Affric's Creag Dhubh from Plodda Falls (Cougie)

[gld73]

A lazy Sunday start meant I didn't get up in time to try for a couple of subs down Glen Strathfarrar, so I had a look at what else I could do in an afternoon. I still hadn't got round to doing Creag Dhubh (Affric), and decided this would be a good day to do it as it would give me views to bigger hills to see what snow conditions on the munros were like after new snowfall in the last few days.

I opted for the easier approach from Cougie rather than the Affric side, but rather than drive all the way there and have a short walk, I parked at Plodda Falls and walked along the vehicle track to Cougie, adding an extra hour each way to at least make it a proper afternoon's walk. Not the most challenging approach to a hill, but sometimes dry and easy makes a nice change to get to a sub-2000 Highland marilyn.

So on the good track from Plodda Falls car park to Cougie and then onwards to Creag Dhubh. The track skirts around the southern slope of the hill and I don't think there's a path up anywhere as far as I could see, it was just a case of leaving the track and heading up the hill at a point which seemed to look okay. I stayed on the track until the end of the cut-down forestry area as otherwise I'd have been negotiating that horrible landscape of discarded branches, roots and ditches. As soon as it ended, just before the track high point, I skirted around the top of the felled forestry area to a section of dead bracken in amongst the heather, to head steeply up the slope. Wouldn't be much fun in summer with the bracken high, but it was manageable today, though steeper than I'd expected.

Track from Plodda Falls to Cougie

Track continues from Cougie, up the lower slopes of Creag Dhubh. Felled forestry meant the hill was clear to see on the right, though the route through felled forestry didn't really appeal.

I left the track here at some grassy tussocky ground, went back along the hill a bit along the edge of the forestry before heading up the steep slope

Came out on a slight plateau (or at least an easing of the gradient), before another steep section, this time up heather, which got me up to the summit. The long walk in on the track might have been extremely easy, but at least the steep, pathless ascent up to the top of Creag Dhubh made me feel like I'd done a hill walk. It's a lovely summit to get to - a cairn marks the obvious high point, and there are good views from it down Glen Affric.

After the first short, steep section there was this flatter section, a bit of respite before the last short, steep pull up through heather to get to the summit

North to Tom a' Choinich and Toll Creagach

NW to Sgurr na Lapaich, Carn Eige, Mam Sodhail

West down the southern side of Glen Affric

I retraced my route down the steep heather, then instead of continuing down the steep heather or bracken at that point, I thought it looked easier to continue along the grassy, gently descending ground heading more to the west than directly south. With hindsight, it wasn't as good as it had looked, as it turned out to be some failed forestry area where hidden trenches lurked, with the occasional remains of cut down trees adding extra hurdles. Twice I ended up shin deep in muddy water in holes that had been covered, so I was glad to get back to a bracken slope down to the track. From there, it was an easy walk back to the car, with a quick visit to the Plodda Falls once I'd dumped my bag.

Back at Plodda Falls car park

Looking down the main drop of the falls from the top platform view point

[john.malley]

A nice quiet soujorn indeed

[WalkingWithKids]

...rather than drive all the way there and have a short walk, I parked at Plodda Falls and walked along the vehicle track to Cougie

Do you think, is it possible to drive to Cougie? How was the track? I would like to do Càrn a' Chaochain on the same day.

[gld73]

Do you think, is it possible to drive to Cougie? How was the track? I would like to do Càrn a' Chaochain on the same day.

Yes, it's possible to drive to Cougie, the track between Plodda Falls and Cougie is actually in a better state just now than the road from Tomich to Plodda Falls! (I also did Carn a' Chaochain from Plodda previously, again to make a longer walk, but if you're starting from Cougie, both hills would be good to do in a day)

[WalkingWithKids]

Do you think, is it possible to drive to Cougie? How was the track? I would like to do Càrn a' Chaochain on the same day.

Yes, it's possible to drive to Cougie, the track between Plodda Falls and Cougie is actually in a better state just now than the road from Tomich to Plodda Falls!...

Thanks!