Beinn Mheadhoin Bike & Hike from Linn of Dee

[Jokester]

This was my first trip to the hills in almost 18months, after a home move last summer, now things had settled down again, I thought it was time to stretch the legs. A 8am start at the Linn of Dee and a quick bike ride up to Derry Lodge removed the access drag of a walk, before ditching the bike and heading up Glen Derry.

IMG_0896 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Looking back to Derry Lodge

IMG_0897 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Looking down Glen Derry

IMG_0898 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
The first slog upwards, up past the Hutchison Memorial Hut

IMG_0899 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Looking back down Coire Etchachan

Loch Etchachan is a favourite place of mine, having camped here for a few days when I was younger with my dad and exploring the surrounding Cairngorms, so it was great to see it again as I came over the brow of the slope.

IMG_0901 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Looking down at Loch Etchachan and over at Ben Macdui

IMG_0902 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Beinn Mheadhoin summit plateau

The summit tor looks imposing from the approach, but going round the back shows the way up a mild scramble to stand at the top.

IMG_0903 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Rear of the top tor

IMG_0904 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Dimples in the top of the rock, wonder how these formed

Never really appreciated how good a few you can get from the top of Beinn Mheadhoin, but from here you can see all the eastern Cairngorms.

IMG_0906 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Ben Macdui and Braeriach poking up over the back

IMG_0907 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Glen Derry and Derry Cairgorm

IMG_0908 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Beinn a' Chaorainn and over to Ben Avon's tors.

My legs were holding up better than I was expecting, so after lunch rather than head straight back I decided to take a detour round another favourite of mine, Loch Avon.

IMG_0910 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Pool of water with blue moss(?)

IMG_0913 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Loch Avon and Cairngorm

IMG_0915 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Cliffs at the back of the shelter stone

IMG_0916 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Spot the climbers

IMG_0918 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Looking over towards Beinn Mheadhoin

IMG_0926 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Looking back along Loch Avon

IMG_0930 by matthew_chalmers, on Flickr
Looking down Glen Derry from the Lairig an Laoigh

The extra miles going via Loch Avon ended up being too much, so it was a painful slog back down to Derry Lodge and the mountain bike back to the car from there was a life saver, but it was still a grand day out.

[prog99]

The climbers are on a very hard route, just checked my guidebook and it sounds mildly terrifying.
Big rockfall there on Sunday.