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Today proved to me that sitting in a university library all day all week may help me get a degree, but it doesn’t help my fitness much. This was my first Munro in over a month and I could not wait to get out. The forecast for the cairngorms was for sunshine and no cloud whatsoever. I left the house in the morning not knowing what to expect upon arrival given that when I left, I was driving through crazy thick fog.
- The fog upon leaving
When the fog hadn’t lifted by the time I reached Perth I was beginning to doubt if I'd get any kind of a view on my way up the hills but as I reached Dunkeld the fog gave way to stunning early morning sunshine on the scintillating colours of autumn.
- Blue skies but pockets of low cloud lingered
Heading up the A9 the layby's were chock a block with keen walkers hoping to make the most out of a cracking day. I puled over in layby 87 just short of Dalwhinnie and got ready to head off up Carn na Caim and A'Bhuideanach Bheag.
Crossing over the A9 I headed through the gates leading onto the moorland and began my ascent.
- Gateway to the hills
The walk up was not overly steep but I found myself stopping fairly regularly. Not that this was a bad thing as it gave me a chance to turn around and appreciate the stunning views over Dalwhinnie and the Cairngorms.
- Looking over Dalwhinnie
The slopes rather quickly "levelled" out and I veered left at the fork in the path. Carn na Caim was to be number one for the day. From the end of the initial steep climb there was not much more of a climb between there and the summit however, from out of nowhere I began to tire quite quickly. Just one of those days unfortunately. 45 minutes of walking, following the old fence posts brought me to the summit. The views from this featureless summit were absolutely amazing and possibly the best I have seen from my paltry total of now 14 Munros.
- Approaching the summit
- The summit
- Looking towards the Braeriach Munros (I think)
- The corrie at the back end of the summit
After a bite to eat and a drink I headed back to the fork in the path, pondering whether or not I should climb A'Bhuideanach Bheag. I decided not to, I'd bagged a Munro already and the thought of dragging my tired legs there and back didn’t sound to appealing. With that I headed back down towards the A9, back to the car after a shorter than planned but as ever, cracking day up the hills.