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Creag Dhubh (Affric) with Kids (9, 11 yo) - the absolute shortest way for hill baggersStats:Total distance - 2.0 km
Total time - 2h39m
Walking time - 53m
Altitude gain - 220 m
Terrain:0.3 km - good forestry track
1.7 km - pathless, a mix of fun
like - grass, heather, bracken, bog myrtle, overgrown remains of felled forestry
, hidden trenches
, covered holes full of water
.
Be very careful and have fun!
The plan was to park at Cougie, first walk along a forestry track and then pathless up. As we parked I spotted Iain, the owner of Cougie, and chatted to him for a while. He suggested that I drive further along the forestry track to a lorry turning below Creag Dhubh and start a walk from there. Thanks Iain!
By the way we took a longer way up, full of fun
and shorter, much better way down.
We parked at the lorry turning and continued on the track for about 300m:
Looking back:
At this place we left the forestry track and headed up along a stream...:
and then up along the red line:
The ground was full of surprises as I mentioned above
. Bog myrtle area:
Hundreds of primroses:
Wood anemone (beware poisonous):
European larch - pink red - young female flowers:
It is not as good as it looks
(Creag Dhubh summit in the back):
Looking back - Loch nan Gillean:
Conni on the top - looking to the west - Loch nan Gillean:
zoomed:
Conni on the top - looking to the north - the Graham
Beinn a' Mheadhoin in the back:
Conni on the top - looking to the NE - the Sub2000
Càrn Fiaclach behind the Loch:
The way down.From the top we took a different way. We walked straight down to the car:
It was steep but the ground was much better, mostly heather, grass, bracken and a short area of overgrown remains of felled forestry.
Looking back at the way we were walking:
Parking spot:
This small circuit took us almost 3 hours
(including a half-hour break on the top) because the rough ground. Alright and taking many photos too
I think the best way up is the way straight up from the lorry turning. It is steep (still better than Sgùrr Marcasaidh
) but still walkable:
Beautiful horses in Cougie: