Tale Of A First Munro

[scottnairn]

A bit of background: Having plenty of time to kill here in 2020, I awoke late one night with a notion to log my Munro days. I have the collect and scratch map, around 5 or 6 'Hill plans' notes with fragments of information from the years of Bagging and a poet's mind - but what better way to revel in the memories than by sharing with the WalkHighlands aficionados!

My hill journey started in 2014, mid-way through my twenties and like so many others, didn't know what I was missing until I was dragged out and up into some of the finest leg-burning scenery Scotland has to offer. Unofficially, Ben Rinnes was my first hill; my first real 'hill day' is a special story in Assynt upon the inimitable Suilven in April 2014. Roll forward to August that year, and the sights were set on a bigger beast...

Munro #1 - Braeriach [Cairngorms]

Still wet behind the ears to the magic of hill walking, August 25th - as it transpired - was a rare Bank Holiday. I worked a supermarket job and through some deliberation, found Mondays to be a very acceptable day to have rostered off. My walking companion and the mastermind behind these "very long scenic walks" was Matt T - blessed with Bank Holidays off and essentially only available on these sort of days. Braeriach has been touted as a good time in the monthly bible that was Trail magazine - and an earlier August plan had been (perhaps predictably) rained off.

Fortunately, WalkHighlands was a source of information for the curious and willing and indeed, I studied the walk description, the route map, the photos for hours in the weeks prior. I am a stickler for details, but maybe didn't know how to interpret much of it yet!

An early start towards Whitewell, with the low hanging cloud around Aviemore both alluring and concerning. By the time we found our way towards the car park, and through the woods at the beginning of the walk, the sun was breaking through and the heat rising.

Before the haze burned off

Following the WH advice, we strolled through the beautiful pine forest and stumbled upon Loch Deo, before heading over the Cairngorm Club bridge, climbing gently towards the Lairig Ghru. I had no idea how fabled the pass was but figured I would "know it when I saw it", like a peak or cliff of distinction...

A wonderful scattering of Scots Pines

Lochan Deo

I was mentally mapping all the intrigue that we passed by, noting the need to keep some momentum as we had a lot of ground to cover and the day was beginning to heat up! I probably drove Matt up the hill faster with my constant quizzing of the map, stopping to admire the flora and fauna and taking pictures here, there and everywhere. A hill-equivalent to "are we there yet?", my naivete. Very few (if any) Munro I have done has fallen easily - and the third highest mountain in the UK would provide a stern test, even on such a nice day!

Is this the Lairig Ghru? What is the Lairig Ghru? How far to Braeriach from the Lairig Ghru?...

As the hours passed and educated guesses at navigation in perfect conditions were shared, we did eventually start to ascend. The pine forests, lochans and streams left behind, the terrain changed - the skies expanding, the wind occasionally blasting and underfoot, rock became uneven, troublesome and far more prevalent. A plaque (pictured below) hinted that the history of this mountain area had not always be fortuitous, with plane wreckage higher upon the slopes confirming that tragedy exists in the most far-flung places.

A commemorative plaque

No mechanics operate within this area

The Cairngorms peaks, being spread so wide, create that sense of great divide; I was no more confident in the general direction of Braeriach as I was the pronounciation of its neighbours. Negotiating my first boulder field was entertaining but very taxing on unsteady mountain feet. Trying to make sense of the landscape opening up in all directions was fruitless; trodding onwards would have to do.

This could be Rotterdam, or anywhere...

Boulders slow the pace

Nearing the summit, I marvelled at the vast scale of which the Cairngorms occupies, with ridges, glens and plateaux aplenty. I'd never been so far on foot before - the car felt a world away! A mountain hare clambering amongst the boulders, timid and careful, caught Matt's eye and (after much frustrated guidance) became apparent to me and my little camera. Add 'mountain hare sighting' to the list of firsts!

Obvious, when you have eagle eyes(!)

Feet weary, the hill began to round and with drops and glens appearing below, the day's efforts began to pay dividends. Contouring the Sron na Lairige, the likes of Ben Macdui, The Devil's Point and Sgor an Lochan Uaine stole my gaze (even if I could only distinguish SaLU by its inset coire lochan). For as undulating or distant as many of the days views thus far had been, the view across to that lochan, down into Glen Dee and along the Lairig Ghru into the heart of the Cairngorms was worth all the trudging!!

Opening up...

Exquisite!!!

Having found the views but not yet the summit, walking continued until I was interrupted by a ringing. Surely, at this altitude... My mobile ?! Answered the call to my younger sister, requesting my taxi services to the shop. The novelty of being metres away from the third highest peak in the country obviously did not impress as she glossed over the fact with a casual "Ahh okay, never mind! Byeee"

The summit enjoyed over a quick lunch and a few photos, we decided to retrace our steps toward the Lairig Ghru, rather than circling round via adjacent Glen Einich. Why, I cannot remember, but I would suggest time and fatigue as contributing factors.

Matt T poses with Sgor an Lochain Uaine beyond

High point reached, return route loading

More details began to reveal themselves on our descent; a glider circling overhead revealing the Cairngorms as a good place to cruise on thermals; the Cairngorm Gliding Club based in Kingussie has been in operation since 1966 and this would not be the last time I walked in the 'Gorms with an aerial escort!
My soon-to-be favourite mountain creature made for further focus hunting; Matt spotting the expertly camouflaged ptarmigan. I refer to them endearingly as the "mountain chicken" and love the chance encounters which have livened up many a hill day!
Having been such a long, energy-sapping walk, I had my first mountain stream flask refill and it became apparent why bottled water is such a big industry - this icy cool, crystal clear gift from the gods was all I could fawn over for the entire walk back to the car since when did water ever taste this good?! Seriously though, it was wonderful!

Glider riding the thermals

The illustrious mountain chicken

A triumphant and tiring walk back down into the forest, along the Ghru, past the lochan and suddenly arriving to the car somewhere around the region of 9 hours later, and that was the tale of my first Munro. Blessed with good company, blue skies, sunshine, warmth, water better than that of any tap and a head full of burning questions...

How many Munros are there? Where are they? What do you need to climb them all? Are they all that long a walk in?
Gear, knowledge, experience, preparation, timing, luck... Braeriach might just have been 9 hours at the start of the rest of my life!

A mushroom I had earmarked for return route photoshoot