free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
I feel quite fortunate that I have been able to travel to the Highlands for the second time in 2 months. I had never seen the Cairngorms before never mind walked up there, so I spent a long time reading reports in the WH forum to decide where my wife Carol and I would venture in the 3 days we were spending in Aviemore.
Thanks to all especially the reports from Bod, Leithy and Monty, which were all instrumental in my planning.
Of course ensuring that the times reflected in either Monty’s or Andrews reports are not realistic targets for a mere mortal like myself and adjusting accordingly.(No offence guys)
So it was to Feshiebridge I went and parked at a car parking area just of the road to the left before a bridge over the Allt Ruadh. We started on our way up the track through the trees at 1000.
- Initial path through the trees
- Looking behind towards the Monadhliath
It is a gentle and pleasant walk through the trees and you very quickly reach the open moorland where we followed the track upwards. The view ahead did not look at all inviting with the tops covered in clag, but the view behind looking towards the Monadhliath hills were magnificently clear. In a short while the track forks right and slightly downhill towards a bridge, we took the left fork heading onto the open hillside.
- Misty start
- Good path on the way up.
The path then contours the hillside gently climbing all the way and the clag was now lifting off the tops to give a clearer view of our objective for the day. As we got closer to the top, Carol spotted a large rabbit type animal, which I can only assume was a mountain hare. I managed to take a photograph as it was scampering up the hillside to take cover.
- Hare running away!
- First glimps of the summit
- Loch Einich and Braeriach
Moments later we got our first view of the summit, with Braeriach also showing itself for the first time at the other side of the glen, for those familiar to the Lakeland Fells the summit of Scor Gaoith is not too dissimilar to Kidsty Pike, but on a much grander scale and setting.
- Loch Einich
- Braeriach
- Carol almost there
There was better to come as we reached the cliff edge there is a sheer drop all the way down to Loch Einich, which was a light shade of blue fringed with turquoise. This without doubt is a wonderful scene so please forgive me for taking a few pictures at this spot. The walk along the cliff edge to the summit crags was awesome, the view just jaw dropping and unbelievably beautiful. I just sat at the top thinking of how mortal we are in such majestic surroundings. We had the summit all to ourselves and thought about which way to go back.
First thoughts were to head for Carn Ban Mor and then Mullach Clach a Bhlair, but we decided that may be too far for our first day and decided to head for the summit of Scoran Dubh Mor, which no longer holds Munro status. A clear path leads along the cliff edge with more views down the glen and back to Sgor Gaoith.
- Scor Gaoith from Scoran Dubh Mor
We retraced our steps to the bealach between S G and SDM and then headed over Meall Buidhe and Geal Charn which also has had its privileged Munro status removed and is now just a top. This was a pleasant undulating decent to the top of Geal Charn followed by a steep decent through the heather to meet our outward track above the tree line.
- Geal Charn ridge and Aviemore
- Final glimpse of Scor Gaoith and Scoran Dubh Mor
A wonderful walk with awesome views, my taste buds well and truly wetted, I was now planning a trip the next day onto the Cairngorm plateau