It was just meant to be Beinn Mheadhoin from the west ...

[gld73]

Having done the 3 munros at Creag Pitridh the day before, I thought my legs might not be up to a multi munro walk today. Forecast was particularly good for the Cairngorms though, so I decided it was the ideal day for Beinn Mheadhoin, doing the route from Cairngorm ski centre as it means a much shorter drive for me than driving all the way round to Linn of Dee. 19km and 1560m of ascent seemed plenty ....

...But I got to Beinn Mheadhoin in good time and saw another big hill nearby. Got the map out and checked - Derry Cairngorm? Excellent! Another one I'd thought I'd have to do from Linn of Dee, but could add on today before returning the same way...

...Only I then got to Derry Cairngorm and the thought of going down to Loch Avon only to go back up the steep path the other side didn't really appeal ... and a circular walk is always nice ...so again the map came out and heading back over Ben Macdui looked good both on paper and on the ground ...

So my 1 munro there and back 19km walk ended up as a 3 munro 28.6km circular walk. And was a brilliant day out

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Due to the funicular railway repair works ongoing, the walk started off to the right of the Cairngorm Ski Centre buildings, but a path has been put in to still enable walkers to head up to the Fiacaill a' Coire Chais ridge

Joining the path up the Fiacaill a' Coire Chais ridge, you get the views back down to the ski centre and Loch Morlich

Once at the cairn I thought about nipping left up Cairn Gorm, but decided to leave it thinking at that time I'd be coming back this way - so instead I took the path straight on, heading towards Beinn Mheadhoin, its tors already visible

First view of Loch Avon as I started heading down the steep path towards it

I forgot to look for the path crossing the burn earlier and heading diagonally across the hillside, but it wasn't too much of a longer walk just heading down to the loch side and following the worn path along from there towards the Shelter Stone crag end of Loch Avon

Looking over to the boulders, one of which is the Shelter Stone. Not much of a detour to visit it, so I did.

The Shelter Stone. Took a peak in, no residents in the middle of the morning not surprisingly.

Back on the path heading up, view north east down Loch Avon. No paddle boarders making it up here! I'm sure it'll only be a matter of time ...

Having left the path and headed up the steep slopes towards Beinn Mheadhoin it was a nice view looking back down on Loch Etchachan. Hadn't been thinking about Ben Macdui behind it at this stage.

There are a few impressive tors on the way to the summit tor (centre ahead)

Beinn Mheadhoin's summit is the top of this tor. It's a pretty easy scramble from the other side.

From the top of the tor looking back along the plateau to Ben Macdui and, on the left, Derry Cairngorm. It was around about this time I started thinking it didn't look too far away.

Bynack More lies to the north

Back along the plateau and just starting on the path which runs down to the outflow of Loch Etchachan I got the better view of Derry Cairngorm on the left. A lovely day, plenty time to add it on as a detour and come back (again, still not thinking about Ben Macdui on the right there)

Took me about 1hr 20 mins to get to Derry Cairngorm's rocky summit from Beinn Mheadhoin's summit. 2 cairns, I visited both to be on the safe side.

Ben Macdui

Cairn Toul and Angel's Peak further over to the west

Looking back over to the previous hill, Beinn Mheadhoin

It was whilst heading back off Derry Cairngorm's summit that I had a re-think about going back the same way I'd come. Still had plenty energy in my legs to do the ascent up to Ben Macdui and mentally that felt more appealing than going all the way back down to Ben Avon only to have to go steeply back up the other side. So I followed a bit of a faint path which branched off towards Ben Macdui, lost it for a bit, then rejoined the main path higher up. On the way to that, got this nice view, down Glen Luibeg I think?

Didn't stick to the path once I found it, as I needed to restock on water. These patches of melting snow were perfectly placed to refill my bottles with the cold water running down from them. Also saw a couple of snow buntings near here, though my photo of them came out as a blurry pile of rocks.

Summit of Ben Macdui - trig point and viewfinder. Never arrived at it from this side before.

It was around 5pm on a nice summer evening, but no-one else around now

Decision time near Lochan Buidhe - head over to do Cairn Gorm (the summit ahead in this shot) and go back down my initial ascent route, or go the Miadan Creag an Leth-choin route to avoid retreading the route by the funicular repair works. I chose the latter.

Cairn Toul and The Angel's Peak across the Lairig Ghru

Coire an Lochain

Almost back at the ski centre car park, one last look back at the northern corries after a brilliant day out

[Sunset tripper]

Nice one. A great route. More scenic doing these hills from the north I think, and Loch Avon is a spectacular setting.
I never fancied sheltering under the shelter stone though.

All the best.

[NeepNeep]

Great trip and a nice surprise to add the other two

[Coop]

Brilliant G well in. Never visited the shelter stone myself- need to.
Had one of the best days ever in winter on Beinn mheadhoin. The summit tor was like a sheet of ice but I managed to get on top

[BlackPanther]

Lovely We did this very route in reverse, back in times when my knees could handle 1500+ m of ascent. I will never forget the steep climb from Loch Avon back to the Cairngorm, very tiring at the end of the long day but well worth it. The Shelter Stone is a spot of beauty, must go back some time!

[dogplodder]

Thanks for lots of great memories from these photos.

That was a pretty epic walk you didn't without meaning to!

[gld73]

Thanks for the replies all - yes, it was a really great day out, reminded me just how good the Cairngorms can be in great weather!
And good to finally see the Shelter Stone .... it always reminds me of a couple of young, fit guys who were brilliantly kitted out for a trip to the mountains in all brand new, top branded gear, made it to the Shelter Stone in winter conditions to stay the night ... and discovered it was literally a big stone to shelter under, not a hostel or bothy as they'd thought. They had a miserable night before being helicoptered out the next morning (Probably not the best use of the search & rescue helicopter?!) I did ask them how they could know about the Shelter Stone, travel all the way up from the south of England specifically to do winter walking in the Cairngorms and stay at the Shelter Stone, and yet not know what it was ....