3 corbetts and 2 munros in the cairngorms

[mountain thyme]

Due to work and social commitments I hadn’t had a chance to bag any munros this year instead had been ticking away at corbetts most weekends.

So with a free weekend seen me heading up north with mgmt! to try and complete the cairngorms. He kindly suggested taking in 3 corbetts during the weekend!!!.

Left linn of dee carpark just before 4pm on friday 2/3/12 and cycled along the good track further past white bridge to dump the bikes. Mgmt! suggested dumping the bikes across the river to pick up again after coming off Beinn Bhrotain. I thought it was pointless two of us getting wetso allowed him to take the 2 to the other side. made sense.

ditching the bikes

crossing the river. made sense to have only 1 person taking the bikes across!!

It was now 5 to 5 and on a Friday .. Crackerjack time and we made the joint decision to take in the Corbett Sgor Mor. We headed straight up the ridge and arrived at the summit at 6pm which was good going considering we were carting full packs sleeping bags,pots, food, vino and spare clothing.

sgor mor

summit of sgor mor 6pm

Didn’t hang about. Quick summit pic and headed down towards the bealach between Creagan nan Gabhar and Sgor an Eoin. At this point head torches were required and a serious bit of night navigation was required to get us onto the path and to corrour bothy, were we arrived at 8pm to find 3 other folk there and 4 others joining us.

bridge to the bothy

corrour

Started the next mornings walk at 1015am and took the path right behind corrour bothy and followed the stream to the bealach. Snow had appeared and the visibility was horrendous from here onwards. With help to sharpen my navigational skills we continually used the compass and took bearings to skirt just below the Buidheanach of Cairntoul . From here to the Allt Clais an t-Sabhail keeping high and crossing this and remaining high to head towards the Loch nan Stuirteag. There was hard snow and some patches of ice on the traverse.

heading towards the Allt

The cloud lifted for a second to allow us to see the Loch.

loch

From here we headed up onto the ridge towards Monadh Mor.

mgmt! lagging behind. guess who had too much whisky in the bothy?

GPS was required alongside the compass to assist us to find the summit. There was no visibility and nothing to navigate off of. Quick bite to eat and summit pic.

summit of monadh mor

Again GPS and compass required to assist us get to Beinn bhrotain.

summit of beinn bhrotain. 4 to go

From here we headed to Coire an t Sneachda, crossing the Allt Garbh and down to pick up the path. In hindsight it would have been better to head to Aghaidh Garbh to Carn Cloich direction but hey ho. Picked up the bikes and back to Linn of Dee for 540pm. 7hours 25mins.

Into Braemar for a wash in the toilets!! Into the Fife Arms for food and some liquid refreshments and decided to head back to Linn of Dee to kip in the car as theres a toilet there!

Up at 8am and bumped into GLW in the car park.Who had just arrived with Jb likes a beer to tackle Carn a’ Mhaim A bit unsure at first if it was him as there was a sun in the sky and no clag! Mgmt! told them we were going to rattle 2 corbetts on the way home which we did!

Corbett number 1 Morrone of Morven. Straight forward Corbett with a path straight to the summit, that’s if you can find the starting point! From Braemar coming from Linn of Dee just before the gallery take the road on the right straight to the end of the road.

Park at the duck pond and follow the road past houses on the right through a gate and when the path forks go left and head to the view point. from there follow the path up the hillside to the summit.

summit of morone

You can go straight over the summit and take the track down towards the golf course. We went back the same way. Back to the car in 1hour 45mins. Quick bite to eat and drove to the next Corbett Ben Gulabin.

Parked on the layby just before Spittal of Glenshee through the gate and there was a great landrover track. We followed the track under and around Carn Dubh and just passed the stream there is a well trodden path up to the bealach. From here the path continues on the right straight to the summit. Quick summit pic and back to the car in 1hour 30 minutes.

summit of ben gulabin

how i felt after 3 days. one dead bird !

