Fitness Test, Peat-HAG Hell, Gaiters a Must!

[The Rodmiester]

Early start, left Lay-by 88 by 0715hrs, looks like another good day ahead, forecast good, dry,little wind and mountains clear of cloud or mist .With a light pack it was off up the land rover track, with the entry point being used by Balfour Beattie contractors, progressing the proposed pylon scheme

Entrance to track from A9, being usedby contractors

Entrance to track from A9, being usedby contractors

Track up hillside to now disused quarry

Looking back from track to Dalwhinnie

Ben Alder has a light covering of snow, these hills have none, only a slight ground frost with some of the smaller pools of water frozen over

Passing through the old quarry area

Just beyond the quarry the track forks, right to A' Bhuidheanach Bheag and left to Carn na Cairn. Today was to be a checkout for my fitness level, making good time, with the track to A' Bhuidheanach pretty good for walking swiftly

Sunrise, yes it's going to be a fine day. The track heading for A' Bhuidheanach at 879m

Good track with some undulations

A' Bhuidheanach at 879m

Heading South to the summit of first munro, some muddy sections

Trig point at munro A' Bhuidheanach 936m in 1h45mins

Peat-hags lie ahead in abundance. I am following (foggieclimber) advise and picking up this one time munro now demoted to a top, as I missed it out the last time I did these hills. This added top journey was quite a slog through a bit of a quagmire of peat-hags.

On the journey to the top if you look west you can see Loch Garry

The top of Glas Mheall Mor now only a top is flat and mossy. Reached in 2h15m

Now the interesting bit begins, more really churned up peat-hags. I decided not to head straight for the track I had come, but to head NW and explore a bit. As you can see by my route map it made the return journey more interesting with three burn crossings

In the distance Carn na Cairn, where I was headed

One of the river crossings at Cama Choire

Looking East down Cama Choire

Herd of dear nearby on the slopes of Meall Odhar Mor

Inquisitive?

At the Cairn on the top of Carn an Cairn 3h45m, with Meall Chuaich in the distance (looking North East)

Seeing I was fed up to the backteeth of peat-hags I decided there was only one way back to the car, yep I stuck to the track!

Dalwhinnie Distillery, now there's a good way to finish. No stops for a brew but did have a chat with a couple of walkers when I was on my way down. Would suggest maybe leave these hills for a nice dry frosty morning, so that all the peat-hags are hardened, much less messy on the pants, even with gaiters they were some mess!