Two Carns from Glen Callater

[iainR]

Accompanied this time out with workmate Big Jie the walk began at the busy carpark at Auchallater where we set off along the Glen Callater track. Pockets of morning fog still hung about near the mouth of the glen but was quickly burning off with the promise of a blue sky day as forecasted. It took us around an hour to reach Loch Callater where we branched off from the main track and climbed up the narrow hill path which runs up behind the lodge and bothy buildings.

Into Glen Callater

Loch Callater Lodge and bothy

The going on the hill path was great and once we rose up out of the glen and above the loch the sky was clear and the views began to open up. After a quick bite to eat further up the hill we looked for the final route to the summit of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor which i had wrongly read was a path which lead up the length of a drystane dyke but was in fact an old fence line which we eventually found after walking straight passed it !

Down the fence line

A short time later we seen groups of fellow walkers milling about the summit area which was quite wide and was crowned with two cairns at either end both of which we visited. Another point of interest near the summit was the scattered remains of an RAF Canberra Jet which hit the hillside back in the 1950s.

Carn an t-Sagairt Mor summit cairn

Aircraft engine wreckage

We looked around for the best approach to the next hill of the day, Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach and decided to follow the track over the length of the summit area and down to the main path which we'd left earlier. From here we reached a path junction and basically took the obvious left turn more or less all the way to Bhoidheach passing more groups of walkers and a guy on an electric mountain bike! A great view from this area was the distant Dubh Loch and the crags around it.

Dubh Loch and surrounding crags

After a gradual ascent the path leveled out and another junction appeared where this time we turned right and reached our target a very short time later. The views from the summit of Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach were just as extensive as our previous hill but the large expanse of Lochnagar was so much closer and very tempting but alas a bridge too far as our supplies were getting low and the addition of a third Munro would've meant driving back home to the central belt in darkness...nah.
After our second and final food stop we retraced our route back to Glen Callater in the late afternoon sunshine and as usual when i'm walking with Big Jie after a day on the hills we seem to power walk back to the car !

Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach summit area

Loch Callater

Despite the long walk in it was another fantastic day spent in an area i've grown to really appreciate over the past couple of summers and i will definitely return.

[rockhopper]

Nice day for it. Interesting way to approach these hills as opposed to a Glen Muick start. Haven't been in Glen Callater but looks a nice route - cheers

[iainR]

Nice day for it. Interesting way to approach these hills as opposed to a Glen Muick start. Haven't been in Glen Callater but looks a nice route - cheers

That was a route i found on the SMC Munro guide but a Glen Muick adventure will be on the cards next year....thanks.

[Sunset tripper]

Glen Callater is a great approach for these hills. I like to take the bike up to the bothy. Brilliant path from there all the way to Lochnagar.
Cheers

[iainR]

Glen Callater is a great approach for these hills. I like to take the bike up to the bothy. Brilliant path from there all the way to Lochnagar.
Cheers

Mountain bikes would've been handy for the glen section but an old motorcycle injury rules me out of that option !