Headed back to Glasgow. An occasional nap in the car. Thanks to mgmt! for driving this time! Although i wasnt too keen on the thought of tackling 5 hills rather than 2 in a weekend it worked in my favour if im going to start ticking corbetts soon!

[quoman]

Thats an epic weekend MT like the pic of mgmt crossing the river hope his bit's thawed out by now

[monty]

Nice report MT. Mgmt is such a gentleman taking the bikes across the burn Almost finished the munros and also bagging corbetts like a demon

I take it you are compleating on Schehallion. So when are you going to the luny bin

[Tomsie]

Nice report, enjoyed reading that.

[mrssanta]

Good effort there especially with that most popular view in Scotland: Nothing at all!!

[Johnny Corbett]

I like it Mountain Thyme, well done on another epic. The best bits? We carried full packs, you're doesn't look very full but mgmts? Well what can i say and secondly thank goodness mgmt took the bikes over the river Thats all i'm saying on that matter

[gammy leg walker]

[quote="mountain thyme"]

Up at 8am and bumped into GLW in the car park.Who had just arrived with Jb likes a beer to tackle Carn a’ Mhaim A bit unsure at first if it was him as there was a sun in the sky and no clag!


Good to meet you again MT,nice to meet you also MGMT.
2Things.
1-Your car was very steamed up when we arrived in carpark.........Mountain Leader Training perhaps !

2-& I quote,"unsure at first if it was him as there was a sun in the sky and no clag"! Erm will post a report soon,enjoy what you missed.

[morag1]

Nice report Mountain Thyme. I have really enjoyed following your progress as you come near to compleation - so exciting

Mgmt is a real gentleman taking the bikes across for you. As for that photo of him in his shorts - Hunk of the Month

[pollyh33]

Fantastic report MT

You're getting so close to the end, it must be uppermost in your mind all of the time!!

Thanks for posting such fab photos, especially the one of the river crossing

As for that photo of him in his shorts - Hunk of the Month

Glad I'm not the only one who went back to this one more than once

[Alan S]

Great report MT looked like a good weekend some bad luck though meeting GLW for the 2nd time on the hills

[dooterbang]

Nice hairdo on Sgurr Mor - is that Framptons Chic!!

That you eyeing up MGMTs backside again - you seem to always do this, is this why you go soooo slow oldgirl??

Well done on a nice trip.

Looking forward to May

[ChrisW]

Great report MT, shame you didn't get better weather on day one but obviously if its warm enough to wade across a river in undies it can't be that bad

[mgmt!]

firstly well done mountain thyme for getting through this weekend, but im having grave concerns for your memory of some of the trip !! you must be getting old. i (we) deliberately wanted a big weekend as your penultimate trip is to knoydart and you (we) need to keep the fitness levels up, and judging by how long i waited at the car at ben gulabin youd better get down the gym.

Nice report MT. Mgmt is such a gentleman taking the bikes across the burn Almost finished the munros and also bagging corbetts like a demon

I take it you are compleating on Schehallion. So when are you going to the luny bin

yes monty i was a gentleman and had expected mountain thyme to be a lady, not taking pictures and perving at my possteria

Nice report Mountain Thyme. I have really enjoyed following your progress as you come near to compleation - so exciting

Mgmt is a real gentleman taking the bikes across for you. As for that photo of him in his shorts - Hunk of the Month

Fantastic report MT

You're getting so close to the end, it must be uppermost in your mind all of the time!!

Thanks for posting such fab photos, especially the one of the river crossing

As for that photo of him in his shorts - Hunk of the Month

Glad I'm not the only one who went back to this one more than once

calm down now girls, your making me blush

Great report MT, shame you didn't get better weather on day one but obviously if its warm enough to wade across a river in undies it can't be that bad

warm enough chrisw ? if the picture was from the front youd see i had 3 adams apples

well done again mt, look foward to your plans for knoydart.

[pollyh33]

Ha ha you'll need to change your name from mgmt! to ROTY!

[mgmt!]

Ha ha you'll need to change your name from mgmt! to ROTY!

only if there is a prize involved polly, do you think calvin klein reads this site ?