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This is a rare thing: a walk report from yours truly the day after the actual walk. The reason being I did the walk on Saturday and one of my knees is a bit sore. So I've spent most of today "tweaking" the photos
I had planned to do this Corbett last Xmas Eve but on the way I discovered the Lochnagar road was just about passable so got distracted. As this resulted in an
Xmas Eve treat I wasn't too bothered. Well this time I wasn't distracted but the results were nearly as good. We hadn't had any snow here in Banchory until the day before. I had been contemplating the Beinn Bhreac / Beinn a'Chaorainn duo, if, and only if, I could cycle up to Derry Lodge. I was planning on taking the MTB and making a call on the day but the snow on the Friday decided things for me and I left it had home.
The drive up to Braemar was on mostly black roads (albeit with white bits between the wheel tracks) while the part from Braemar was mainly on the white stuff. However it hadn't been compacted so wasn't too bad if you were sensible. Arrived in the Linn of Dee car park around 8:00am and as I got myself together there were stirrings in the car next to me. Turned out to be someone from Glasgow who had kipped in the car overnight and was planning to tackle the Beinn Bhreac / Beinn a'Chaorainn duo. There were a couple of non too high tech bikes in the trees behind the car. Looked to be more the type of thing to potter down to the shop on (20 years ago) rather than something you would tackle an snow & icy laden landrover track. Anyway I wished them luck as his female accomplish stirred and I was on my way by 8:25. As I made my way to the bridge it occurred to me that the woman might have been Mountain Thyme. On well, I guess I'll soon find out.
After a quick diversion to the bridge to see if there was a decent photo to be had (there wasn't) it was on to the track towards White Bridge and then up though the heather. The snow down here wasn't that deep and didn't cover the heather, so it was fairly normal walking through deep heather type of stuff. The weather on the drive up looked ideal but some cloud come in around dawn. However there was a brief gap around 9:15 for this photo:
Sgòr Mòr Drift
Up on the plateau the heather thinned out but the snow didn't take your weight. But it was only ankle deep so not too bad. Approaching the top of Sgor Dubh things did firm up and progress was pretty good. Lunch #1 was had here. I got out my hand-held anemometer thingy: wind was a modest 15mph breeze and with the -4C temperature gave a wind chill of -10C. i.e. nowhere near the severe wind chill and snow showers MWIS were predicting. They should have being screaming: get out there folk - conditions are as good as they are going to be for a good while. I put on another layer but was soon regretting it as I made my way to the main peak and the wind all but fell away. The snow conditions up here were near perfect and progress was excellent. There were some impressive build ups of snow on the lee of some false peaks on the way. And ever better the sun was putting in an appearance.
Sgòr Mòr Drift #2
After lunch #2 at the main summit it was down to Sgòr an Eòin for further photo opportunities and then round the side of Creagan nan Gabhar heading towards the base of Carn a' Mhaim. A few peat hags with added drifts to cross in the bottom of the glen with the prospect of a well trodden path to take me towards the Luibeg Bridge. I was disappointed to find there hadn't been a soul/sole on the path. The next km was by far the worst bit of the day. I soon opted to walk on the heather off the path but I still came a cropper on several occasions. Eventually I came across the tracks of a small footed person who had obviously been headed for Carn a' Mhaim. And shortly afterwards some actual people - the first I'd seen since leaving the car park. A couple of mountain rescue types who had come down off Carn a' Mhaim and a couple (& their dog) headed for the Corrour bothy. After a bit of a chat everyone headed off with the mountain rescue couple setting a pace that was way too fast for me. Passed a group of four also headed for the bothy. With lots of tracks to follow going was now pretty good again. And balmy. There was no wind, it was +2C and I was down to 2 layers without need of hat or gloves.
Lairig Ghru from Sgor Mor Panorama[Snow] Plastered
When I got to Derry Lodge I found out why the mountain rescue couple were in such a hurry. It looked like it was the mountain rescue Xmas do. There were over a dozen vehicles there and a barbecue was in preparation. And so to the long trudge back down Glen Lui. I've MTB'ed it several times up and down here but this was my first time on foot. The wheel tracks of the road were slick ice from all the traffic so it was on the inch or two of crunchy snow all the way back. Couldn't see any evidence of MTB tracks but if there were any they would have been obliterated by all the trucks. I wouldn't have fancied cycling up or down here so I was happy with my decision to just do Sgòr Mòr. The car of the Glasgow couple was still next to mine when I got back in near darkness at 4:25. Their day would be a good 10km longer that what I'd just done with at least double the amount of ascent. And from what I experienced on my way to Luibeb Bridge I'd guess Glen Derry would pretty full of the white stuff.
I passed one or two folk on the way back but the one that takes the biscuit was the fellow I passed just before I got back to the car with a football under his arm! I guess those emergency whistles can be put to more than one use.
The Flickr set is
here and the vid below a 360 degree pan from the summit of Sgòr Mòr.