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Relaxing around Glen Quoich

PostPosted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 12:50 pm
by malky_c
Corbetts: Carn na Drochaide.
Grahams: Creag Bhalg.
Date: 13/07/2013.
Distance: 12 km.
Ascent: 830m.
Time taken: 4 hours 40 minutes.
Weather: Hot and sunny again.

By the time I'd driven round to the Linn of Quoich, the cool morning had given away to another scorcher of a day. The rest of the cloud had cleared from the high summits too. I swapped my heavy camping gear for my small bag and was off walking again for 9am. I'd started my route around Beinn a' Bhuird and Ben Avon from here previously, but I hadn't stopped to look at the Linn of Quoich properly. I did that now on my approach to Carn na Drochaide.

Quoich.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts


Well worth a look. I'd say this area is even more attractive than the Linn of Dee, with a gorge and some deep pools. I spotted somewhere with the potential for a post-walk dip later.

Linn of Quoich:
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...with potential swimming spot spotted for later:
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but maybe not in this!
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Up past the tea house hut, and onto the track skirting the edge of the woodlands. I looked for a suitable place to leave the track and hit the hillside. It looked very heathery. It was really heathery, and quite tedious going lower down. Still, good views back to Creag Bhalg, which had more character than I was expecting. Lots of grouse chicks around (as there had been throughout the trip).

Creag Bhalg:
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Inverey:
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Lochnagar:
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Higher up, I found myself on a decent path. Probably should have tried to fnd the start of it. I think the answer was to go further east along the Dee, rather than trying to follow the Quoich. Since I'd have missed the Linn of Quoich in that case, I was glad I'd taken the route I did.

Carn na Drochaide summit:
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Looking back. Wish I'd found the path earlier:
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The summit had less character than Sgor Mor, but there were great views of Ben Avon, Beinn a Bhuird and the rest of the Cairngorms, as well as south and east. The breeze was a little cooler today, keeping the ever-persistent clegs and flies at bay on the summit at least. Well worth a stroll around the edge of the summit plateau and a stop.

Beinn a Bhuird:
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Cairn Toul and Ben Macdui:
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Ben Avon:
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Carn Liath and Culardoch:
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Beinn a Bhuird again:
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Zoom to Cairn Toul and Ben Macdui:
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Across to Carn Bhac and Beinn Iutharn Mor, Beinn a Ghlo peeking out behind:
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My route down descended slightly higher into the Quoich, with paths petering out as I got lower. the last section between the two tracks up either side of the Quoich was very hard going in deep heather, and I got my feet wet crossing the river (looking at a 1:25,000 map afterwards, I discovered a bridge very close to where I crossed :roll: )

South summit of Beinn a Bhuird:
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Creag Bhalg:
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Water of Quoich:
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I had eyed up a rising traverse onto Creag Bhalg, which looked straightforward, but actually passed through some of the deepest heather I have encountered at that height in Scotland (there are some worse lower hills, mind). I'd definitely consider going up Creag Bhalg again, but by one of the tracks on the other side!

Beinn a Bhuird:
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Attack of the killer flies!
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Beinn Bhreac:
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Finally on the top for midday, and it lived up to its reputation of good views. I was now starting to wilt in the heat a bit, and my right knee was quite painful at times - surely a delayed result of falling on it on Thursday evening. I lay down for a nap on the summit in the shade of a large boulder.

Glen Quoich, Beinn Bhreac, Beinn a Bhuird:
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Carn na Drochaide:
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Sgor Mor, Beinn Bhrotain and Cairn Toul:
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Worst thing about napping on a summit is the getting up again. I was really looking forward to my swim, so limited the stretch-out to half an hour, before staggering blearily towards the eastern summit.

On Creag Bhalg:
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Up the Dee to An Sgarsoch and Carn Ealar:
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Ben Macdui and Beinn Bhreac:
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Beinn a Bhuird:
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It was a lovely descent on a faint path down to some telecomms masts. This is a great little hill. The path seemed to head off to the west at the masts to join the track shown on the map. Probably the best route but not where I wanted to go. Instead I dropped through more trees to the final heathery slope down to the Linn of Quoich. This was as thick and awkward as my way up, although looking back, I could seen a faint ATV track which might make it easier.

East down Deeside:
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Last descent off Creag Bhalg:
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I thought this walk would be an anti-climax to my trip, but it wasn't at all. None of the sub-3000ft hills I had done over the last couple of days were topographically that interesting, yet all of them had great views of Deeside and the Cairngorms, and I enjoyed myself as much as I would have done on my favourite northwestern hills.

Now for that swim in the Linn of Quoich. It was worth the few minutes walk back up to the tea hut for a dip in the deep pool I had passed earlier. It was so great to wash off the disgusting mixture of sweat, suncream and dirt from my face and arms. Kept my shorts on this time as it was a bit more public than Loch nan Eun :shifty: .

Re: Relaxing around Glen Quoich

PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 9:08 pm
by rockhopper
Nice way to finish off the trip malky :thumbup:

Glad to see you were a bit more discrete for your swim this time though :oops: :lol: - cheers

Re: Relaxing around Glen Quoich

PostPosted: Tue Jul 16, 2013 9:23 pm
by Collaciotach
Nice country around there must visit :D

Grand photos and report :clap:

Re: Relaxing around Glen Quoich

PostPosted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:25 am
by malky_c
Cheers both :D

Collaciotach wrote:Nice country around there must visit :D

It's almost like a different country!

Re: Relaxing around Glen Quoich

PostPosted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 6:40 am
by ChrisW
Great finish Malky, a summit nap is something I can get behind....that's my kind of hiking :lol: :lol: Great to see this area covered so well in your 3 reports...my favourite area of Scotland, all those beautiful rolling hills stretching out in all directions, what more could a man ask :clap: Glad to see you kept the shorts on for the dip this time :lol: :lol:

Re: Relaxing around Glen Quoich

PostPosted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 9:06 pm
by PeteR
Really enjoyed this :D I still have Beinn a Bhuird to do and was planning on doing it from Linn of Quoich and adding Carn na Drochaide on the return.