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Creag Dubh (newtonmore) 12-5-09

PostPosted: Wed May 27, 2009 10:51 am
by Julie
It was such a lovely day ,(12-5-09) not a cloud in the sky and a bit breezy, my pal came down from Inverness and we decided to head up Creag Dubh. I've done it lots of times to An Torr as a hill run but had only been all the way along the ridge to the summit once, in dreich weather.
We set off from the A86 just west of the village, small parking available where the wildcat trail crosses the road and headed up past the riding school, across a cattle grid, through a gate and highland cows and on to the track, round the 2 bends then a faint path comes off on the L which improves and heads up through birch woods, deceptively climbing until it reaches the steep bit which is a slog on a slightly boggy path up and up, a slight scramble round the edge of a crag then up to ann torr and along the ridge to the summit.
The views were fab, out to the Ben, down to Glen Banchor and across the A9.
Lazed about on the summit for an hour then headed back to the house for big cups of tea in the garden Shame it's not that sunny today....

Re: Creag Dubh (newtonmore) 12-5-09

PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 9:21 am
by Myth
Julie wrote:I...we decided to head up Creag Dubh. I've done it lots of times to An Torr as a hill run ....

Oh Good Grief! Hill runners make me green with envy - I struggle to maintain sufficient head of steam to walk up hills without stopping, let alone contemplate running!

Re: Creag Dubh (newtonmore) 12-5-09

PostPosted: Thu May 28, 2009 10:07 pm
by Julie
Hi myth, it might sound impressive but i actually walk up as fast as i can, knowing it's not too long and the agony won't last then you get the great fun of hurtling down, thats why i do it, so please don't be that impressed...

Re: Creag Dubh (newtonmore) 12-5-09

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 8:02 am
by Paul Webster
I've always fancied doing that hill - it looks so tempting from where the Wildcat Trail crosses the road up Glen Banchor.

Re: Creag Dubh (newtonmore) 12-5-09

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:11 am
by Julie
It is a great hill, i can see it from my house and that always makes it better somehow. The wildcat trail is well worth doing too. here is link to the details of it from the Newtonmore community website
http://www.newtonmore.com/wcat.htm
It is THE NEW 10KM (6.2 mile) WILDCAT TRAIL EXTENDS RIGHT AROUND NEWTONMORE, PROVIDING WALKS THROUGH RIVERSIDE, MOORLAND AND FOREST IN AN EVER CHANGING KALEIDOSCOPE OF THE RICH VARIETY OF LANDSCAPE THAT IS NEWTONMORE. THE WALK CAN BE TACKLED AS A COMPLETE CIRCUIT, OR IN 6 SEPARATE SECTIONS.

Re: Creag Dubh (newtonmore) 12-5-09

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:31 am
by Paul Webster
Yes, we've got it here - http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngorms/wildcattrail.shtml
A great effort by the community group to set that up.

Re: Creag Dubh (newtonmore) 12-5-09

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 1:35 pm
by bio-man
Hi Julie

Can't say I've climbed this one, but I've spent a lot of time on the Monadh Liath hills, especially over the last 12 months. Even lost a boot to the fast-flowing Allt a Chaorann :lol: but that's another story!! I like Newtonmore, especially The Glen Hotel!! One of my colleagues, Paul Mellis lives there, helps out with the shinty team!

Re: Creag Dubh (newtonmore) 12-5-09

PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2009 2:58 pm
by Caberfeidh
I heard of a bunch of rock-climbers from Aberdeen who went to climb on Craig Dubh (nicknamed Craig Death because of the unnerving amount of sheep skeletons littered around the foot of the cliffs). One of the hard men was committed to a move, gripped by the exposure and steepness, his running commentary a litany of expletives expressing his fear and trepidation at his situation on surely one of the highlands more demanding rock-climbs, as his worried entourage looked on. He was deflated, to say the least, when A SHEEP WALKED DOWN HIS "SEVERE" CLIMB, and making it to safety at the foot of the cliff, commenced grazing unconcernedly. Thus is danger, as is beauty, in the eye of the beholder...