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Carn na Caim and A'Bhuidheanach Bheag An Dun corbett

Carn na Caim and A'Bhuidheanach Bheag An Dun corbett


Postby davetherave » Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:11 pm

Route description: Càrn na Caim and A'Bhuidheanach Bheag, Drumochter

Munros included on this walk: A' Bhuidheanach Bheag, Càrn na Caim

Corbetts included on this walk: An Dùn

Date walked: 13/12/2009

Time taken: 10 hours

Distance: 26 km

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Date. Sunday13th December 2009
Completed by. Dave, Julie and Wilson
Weather. Clear skies with plenty snow higher up and good
Visibility
Distance. 26 km
Time. 10 hrs 40 mins

Munro’s….. Carn na Caim and A'Bhuidheanach Bheag
Corbett….. An Dun

Starting from Lay-by 86 west side Drumochter pass
Near Dalwhinnie


Due to the cracking forecast we decided on doing a big round for our trip in the hills this weekend. Carn na Caim and A'Bhuidheanach Bheag were the munro’s of choice, but all going well we also hoped on getting the Corbett An Dun included in our round.
All reports on the 2 munros’ seemed fairly straight forward and with the weather on our side I set about making the trip more of a circular route and ultimately a longer day in the hills.
Out came the Quo software and i tried to decide on the final route. Below is the GPX file of our route decided.


drumochter 2 on east of pass and corbett AnDun.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts




According to the software this was an 8hr plus route but I new it would take longer with the conditions under foot as we were up here the week earlier attempting just the 2 munro’s and were beating back by the weather at the Quarry. There was a fair depth of snow the week previous so I was hoping for that to be well frosted over by this weekend.
We left the house at 5.30am , arrived at 7.30 and by 7.50 we were on our way. Managing to be on our way before daylight was our main priority if we wanted to complete this big hike.

looking down from ner the quarry.JPG

A'Bhuidheanach Bheag  i think.JPG


Within no time we had reached the point of the quarry. This was where we abandoned the walk the week before and had to give up. But this week the weather was in our favour and things were looking much more promising.
From the quarry there was still about 3km to go but very little in height. We reached Carn Na Caim’s summit at 10.05am (took 2hrs 15mins).
Bitterly cold we spent only 5 mins up there.

julie approaching summit of Carn Na Caim.JPG

Coire Cam.JPG

hills from summit of Carn Na Caim.JPG



Quick orientation of the map picked out An Dun (so I thought) approx 5/6 km away and off we go across the fairly hard compacted snow making what seemed like pretty good time.
I think this part would be murder if it were not frozen over, assumed it would be very boggy indeed.

Am meadar.JPG
thought this was An Dun !

Am meadar (1).JPG
then i realised it was not An Dun.



By 11.10 am we had reached the drop before the rise to An Dun !!! This big massif looked near impossible, but for some reason something never looked quite right. I then looked slightly to my left and could see the corner of a loch, the loch between An Dun and its Corbett brother.!!!
I had messed up when on the summit of Carn Na Caim I should have took a bearing and not just orientated my map. We were actually heading for Am Meadar 803 height.

Now we can see our Corbett we head NE and get pack on track getting ourselves in position before the big descent / ascent onto the summit of An Dun.
Once we realised we had navigated to Am Meadar at 11.05am, corrected our self’s and then summated An Dun it was 1pm we even managed to practise some self arrest’s with the ice axe’s just down from the summit of An Dun. By 2.05pm we were back up to where we descended and were heading for A'Bhuidheanach Bheag .

An Dun summit.JPG

cairngorm biggies.JPG

looking over to creag an loch from An Dun.JPG

Wilson on An Dun.JPG

An Dun ice axe arrest practise.JPG

biggies.JPG


Energy levels were now at an all time low, chocolate coffee 2minute break is all we allow ourselves we are behind schedule, and the wife is getting narky……..
We make a beeline for our 2nd munro of the day passing through the waterfalls at NN6800 / NN7920. and then skirting round A'Bhuidheanach Mhor before arriving at A'Bhuidheanach Bheag.

waterfalls.JPG

gorge.JPG

sun set from summit.JPG





We left the summit at 4.30pm with only 20/25 mins of vision before head torches had to make an appearance. My original route was going to take us off the ridge NW of A’Bhuidheanach 879 height and catch the outward track further down, but with the light failing rapidly I decided to head straight for the quarry and meet the same track further up.
Track now reached my wife is now happier and the raised voices have decreased considerably.
6.30pm and it’s all over, what a day. Big effort from the wife she’s well chuffed with the day. And Wilson the Beardie well he has hardly moved since.
PS… I would like to thank all the guys that responded to my thread prior to this walk.
Dave

MERRY XMAS TO ALL
Last edited by davetherave on Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Carn na Caim and A'Bhuidheanach Bheag An Dun corbett

Postby sloosh » Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:40 pm

Well done. :)

I don't think I would've tried it myself but that's some going. Can't believe you were still on the summit at 4.30. :shock:

Edit: ah, good, you've added photos. I was wondering where they were. Didn't like to ask in case you had left your camera at home or something. :)
Last edited by sloosh on Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Carn na Caim and A'Bhuidheanach Bheag An Dun corbett

Postby Paul Webster » Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:48 pm

What an epic - especially impressed that Wilson made it :D

Like the An Dun photo - looks just like a sword!
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Re: Carn na Caim and A'Bhuidheanach Bheag An Dun corbett

Postby mountain coward » Tue Dec 15, 2009 2:09 am

Mental!! Bet next time you pick up that dog lead, the dog will mysteriously be nowhere to be seen! :lol:
mountain coward
 

Re: Carn na Caim and A'Bhuidheanach Bheag An Dun corbett

Postby kinley » Tue Dec 15, 2009 10:21 am

Interesting route - hell of a yomp for this time of year. Food for thought :D
kinley
 

Re: Carn na Caim and A'Bhuidheanach Bheag An Dun corbett

Postby davetherave » Tue Dec 15, 2009 8:06 pm

sloosh wrote:Well done.

I don't think I would've tried it myself but that's some going. Can't believe you were still on the summit at 4.30.


Cheers Sloosh, i did check and check the forecasts and they were always coming back promising for the weekend. My mind was then set on doing it as long as it was reasonable underfoot. :D

Paul Webster wrote:What an epic - especially impressed that Wilson made it


Thanks for that Paul. As for the dog, well he just keeps going and going our route was 26km his was more like 46km :shock:

mountain coward wrote:Mental!! Bet next time you pick up that dog lead, the dog will mysteriously be nowhere to be seen!


Hope not M/C, he is the main reason that gets me out there. He gives the wife and i plenty encouragment. :lol:

kinley wrote:Interesting route - hell of a yomp for this time of year. Food for thought


Kinley,

i blame you for making my route "" intresting "" :lol: i got a reply recently off you on my Beinn Challum report. You said you did a variation of the Beinn Challum route coming in from the north and catching some corbetts on the way.
So thats it, im now looking at routes that can include corbetts on the way.
This was a big day for us, and was probably our best day out to date. :D :o 8) :lol:
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Re: Carn na Caim and A'Bhuidheanach Bheag An Dun corbett

Postby kinley » Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:27 pm

Don't forget your Grahams Dave...you know you want to :lol:

I look forward to your 2010 list-mixing trip reports :D 8)
kinley
 

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