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I was going to be visiting my in laws near Perth and with the recent good weather coming to an end, I penciled in the Cairnwell 3 to try and catch the last of this spell. It’s an area I've never walked before, fairly close and with the high start point it looked like a quick day and hopefully a few good hills, although a bit of a scrapyard by all accounts on the Cairnwell.
I set off fairly early up the A93, a nice picturesque route all the way, and parked up by 09:00. I took advantage off the café being open for a cuppa(strong, you could stand your spoon in it) and bacon roll, and then got booted up and on my way by 09:30. The WH route directs walkers past the main building and restaurant, some people may think this is the café at roadside but its the Cairnwell Restaurant which is out of sight slightly up the hill, and can be totally obscured on foggy days. Which it was for the early part of today, MWIS wasn’t very accurate for the start of the day, but bang on after midday.
The mist obscured most of the tracks scarring the hillside and the ski lift machinery initially and truthfully for the ascent to Carn Aosda, I think a piste map would have been of more use.
- Signpost to first hill of the day
Soon I made the T Junction of the paths and a sign post to Carn Aosda, leaving my bag at the sign I quickly made my way up to what appeared to be a large flat scree covered summit, I was lucky if I got 10/15m visibility at this point, so not hanging about I headed back to pickup my bag and carry onto Carn a’Gheoidh. The path is pretty clear all the way, passing many of the named runs and lift works. It was a little strange walking this area as I had only ever been up here boarding and that was before I started hillwalking. To see it in this environment was totally alien, and I can now see why some people may object to the scarring of the hills with lifts and tows, even in the mist it wasn’t very pretty.
As I made my way towards the edge of Loch Vrotachan, the ugliness is left behind the walk becomes an undulating meander. The path forks above the loch , left leads straight toThe Cairnwell and right contours around towards Carn a’Gheoidh, I took the right hand route. As I gained some height I was back in the clag and passing the two small lochans. At this point I noticed a walker some way in front of me, I wouldn’t get any closer all day, but they were always just on my horizon. Passing Carn nan Sac, the views had opened with views back to The Cairnwells slopes, and down to the corrie.
Pressing on I soon made the cairn at Carn a’Gheoidh, actually two cairns and a bit of shelter. Stopping for a bit to eat, and a mosey around the top with views drifting in and out, the person in front had carried on heading for Carn Bhinnein, I think. I thought about following them but the visibility was poor and I thought I’m up here for the views and I won’t get much over there. So after my break it was time to retrace my steps back past the two small lochans and to find the path to the Cairnwell, on the way back is when the clag cleared up a bit and I took a walk over to Carn nan Sac and the views onto the masts and side of the Cairnwell, some good views down to the corrie and the A93 below.
- Carn Aosda from Carn nan Sac.
- The Cairnwell from Carn nan Sac
Thankfully CnS isn’t a Munro cos its scattered with cairns, most likely built by splinter factions.
It was now time to head back and around the top of the corrie wall to ascend The Cairnwell, from this direction there are a few paths cutting a bit off the recognised route, so I took one of them and it brought me up just after the one of the lift towers and it was then a short walk past the chairlift and up to the summit.
- From Cairnwell, the scars on Carn Aosda. Path from Carn nan Sac, lower left, main path from Carn Aosda
I had seen lots of phots of the summit but nothing prepared me for the carnage up there. I wouldn’t want it landscaped but surely Orange, Vodaphone et al should have been forced to do something to camouflage there scrapheap . Ironies of ironies (sic) I couldn’t get a signal to phone my wife ha ha. I spent a short time looking across the glen to some of the other hills still showing some snow, whilst on this side it had been minimal. Soon it was time to head down. Fairly straight forward, basically pick a line and head towards the ski center, I would say apart from the height it is probably one of the easiest descents on the knees ever. Quickly back at my car it was in for a coffee and piece of Cappuccino cake. I realised I hadn’t said hello to Mr & Mrs Wainwright, but from my pic it maybe should have been my respects.
- Commisarations to Mrs Wainwright
Maybe she didn't stand a chance
- Big Bully
After that it was another relaxing drive back to Perth, shame about the weather, but it was really only clag and a little wind