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I got the top of "Carn Crom" and saw that the time was only 5.30am. If I was an hour ahead of schedule then maybe I had forgotten to put the clock forward on my seldom-visited phone. Having verified that it was the correct time it dawned on me; try checking the map. And sure enough, I had only got as far as Creag Bad an t-Seabhaig. So I hadn't gained some mysterious covid vaccine fitness boost side-effect after all. Disappointing as that was, it was comforting that my plodding progress is so predictable and, sure enough, to the minute, I was at Carn Crom for 6.30am in time to see the sunrise.
Actually the first time I've used the new headtorch that I bought last November. I bought it because it is rechargeable / planet saving but hadn't yet used it for an extended period because of frustration with its too easy to depress on/off button i.e. I would stow it then find it was on, leaving me uncertain as to how much juice would be left in it. I suppose it's just a matter of not over-packing the pocket I put it in.
Lochnagar.
Something mysteriously appealing about the half-light or is it appealingly mysterious.
Beinn a' Glo not yet aglow.
Beinn Mheadhoin and Glen Derry from just below Carn Crom.
Mind and eyeballs travelling illegally more than five miles into an adjacent local authority area.
First view across to Cairn Toul & co. is fairly jaw-dropping, possibly because it is concealed during the ascent of Carn Crom.
Carn Crom cairn.
Cairn Toul and Braeriach.
The way to Derry Cairngorm.
Lochnagar again.
Ptarmigan waiting about to see if they'll get their photos taken.
I had been deceived by the first snow patch into thinking I was near the summit but soon found I had a bit to go.
Views have opened up again though.
Coire Sputan Dearg cliffs.
Ben Lawers.
Beinn Mheadhoin with Stob Choire Etchatchatn cliffs in front / to the right.
Cloud drifting across Craig Derry slopes.
The sunshine reflecting off the snow is a sight for sore eyes.
Leaving the final snow patch, which has been great fun to walk on, and entering the hell that is the small summit boulder field. Hell for me, at least, as I dislike boulder fields.
But I am in no hurry to start boulder hopping (or boulder stumbling in my case) so I take another photograph.
I dislike the summit terrain but I do like the views!
Lochnagar again.
Cloudy to the north east.
Giving my ankles a rest. Beinn Mheadhoin again.
Roller-coaster.
My heart sank when I saw that there was not one summit cairn but two. I nevertheless did the extra stumbling so that I could legitimately claim to have climbed Derry Cairngorm but in some way I feel I should have resisted and that it would have been better to be able to later say that I had nearly climbed Derry Cairngorm as that is clearly a much more sensible thing to do.
Devil's Point catches the eye to the south west.
It's maybe not such a good idea to have stunning views from bouldery summits (I don't know who is responsible for the planning) or, indeed, to visit the absolute summits of such bouldery summits.
Ready to descend.
Goodbye boulders.
Ben Lawers again.
Lochnagar again.
Morven maybe.
There are good views of Glen Derry to be had by heading a little bit east of the main path.
Nearing Carn Crom again.
Finished the descent with a very pleasant walk through the pines that I couldn't see in the dark of the morning.
But I find that I still have to be careful where I put my feet.