More capering in the Cairngorms

[basscadet]

Cairngorms wi ian.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

So I had cancelled my plans for the weekend, after writing off my car on tuesday.. Sad times..
So I get a message from My mate Ian from over the west, he was coming over my way for a change, instead of me always imposing on him It was a scorcher of a day in Aberdeen and I didnt need much encouragement! So after the bairns birthday party on Saturday morning, fired up on sugar and E numbers, I packed up my gear, and got myself on the bus to braemar in the afternoon. I met up with Ian, and we headed up to the Linn o Dee car park.
We got going about 5.30, the conditions were deteriorating a bit - lots of cloud had come in but we didn't hang around, made white bridge in 45 minutes, crossed over and took the path over the other side of the Dee. I remember years ago it used to be a landrover track, but it has been turned into a fairly decent path, although i tried to cycle it once and found the drainage hard to negotiate. Its not that far along that path before the stalkers branches off, and I saw how wet everything was - really squelchy up there just now, so the usually boggy path was even tougher going. The cloud was lowering, and as we made our first ascents up toward Carn Cloich Muillin, it started to rain. The good thing about the cairngorms is that you are already quite high to begin with, so it didn't seem to take long to get to the summit. There is a nae bad path along the ridge going over a few slabs, and it is quite a fine peak - Supposedly the one Hugh Munro was to do last, although now demoted.
From there there is a rocky descent to pick up a path that heads toward Bhrotain which soon petered out and there followed a misty wet bouldery ascent which leveled off, and got mossy toward the summit. It was after 8 by the time we reached the trig and shelter there, so we pushed on down a fairly steep boulderfield which seemed to go on forever! We had intended to get over Monadh Mor as well that night, but it was almost 9 before we made the col, so we descended only a couple of hundred feet from there and found a cracking camp spot just as it stopped raining. I realised when I was putting up my tent that it was the first time I had pitched it in dry conditions for ages! it was a merry camp with chilli and vodka. I hadn't seen Ian for ages so we had plenty to talk about.

Camped up

In the morning, Ian woke me up at 7.30, and it took me an hour to make my tea and porridge and get packed up. The weather was nice when I woke up, but before we left the cloud came right down and the wind was up a bit.. It only took half an hour to get up to the top of Monadh Mor, but then we looked at the map and realised that we were at the wrong top, so we carried on a wee bit further and found the proper summit.

Ian up Monadh Mor

Forever onward, we didnt stop long and the descent was initially easy, but then got quite steep. More boulderfields as well - seemed to be the theme of the day! Although I quite like the cairngorm rocks, you never slip, so it was quite fun really. I did have a wee flashback to the fall down the back of nevis in April though, which freaked me out just a little bit. We saw quite a few Ptarmigan with chicks in tow on that descent - The baby's really are the cutest wee things I have ever seen, and can fly surprisingly well considering they dont look like they have flight feathers..
We were soon down in the bealach - it was rather boggy there, and it was a relief to be back on the rocks ascending toward Angels peak.. That climb went on and on though, seemed a very long way. There was a wee path further up and it leveled off a bit and became less rocky. I disturbed a ringed plover, but was glad she almost immediately got back to the eggs in her nest, and posed for a photo

Plover

We hit the ridge and the decent path, and were somewhat disappointed that we couldnt see the cliffs, but it was just a short hop to the summit, where we stopped and ate cereal bars and dried fruit. There was a wet bouldery trudge across to Carn Toul.

Another wee birdie came to say hello, but I wasn't sure what it was?

Mystery birdie

me looking somewhat damp on Carn Toul

There is another top on the ridge before the bealach where the path goes down to Corrour. We dumped our packs at the top of the path, and skipped up The Devils Point in no time at all. The clag was beginning to lift and it finally stopped raining - yaay! There are some scary looking cliffs up there, but some cracking views were opening up

We retraced our steps, picked up our packs, and made our way down the path that zig-zagged its way down to Corrour, passing by some lovely waterfall action.

We spent half an hour in Corrour, eating lunch and rubbing our already sore feet, before crossing the river, and taking the track toward Luibeg. After the solitude of the tops there were endless folk about down here, and I blethered to a couple of folk - those DOE parties arent very chatty though in general. We were soon sitting in Bob Scotts, eating 2nd lunch and chatting to a couple of guys who were in. The path out to Linn of Dee from there was a killer on the feet.. Quite a long walk out really, but it was good to catch up with Ian, and good to get out after thinking I would be stuck st home.. Just a shame about the weather as usual, so it seems at the moment

[Benjaminnevis]

Good on ya basscadet gan oot in at wither as even gan doon union street noo a days is full waterproofs

[Alastair S]

Nice one - shame about the weather but given what we've had so far this so called summer you didn't do too badly.

The wee bird was probably a Snow Bunting. According to the RSPB there are only 70-100 breeding pairs in Britain (& they are all in the Cairngorms). They are very tolerant of humans and I was lucky enough to get a decent photo of one in the main ski centre car park in May:


Snow Bunting #1 by Alastair S, on Flickr

[basscadet]

Oh well done. I should of got that.. I have come across the Snow Buntings before - This one did look a little bit deshevelled though, but so did I in that weather

Felt like an epic trek tbh.. hobbled to work this morning with very sore feet

[Fudgie]

Felt like an epic trek tbh.. hobbled to work this morning with very sore feet

No wonder when you look at the distance you covered

Great effort

[AlisonFox66]

so I wasn't the only soggy person in the Cairngorms that day , then ?

soaked to the skin on Bynack Mor I was

[basscadet]

Recent weather has reset my perception of good and bad weather.. Moderate soaking this weekend, I class as good weather and a stroke of luck!.. You should see some of the soakings I've had in the last month

[Johnny Corbett]

One day you'll get out in good weather Whats DOE?

[mrssanta]

Duke of Edinburgh (award expeditions) lots of them go up to the Cairngorms.

[Johnny Corbett]

Duke of Edinburgh (award expeditions) lots of them go up to the Cairngorms.

Thanks, i should have known that, my son did it

[Tomsie]

A scorcher in Aberdeen you sure

Good report and walk on a wet day

[basscadet]

Well, its all relative..
Maybe just hot after a couple of hours on a trampoline at the kiddies party?

[simon-b]

An epic round, Basscadet. Interesting conditions, you might say. I also like the tales about the various birds you saw.

And I know what it's like to be more than somewhat damp on Cairn Toul

Thanks for a great report.

The wee bird was probably a Snow Bunting. According to the RSPB there are only 70-100 breeding pairs in Britain (& they are all in the Cairngorms).

I'm pretty sure it was a snow bunting, as Alastair says. But maybe the RSPB have never been higher than Ben MacDui! About to take off from the highest shelter in Scotland on 24th June 2011...

[basscadet]

lol good pic.. looks like its planking..

[rockhopper]

well done getting out in those conditions "me looking somewhat damp on Carn Toul" - a bit of an understatement there ! - cheers