Thanks Taylor & Merry
taylorak1 wrote:I WOULD NOT RECOMENDED THIS ROUTE IN SNOW! (But stunning scenery, and may well use paths up from Gleann Eanaich again for future climbs in summer)
I wouldn't recommend the direct pull up the west side of Braeriach at all (as mentioned earlier).
Both the OS 1:25,000 & the OpenStreetMap show a footpath starting at the ford of the Beanaidh Bheag (NH925028, about 2km north of where the Coire Dhondail path starts). However I don't recall seeing any path there (not that I was looking but I have now done this cycle in twice) and I can't see any evidence of it on Google maps, but even without a path this approach is a lot less steep and is how I'd now do this walk. This route also takes you past Loch Coire an Lochain which looked spectacular when I did it.
I think the views from Braeriach are the best in the Cairngorms and I hope to get back this year, probably using the more usual Lairig Ghru approach that defeated me in March last year (
Not Quite Braeriach).