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I left the car at Sugar Bowl at 8am and headed off with an open mind about a clockwise or anticlockwise route choice. By the time I'd fought my way past the boulders of the Chalamain Gap, the early morning cloud had gone so I opted to make the most of the conditions and start the day with the ascent of Braeriach and the traverse, leaving a long but flatter return along the Lairig Ghru. I think this turned out to be a good choice.
The cloud rolled in and out from time to time as I climbed Braeriach, which made the views even more special when they appeared. A first sight of Lochan Uaine:
As I followed the edge of the plateau, I looked back to see the Falls of Dee and was pleased to see the last remnants of snow in Garbh Choire Mòr:
More intermittent cloud on Sgòr an Lochain Uaine's airy summit:
I picked my way carefully over the boulder fields to the summit of Cairn Toul and as I was descending equally gingerly, a young chap strode past as if he was walking on carpet, seemingly untroubled by the perilous terrain. I've never had a good sense of balance, so I ambled on with care, before eventually catching up on Devil's Point where he posed unwittingly to add a sense of scale to the picture!
Back to the bealach and then the zig zag descent with Corrour Bothy looking like a toy house down below:
A simple task to navigate back along the Lairig Ghru. Less easy to avoid the midges or make any sort of speed over the often rocky ground.
It was a grand day out, and one that even a return trip through the Chalamain Gap couldn't detract from.