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Day 1
The Gael calls them the Monadh Ruaidh to differentiate them from the Monadh Liath to the West
The irony of the English translation Cairn Gorm or "Pairc Naiseanta Carn Gorm" may be lost on most
It translates roughly as the "blue mountain national park" and this terminology sits on the welcome boards at the thresholds alongside the name "Pairc Naiseanta a Mhonadh Ruaidh" ...... " the red mountain national park "
Don't even start me on "Angel's Peak" and "Devil's Point" ... I sort that out later
I set off at midday on Friday, inspired by Rockhopper's route to circuit the Cárn an t Sabhail traverse with the add on of Cárn a Mhaim and finishing over the Monadh Mor via Beinn Bhrotain....... rathad fada !
We had climbed Sgor Gaoithe and Mullach Clach a Bhlair the previous week so I knew the terrain ahead with the intention to pass along the peat hags above Loch Einich for the bealach between Braigh Riabhaich and Sgor an Lochan Uaine.
- Sealtainn air ais Sgorr Gaoithe
A bit of a slog with a heavy overnight pack reached the bealach around 3.5hrs after leaving Achlean and left the pack for the climb to Braigh Riabhaich.
- Sgor an Lochan uaine
We wandered along the cliff with some big cornices left from Winter /Summer

and found ourselves "air a mhullach" quickly .
A big broad flat top on this one would be tricky in poor visibility and a nightmare in a white out !
- Braigh Riabhaich / Summit
I was keen to keep moving so we did not hang about too long before back down to the bealach and over onto Sgor an Lochan Uaine
A bonnie wee peak this one and ended up my favourite of the four
- Sgor an Lochan Uaine
A' nis , de tha cearr leis Sgor an Lochain Uaine ? ,an t ainmean ceart ..... so why "angels peak" ,guess it must be a "Victorian" thing and typically does not represent the topographical features of the mountain scape in any way.
- Lochan Uaine
Cum a Ghaidhlig ainm ann ... keep the Gaelic name in use, it describes the hill simply .
We were soon on Carn an t Sabhail quite rocky terrain and an cu was skittering over the rocks in good speed ,I was more careful good ankle break country this although being dry it was a blessing I think this would be more of a challenge in wet weather
I met two nice folk on the summit here turned out to be Foggieclimber and Rachael heading for Braigh Riabhaich ..saoghal beag gu dearbh
Sealltain math sios ann an Lairig Dhru .. good views into the Lairig Ghru and in the distance our final peak
Bod an Deamhain

- Lairig Dhru agus Bod an Deamhain
The descent is harsh over Coire an t Saighdear and onto the bealach above Corr Ruaidh , a long boulder field and sore on the feet , again would be worse in wet weather I reckon.
I dumped the sack again and made my way up to the carn it was about 7pm a long afternoon already and still a camp to find.
- Mullach Bod na Deamhainn
A ribhist "the devils point" tha beachd agamsa bha e .... the "Victorians" again

,a pity the name appears to be sticking.
I used the break on Bod an Deamhainn to assess the next days ascent of Coire Cath nam Fhionn it looked a long way off and steep.
We made our way down and past Coire Odhar and round into the head of Gleann Guisachan and had the tent pitched by 9pm in a wee heathery spot by the Uisge De

- Am Phiobaill
An latha fada gu dearbh agus bha sinn sgith .... we had a meal and a couple of cans of Cider before bed with an gille dubh beginning to feel the pace of the day
- An cu
Time taken around 9 hrs from Achlean and with a heavy pack, no bad going and the real bonus no midges this far East .. yet

DAY 2
A good nights sleep saw me up at 4.30am and off up Carn a Mhaim to catch the sun up, at 500mtrs in the Lairig Dhru I was not going to pass the chance to bag this one ! opted for the straight up approach and surfaced just between the two carn about 1hr 15mins later.
- Carn a Mhaim
- Bod an Deamhainn
I had a pleasant 1/2 hour on this wee cracker with nice views down Gleann Doire, however, time to move as the Coire Cath nam Fhionn beckoned.
I struck camp by 7.30am and headed up Gleann Guisachan ,a lovely place but not any Firs left

and it took a wee while to hit the bottom of the Coire.
I followed the line of the burn up here, good deer tracks help the ascent, but with the pack and heat it was a slog which induced a rest at the coire floor before the final push onto the bealach

- Coire Cath nam Fionn
It was a relief to reach the bealach between Beinn Bhrotain and Monach Mor and dump the pack and before going up onto the summit of this boulder field ! .... the day was growing warmer by the hour.
- Beinn Bhrotainn
Over on to the Monadh Mor and sweating buckets ....they are a pair of flat tops these two!
- Sealltain air ais
We did not linger on Monadh Mor instead we heading down into the bowl before Tom Mhor and had a grand skinny dip in the burn sorry no pics ....then a sleep on the roll mat in the sun for two hours .... with the shorts back on
The walk back was uneventful but the weather grand we eventually hit the car at 3.30pm another long day.
I noticed many things about these hills that differs them from the West but the biggest factor was perhaps in the Glen lands ,there is not the same degradation in grasses and heathers as yet and in comparison to the West, with Glen Guisachan especially looking like the cro dubh (black cattle) had not long departed.
The place names keep the place alive to me and I wonder who the soldier was that was in Coire an t Saighdear and who sat on Clach nan Tailear. The Gaels had a simple practice of naming after topographical features and local events it works in descriptive terms more than any caic handed re branding will ever do, so folks keep the Gaelic names in use ,it is the essence of the mountain lands.
Slainte