An Socach (Glen Shee)
Posted: Sat Jun 20, 2009 11:17 pmNice easy day this one.
Cicerone's guide book recommends starting at the Glenshee ski area rather than walking in from Baddoch and I can see why.
Easy climb up the ski area, that takes you halfway up Carn Aosda. I'd already done this one a few weeks back and in hindsight had wished I'd done An Socach as well that day but hey ho had told my wife I was only planning on doing Carn Aosda, The Cairnwell and Carn A Gheodih and what time I'd reckoned I'd finish so changing plan mid way and finishing three hours later was not really the kind of idea that does anything for her nerves!
But if you haven't done any of these Munro's yet I'd seriously suggest making it a four in one trip. There's a lot of flat terrain up there so its not exactly a mega hard day.
Anyway get up halfway up Carn Aosda and head east past Loch Vrotachan, weather conditions absolutely perfect. Had been raining early in morning but had stopped and cleared up with sun, yes sun appearing! Hadn't seen any of that yet this year up the hills!
Not much of a path at all along here but not important at all as its pretty obvious to skirt along the side of the Loch, bit of a rise, and then down hill to the Baddoch Burn. Follow the burn down the hill and you'll come to a wee bridge crossing that is rather handy.
After that you'll be onto the landrover track, follow that to its end and you'll find the pretty obvious route up the side of An Socach. Not a majorly taxing climb up, 20 minutes or so at most.
Ground flattens out pretty much when you hit the top of this rise and then its an easy 10 minute sprint onto the summit.
Met up with a couple of guys from Blairgowrie with their dogs. Well I thought it was their dogs....only one of them was theirs and they wondered if the other was mine. Nope...none of us had an idea who owned the dog, but we saw a couple at the back and we assumed it was theirs. Well used now to dogs loving the hills and thought no more of it.
Decided not to go back same way and instead follow the landrover track back out to Baddoch and then take the road back up to Glenshee. Just as well I did as the mystery dog decided to follow me.....
Halfway down the track met in with Graham who was out doing some Uni research into Water Voles. Hardy guy was 1 week into camping out of a 5 week trip to survey all the water voles in the Glen shee area.
He also asked if the dog was mine. He reckoned it maybe belonged to the couple who were staying in the holiday cottage at the bottom. Plan was rapidly hatched to grab hold of dog and take it down to them.
Got down to the cottage and luckily it was theirs. But the daft mutt had ran off on its own and climbed the hill itself! If I had went back original route and dog had followed me, then wouldn't have met Graham and wouldn't have got dog back to them, very strange twist of fate that.
Path was pretty much flat all the way along, and to be honest not that exciting walking. I'd definetely go along with the trip along Loch Vortachan as the preferred route.
Back onto road and long tarmac slog back up to Glen Shee car park. Dunno about anyone else but tarmac is a boring old trudge. Having said that halfway along very nice lady stopped and offered me a lift up to the car park. Couldnae say no, I won't shortcut when I'm off road, but when its tarmac then thats a different matter.
All in all, nice easy day with great conditions. Thats the Glenshee ones finished for me. Reckon I'll do Mount Keen next sunday as away on holiday next week and next plan is to do the Lochnagar five week after that. Twenty down....264 to go!
Cicerone's guide book recommends starting at the Glenshee ski area rather than walking in from Baddoch and I can see why.
Easy climb up the ski area, that takes you halfway up Carn Aosda. I'd already done this one a few weeks back and in hindsight had wished I'd done An Socach as well that day but hey ho had told my wife I was only planning on doing Carn Aosda, The Cairnwell and Carn A Gheodih and what time I'd reckoned I'd finish so changing plan mid way and finishing three hours later was not really the kind of idea that does anything for her nerves!
But if you haven't done any of these Munro's yet I'd seriously suggest making it a four in one trip. There's a lot of flat terrain up there so its not exactly a mega hard day.
Anyway get up halfway up Carn Aosda and head east past Loch Vrotachan, weather conditions absolutely perfect. Had been raining early in morning but had stopped and cleared up with sun, yes sun appearing! Hadn't seen any of that yet this year up the hills!
Not much of a path at all along here but not important at all as its pretty obvious to skirt along the side of the Loch, bit of a rise, and then down hill to the Baddoch Burn. Follow the burn down the hill and you'll come to a wee bridge crossing that is rather handy.
After that you'll be onto the landrover track, follow that to its end and you'll find the pretty obvious route up the side of An Socach. Not a majorly taxing climb up, 20 minutes or so at most.
Ground flattens out pretty much when you hit the top of this rise and then its an easy 10 minute sprint onto the summit.
Met up with a couple of guys from Blairgowrie with their dogs. Well I thought it was their dogs....only one of them was theirs and they wondered if the other was mine. Nope...none of us had an idea who owned the dog, but we saw a couple at the back and we assumed it was theirs. Well used now to dogs loving the hills and thought no more of it.
Decided not to go back same way and instead follow the landrover track back out to Baddoch and then take the road back up to Glenshee. Just as well I did as the mystery dog decided to follow me.....
Halfway down the track met in with Graham who was out doing some Uni research into Water Voles. Hardy guy was 1 week into camping out of a 5 week trip to survey all the water voles in the Glen shee area.
He also asked if the dog was mine. He reckoned it maybe belonged to the couple who were staying in the holiday cottage at the bottom. Plan was rapidly hatched to grab hold of dog and take it down to them.
Got down to the cottage and luckily it was theirs. But the daft mutt had ran off on its own and climbed the hill itself! If I had went back original route and dog had followed me, then wouldn't have met Graham and wouldn't have got dog back to them, very strange twist of fate that.
Path was pretty much flat all the way along, and to be honest not that exciting walking. I'd definetely go along with the trip along Loch Vortachan as the preferred route.
Back onto road and long tarmac slog back up to Glen Shee car park. Dunno about anyone else but tarmac is a boring old trudge. Having said that halfway along very nice lady stopped and offered me a lift up to the car park. Couldnae say no, I won't shortcut when I'm off road, but when its tarmac then thats a different matter.
All in all, nice easy day with great conditions. Thats the Glenshee ones finished for me. Reckon I'll do Mount Keen next sunday as away on holiday next week and next plan is to do the Lochnagar five week after that. Twenty down....264 to go!