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My first report, so here goes. Weather forecast today was to be excellent acording to MWIS, and they were right, it was and turned out a proper cracker . We arrived at the parking area at Glen Clunie A93 Grid ref 138832 at 0930hrs, hardly any wind, dry and excellent walking conditions. This was the first time I had been up this hill in twenty years and the tree plantation at the car park was a lot larger than I can remember it. We went through the gate and crossed a bridge and then took the left fork in the landrover track which passed by Baddoch lodge, climbed a stile at the rear of the lodge and dismissed the bridge over to the track which went up the NE shoulder of Sgor Mor and carried on up the landrover track passing over another bridge. The track was undulating but good to walk on which was fine as we were to be returning this way from further up the glen. We branched off the landrover track at a path on our left going up the Coire Fhearneasg crossing over the burn in the process and headed up the NE shoulder of Socach Mor. Path started well but was more indistinct and got wet and muddy in places. On the top of Socach Mor (1h 15m) there is a distinct cairn which you can see from well down the climb through the heather. After leaving Socach Mor there is another rather muddy section but soon becomes more stoney as you progress West to the top of the East top of An Socach, as your climbing your seeing wonderful veiws of the Cairngorms and surrounding hills. There is a large stone shelter erected on the top of the East top where we stopped for some refreshments. The actual top is a further 2.5k along a rocky flat topped broad ridge all very easy on a fine day like we had but maybe less so in low cloud where the compass and map might be in order. There is another shelter on the top but the actual cairn and top of the munro is a further 30m or so further to the West. From the summit you can see wonderful panoramic views in all directions, hopefully my photographs will show you the true splendor of the area, views of Glen Ey, Cairncorms and Loch nan Eun to name a few. We decided to back track along the summit ridge to the bealach to grid ref 092802 and take the track heading SE towards the Baddoch Burn, this turned out initially a well worn track but soon dissapeared and the last 1k turned out to be head off to the landrover track where we joined at grid ref 106794 . This we followed all the way back to the starting point.[img][img]
- Heading off from the car parking area in Glen Clunie
- On the landrover track with Baddoch lodge house on the right
- After crosssing a stile at the back of the lodge house and dismissing the bridge on the right over Clunie water to the NE shoulder of Sgor Mor, progress up the glen crossing over a wooden bridge
- After crosssing a stile at the back of the lodge house and dismissing the bridge on the right over Clunie water to the NE shoulder of Sgor Mor, progress up the glen crossing over a wooden bridge
- At about another 1k on take a right on a path on the right hand side ofCoire Fhearneasg
- Cross over burn and head up the NE shoulder of Soach Mor
- Head up through the heather keeping an eye on the prominent cairn on the top of Socach Mor
- Looking back the way we came
- The prominent cairn on top of Socach Mor looking up towards the East top of An Socach
- Slightly boggy part of the track beyond the cairn, but does not last for long
- Climbing to the East top, easy going though
- The stone shelter on top of the East top
- Walking along the rocky summit top to the top of An Socach in the distance
- Loch nan Eun to the SW from the summit ridge
- Summit top shelter with fantastic views all around
- Summit top shelter with fantastic views all around
- An Socach cairn at the top
- Heading back along the top to the bealach route down to the Baddoch burn track
- Well worn path to start
- Path following the burn for part of the way
- Well worn path to start
- Path following the burn for part of the way
- Path stops well short of the landrover track, which tends to make you head off to the track sooner rather than later
- On the landrover track back to the starting point