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With Quoman and Rottiewalker both working this weekend, I found myself answering a call to arms, or feet rather, on the Talk Highlands Facebook page from Hill Loving Lady. She was planning a trip down to Drummochter and this was an area I had still to do all the hills in, but Rottie and Quoman had already completed.
Quoman had said they were an easy, day out on the many times we've passed them by on the A9 and on a trip up to Moray during the week I had seen they were covered in snow, so it sounded like a good time to chalk them off. Conveniently they are also about half way from the Central Belt and HLL's Heelin Hame.
With final preparations being made, three others confirmed they would also be joining us. SpiderWebb, Tomsie and Ceasar all joining the fun. I met up with Ceasar at Perth Tiso, while the other three all congregated in Aviemore before jaunting down the A9 to meet us here.
The WH route is a bit vague on where to start.
Layby 79, on the northbound side is right at the beginning and that's where we began walking just after 9am. The first hazard to get by is the railway line, but if you follow the big broad path downhill beyond the "Welcome" sign it leads to a bridge, under which you can cross onto the moorland.... Although on the way into the corrie, we completely ignored this, climbed a fence, dodged barbed wire and forded a burn to gain the broad path on the other side.... bit daft with hindsight
We were soon scooting down the broad snow covered path, fording another couple of wee burns easily enough and then following the undulating path as is it wound it's way deeper into Coire Dhomhain. Still within earshot of the roar of the early morning A9 traffic and already the views were excellent, almost as good as the company.
This was going to be a good day!
Hill story, after hill story, music story after music story, fitba story after fitba story were soon flowing, and that was just me!
Up above on the lower slopes of The Boar of Badenoch even a herd of deer took tail and ran at one of my infamously bad jokes.
The debate also raged about in which direction to do the hills in. We chose anti-clockwise, basically reversing the WH route. This would mean a steep ascent through the heather covered snow, rather than a tough descent. It would aslo mean we were walking towards most of the views rather than having them behind us for most of the walk.
Decision made, we soon, reached a burn that flows down from Fraoch-choire in a small ravine. We forded the burn and immediately after it, broke off the path, up through the snow covered heather.
At first we tried to follow a bit of a path under the snow, but this soon proved to be pointless, resulting in Tomsie and Ceasar being the path cutters for me, HLL and Spiderwebb to following in their footsteps.
At first the gradient was quite moderate, but then for a fairly short section it steepened right up. Perfectly coinciding with the snow getting deeper! Quite a few times I was litterally scrambling up the snow, straining for the slightest purchase.
Where the snow was untouched, the surroundings felt rather lunar.. one small step for man.... one b**l deep lurch for snow!
The glorious conditions though stopped this slog from ever being a chore and even at this stage the views were tremendous. Sgairneach Mhor across Coire Dhomhain was looking grand in it's winter coat and the sun's light and warmth was beginning to tickle the bottom of the corrie.
When the ridge was gained, we quickly picked up the fence posts that mark the boundary between Highland and Perth & Kinross and were blown away by the scenery... and we were still only 3/4 of the way up!
To the east the white clad slopes of A'Mharconaich absolutely dominate and we could pick out a couple of walkers heading our way from it. Over to the northeast, Gael Charn has a rather rude looking shape and the black shapes of a trio of walkers could be seen contrasting with the stark white of the snow.
To the southeast, my hill from last week, Beinn Dearg, look a whole lot better from here than it did after the 20 miles trudge up to it and back!
When everyone had caught back up with one another, we followed the boundary fence posts, WNW to a false summit, then almost directly W over to the real summit, marked with a big summit cairn. Which like everything else was covered in snow!
Comedy moment of the day was provided by Tomsie, as he tried to join myself and Ceasar at the top of the cairn, he proceed to slip of the edge and earn himself a mouth full of Cairngorm snow!
Spiderwebb then tried to emulate some well known fellow WHers and proceeded to Starfish and Plank the summit cairn.... planking a whole 6 inches off the surrounding ground!
As we sat down to eat lunch by the cairn, we kept discussing what the hills were we could see. We could see for miles upon miles. Schiehallion, Beinn Dearg, Ben More, Stob Binnien, The Lawerses, The Glen Lyon 4, The Tarmachan Ridge, the two Carn Deargs, Sgor Gaibhre, Ben Alder, Bheinn Bheoil... so many I had to come back and check maps to see how far away I could see and to try and marry up maps with photos.... I've probably got some wrong, but it the point is it the view was simply sublime. Completely and utterly astonishing and making you glad to have the opportunity to see the majesty of our wee Scotland. My iPhone camera, simply not good enough to capture it all.
After oor scran, we descended towards the Carn 'lc Loumhaidh and if anything the views just got better as Loch Ericht opened up below us and the bulk of Udlamain was no longer obscuring so much of the view across the glen.
The descent down was once again through knee/thigh deep snow, but was no problem at all and we quickly reached the bottom of the bealach between to the two hills. Away to the west, the ground here surprisingly just slowly peters down, but it seemed to lead your eye away to the horizon to drink in yet another stunning view.
Looking back from here, I suppose you get a better idea of what Udlamain and Sgairneach Mhor must be in the summer, just a big rounded lumps, but on days like we had, nobody could have asked for more.
As we crossed from Beinn Udlamain to Sgairneach Mhor we passed several groups of walkers heading in the opposite direction and every single person, like us, had a smile, enjoying the wonderful day.
At this point Tomsie and Ceasar said they fancied a crack at The Sow of Atholl. After agreeing a meet up time at the cars, they sped on while HLL and Spiderwebb gave the dogs a well earned rest,...... (The snow had knackered them out apparently, nothing at all to do with their owners wanting a smoke!
) While I strolled up to the top of Sgraineach Mhor, just catching Tomsie in time to get a pic at the top, before he and Ceasar headed off to roast a sow.
The views from SM weren't as extensive as from Udlamain, but still impressive. My fave, Schiehallion steals the show from here. The iconic pyramid outclassing Carn Mairg and the Glen Lyons next door.
The Drummochter Pass, containing the A9, was also very prominant down below, the dark browns contrasting with the bright whites surrounding it.
From here we followed the ridge east for a little while, then made a bee-line down the side of Sgairneach Mhor for the bridge over the Allt Coire Dhomhain. Jogging chariots of fire style through the snow... only for HLL to fall flat in her face and get her face full of Drumochter Snow!
From here it was a leisurely in stroll back in the twilight to meet Tomsie and Ceasar, who just pipped us back to the car.... Ceasar even had the heater on!
After a grand day out it was time to say our farewells. Three going north, two south.
I'm sure we'll do it all again some day!
