free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
GPS route shows Days 1, 2, and 3, with Day 4 simply the reverse of Day 1.
- Ben Alder at sunset
After looking for a good 3 nighter by train over the easter weekend, I settled on Dalwhinnie as my destination, and arrived just before 4pm on Friday after a long (but pleasant) journey. I'd planned to camp near Culra, so I set off quickly, wanting to have time to set up my tent before the sun set.
The warm sun was a constant for the first few miles, as was my jealousy for the mountain bikes that whizzed past me. After leaving the loch behind, the path became more varied, revealing open moors and a hint of the munros that lay ahead.
After crossing the bridge at Culra, I continued past the tents, following the stream until I found a suitably flat site with stunning views of Ben Alder and the Lancet edge, arriving around 7pm with enough daylight left to set up my tent, have a quick dinner, and take some pictures.
After a relatively good night's sleep, I set off on my main mission of the trip: completing the Ben Alder 6. Starting with Carn Dearg, I walked back to Culra, then set up the steep, boggy hillside, reaching the first summit of the day at around 10am.
The ridgeline approach towards Geal-Charn that followed was one of the highlights of the trip, with excellent views of snowy corries ahead, Beinn a'Chlachair to the north, and Ben Alder to the south.
The walk across Geal-Charn's summit plateau was still quite snowy, and I encountered another pair of walkers making their way along the ridge.
- Snow on Geal-Charn
Knowing what still lay ahead of me, I made quick progress, summitting Aonach Beag and Beinn Eibhinn, then veered off the path (loosely following Steven Fallon's gps route) to bridge across and begin my ascent of Ben Alder. This was one of the trickiest sections of the route, as there were no visible trails and the boggy heather did not make for easy going.
- Ridge towards Aonach Beag
- Abandoned croft between Beinn Eibhinn and Ben Alder
As I began my climb up Ben Alder's imposing flank, I was lucky enough to spot a pair of ptarmigan.
- Pair of Ptarmigan
Soon enough, I reached Ben Alder's vast plateau, which reminded me of the time I'd spent camping on Braeriach last June. After Geal-Charn, I was surprised at the lack of snow around me, though there were still some accumulated deposits in more sheltered areas.
- Ben Alder plateau
Once reaching Ben Alder's summit, I felt a distinct sense of relief, knowing that most of the day's climbing was behind me. I took my time exploring the plateau's snowy corries as I gradually made my way towards Beinn Bheoil.
- Snowy cornices near the summit
- Admiring Ben Alder
- View back towards the morning's walking
- Ptarmigan feather near Beinn Bheoil summit
After reaching my 6th munro of the day, I descended back towards Culra, where the good weather and even better views continued.
- Great view on the return to Culra
I reached my tent around 4pm, spending the rest of my day lounging around, eating, and resting for another big walk the following day.
On Sunday morning, I set off on the track toward Loch Pattack, aiming to reach the three munros lying to the north.
- River crossing after passing Loch Pattack
A gradual ascent turned steep as I climbed the pathless slope of Geal-Charn (the other one), before levelling off as the summit approached.
- Approaching the summit of my second Geal Charn of the weekend
From there, a quick trip to Creag Pitridh revealed views of Loch Laggan, as well as the long approach towards Beinn a'Chlachair.
- View towards Creag Pitridh
- Looking towards Beinn a'Chlachair from summit
After an exciting scramble from the saddle above Loch a'Bhealaich Leamhain, the rest of the walk along Beinn a'Chlachair's plateau was relatively straightforward, though the high winds and rocky ground underfoot did make it harder than it looked. I was lucky enough to spot another pair of ptarmigan on this section of the walk, as well as a solitary male (seen below).
- Approaching the summit
- Male Ptarmigan matching the mountains in the background
The summit was so windy that I descended before remembering to take any good photos, but from this vantage point, I was able to see the other 8 munros that I had climbed over the weekend.
The return to Culra went by more quickly than expected, once again reaching camp around 4pm. Before dinner, I took a quick wild swim in the river next to me - absolutely freezing!
- What a path!
A mercilessly windy and rainy night followed, so upon waking on Monday to a relatively quiet morning, I quickly began packing up and making breakfast. The rain returned just as I started taking down my tent around 8:15am, and intermittently came and went during my walk back to Dalwhinnie.
- Rainy goodbyes
- River in spate
- Rainbows over the road back to Dalwhinnie
I made it back around 11:30am, leaving me with more than enough time to enjoy some food - and whisky at the distillery - before my return train at 2pm. This was another enjoyable trip, especially on my second day, where the Ben Alder 6 provided remoteness, snow, sun, ridge lines, vast plateaus, river crossings, and wildlife - truly delivering a bit of everything!
