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Surprised I haven't been along here before but I was looking for something short to climb before the day got warmed up. I also recalled the Anne C report that made the route look quite impressive, albeit that was in winter with lots of dramatic looking cloud swirling about. This day promised nothing but sunburn but it turned out to be quite enjoyable.
I also recalled the recent WH discussion about where to park if wishing to avoid paying five pounds. I wouldn't particularly grudge that but not having a printer and arriving pre-dawn did make me want to simplify things so I parked on the verge just a bit north of the ski centre. Seemed to be plenty of room, no objecting signage and no post-walk complaint or parking ticket.
It was warm and still and dark so I had to guess my way up to the 873m point over steep and occasionally soggy grass. This felt like hard work so it was good to have an interesting sky to stop and look at on the way up.
The sun appears. Wouldn't have expected an impressive sunrise with the high ground to the east obscuring things but it wasn't bad.
Cairnwell.
The ground is less spongy now and the gradient has eased just as the sun has appeared so all good.
Carn Aosda.
Glad to see that I can't be far off where I need to be.
Glas Maol -had a good winter's morning walk there a few years ago.
Target ahead. If only my legs were actually this long, I thought.
Visiting the 873m point was actually a miscalculation on my part but good to include for its views.
Carn Aosda. Might have been up there a couple of times but the ascent I recall clearly was the supposed "quick walk" there with my wife en route to visiting my sister. Those ski centre tracks don't really make for pleasant walking.
Part of Carn a' Gheoidh in shade in the distance.
Catching the sun near the 808m point.
The Stuc?
The Cairnwell. A memory floated into my head of my first visit there on skis and the ensuing and inevitable crash at the bottom.
Bit cloudy to the north and west.
Stuc (?) again.
Decent weather to the south.
Some cloud bubbling up to the east.
Loch Vrotachan.
Legs are getting shorter but onto easy ground now.
Lookiing back at Creag a' Choire Dhirich.
Some of the greenkeepers.
Carn Aosda again.
More greenkeepers and the final summit slopes.
Carn Aosda and Cairnwell looking far away.
Cloudy to the west.
View east.
Summit cairn. Quite an extensive summit area.
Interesting veil of cloud to the northwest.
Oh and cloud to the north clearing a bit.
The sheep reclaiming their territory, having scarpered when they first saw me approaching. Interestingly, when they saw me return they didn't pay me any attention at all and just carried on munching.
All in all not a bad way to spend the morning. Quite warm when I got back to the car but generally ok whilst walking.