and stags...
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=103&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=stag+nation&start=15#p13448
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=878&p=3691&hilit=+cairngorm+route#p3691
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=82945&p=379741&hilit=+cairngorm+route#p379741

Lairg Ghru sunrise.jpg
Lairig ghru sunrise


Stag Nations hdr cropped#R.jpg
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