Cairngorms: Sgur Gaoith and Mullach Clach a Bhlair

[jonathan - norfolk]

Cairngorms: Sgur Gaoith and Mullach Clach a Bhlair circular walk

We'd kept our options open regarding this walk when we set out, as I wasn't sure if the circular walk too ambitious for me (I'm in my seventies and was still recovering from having caught Covid whilst walking the Camino de Santiago in April).
In the event I was fine, although pretty tired at the end of the day. The circular walk is an excellent, if fairly long walk, with pretty good paths throughout (apart from a section where we followed the wrong track across the high ballach between the two Munros and there's also an awkward section where the river has considerably eroded the bank, taking much of the path with it.) It would have been much easier to have taken the main track from Carn Ban Mor eastwards and to stay with it all the way to Mullach Clach a Bhlair.

Furthermore, on reaching Glen Feshie I think that crossing the river here would have been the much better option (given the erosion) and to have taken the track on the far side of the river back to our starting point. We didn't know if we could get back to the side where we'd parked, but it didn't look as if it wouldn't have presented a problem. We met some mountain bikers (one electric) and they would have really struggled to get their bikes back the way we came. It was our first visit to Glen Feshie, so with the wisdom of hindsight ....
Still, the weather conditions were excellent and it was a really good walk.

View towards Braeriach

Sgur Gaoith

Some of the erosion alongside the river

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17 miles/27 kms 1125m /3500' 7 hours



Sgur Gaoith

To summit: Length: 4.94 miles 7.95 km Ascent: +844m -58m Naismith: 3h 0m (10 miles round trip)
Back to col: Length: 6.41 miles 10.3 km Ascent: +888m -181m Naismith: 3h 33m

Mullach Clach a Bhlair
To summit from col: Length: 9.30 miles 15.0 km Ascent: +1029m -335m Naismith: 4h 43m
(i.e. An extra 6.25 miles in total + 140m) (Both summits round trip = 16.25 miles)
Length: 15.7 miles 25.2 km Ascent: +1201m -1206m Naismith: 7h 3m

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