Finishing the Monadh Ruadh

[weaselmaster]

The plan this week was to finish off the remaining 8 Monadh Ruadh hills. My walking buddy had been up in Braemar all week and had put in a respectable time for doing the Lochnagar circuit, so that added an extra frisson to proceedings - couldn't let the Sickly Kid get round quicker than me - though I'm not in any way competitive

Up at 03.50 and away before 04.30 - there followed a deeply unpleasant drive up to Ballater in which I had difficulty staying awake, despite a can of Lidl's Red Bull equivalent. It was both claggy and raining as I drove up through Glenshee which hardly filled me with enthusiasm for the day ahead. But driving down to the Spittal of Glen Muick the weather cleared and I even work up a bit. Parked, paid up and set off.

I'd decided I might as well climb the Corbett, Conachraig which was beside the path - well, why not? I headed straight up the SE flank which was pathless, steep and heathery and left me feeling destinctly knackered by the time I got to the top area, surprising a group of deer, hares and ptarmigan. On the way down, SW, I noted there was a good clear path that rejoined the main route to Lochnagar - would have been a bit easier than tramping through the heather


P1040527 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Summit Conachraig

P1040529 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Meikle Pap

P1040532 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Corrie Lochnagar

P1040538 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1040539 by 23weasels, on Flickr

There were quite a few groups of folk ahead of me as I walked up to Fox Cairn Well. I'd been advised to head up Meikle Pap to get a view down into the Corrie of Lochnagar, and this was indeed a good move. Quite windy up at "the slippery nipple". Back down to join the main path and up the edge of the corrie, meeting Hutchie and JamesJones en route. Had a chat and walked a bit up the slope with them, but as I had a time to beat I ddin't hang around and went off to Cac Carn Beag on my own, joining the 200 club when I got to the top of this one. Views were curtailed by clag, but I could see the main way I was heading.

Cac Carn Beag

P1040540 by 23weasels, on Flickr

200 Up!

P1040541 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1040542 by 23weasels, on Flickr

There seemed to be very little change in altitude as I headed over to Carn a Choire Bhoidheach - just a traipse over moorland. The hill, a whaleback, was so uninspiring from this angle that I didn't even bother to take a picture of it. Touched the cairn then headed NW to rejoin the track to Number 3, "Carn Taggart" as I'll call it. I almost missed the path up to the top - I knew there was a hill up there somewhere but couldn't see a path. Anyway, just headed straight up once more through the heather and got to the summit plateau. There were 2 cairns - I wan't sure which was the actual one, but headed over to the further away one to eat some lunch. I was minded that there was aircraft debris on this top and set off to find it after filling my belly. Lots of debris, big and small, just to the north of the second cairn. Bit of an odd feeling.

View to Loch Muick

P1040549 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Top of "Taggart"

P1040551 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Views NW

P1040552 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Wreckage #1

P1040553 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Wreckage #2

P1040555 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Headed back down to the track and off it was to number 4, Cairn Bannoch, who's pointy cairn I could see ahead. There's a great track up "Taggart" if you're coming round in the opposite direction... Didn't take too long until I reached the top of Bannoch - weather was a bit colder/blowier by this time. Picked my way over the boulders and back to the path, heading for the final hill of the curcuit, Broad Cairn. Unusually for me I was feeling pretty bored by this succession of small hummocks masquerading as Munros - there was no sense of having worked hard to earn a top, just a "bagging circuit" with them all laid on a plate in featureless terrain. At least the drab Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach looked much more impressive from this angle, with steep cliffs and a waterfall scouring its way down the side.

Carn Bannoch

P1040559 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Broad Cairn

P1040562 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Loch Muick from Summit Broad Cairn

P1040566 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Over the boulders to the final top, some good views down to Loch Muick and I was off over the boulderfield that eventually reaches the track. Walked on til reaching a cairn and a wee path off to the L - checking the map, I note this goes down Coire Chash and along the side of Loch Muick and looked a bit more interesting than the high level return. Glad I chose to head off this was as I found the pleasant path the best part of the day. Quite a few folk were out for a walk along it and at times I did feel a bit overdressed. It did join up with the other return path about 2/3 of the way along and you come to a good smooth track. Jogged parts of this to ensure that my time would be reasonable - pleased to note how much stability walking poles give you when you're running


P1040573 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1040575 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Track down to the Loch

P1040576 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1040577 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1040578 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Who lives in a house like this?

P1040579 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1040582 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Lochnagar6.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Back at the car exactly 1 hour quicker than Sickly Kid - of course I had other reasons for wanting to be back in reasonable time - had to drive over to Glen Feshie and get camped for tomorrow's walk. Traffic wasn't too bad over the Cockbridge to Tomintoul road and I quite enjoyed the drive, with the top down. Got to Glen Feshie and headed down to the car park at Achlean, which was still replete with returning walkers. I had thought I might camp by tha car, but there's a notice forbidding such activities. So it would have to be plan B - walk down the Feshie to Ruadh Aiteachain and camp there overnight. This would give me 5km off tomorrow's walk, but would also mean that I had to do the entire round with my big rucksack and full kit. I discarded as much as I was able, leaving it in the car and around 5pm set off down the path towards the Feshie.


P1040583 by 23weasels, on Flickr

About 1 hour's walking got me to the meadows at Ruadh Aiteachain and I found a spot sheltered behind a fallen tree to offer a bit of wind protection. A swift noodle dish, coffee and macaroon bar and a couple of whiskies and I was off to sleep not much after 7pm. High living

Tomorrow's start - Mullach hides behind the others

P1040584 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Bedded down - wee tent's fixed

P1040585 by 23weasels, on Flickr

I'd packed my 4 seasons sleeping bag after recent experiences with the summer ones, but it was a bit roasting overnight Up and off by 07.40 - heading up the bulldozed track up the side of Druim Nam Bo. It may not be very pretty, but it did provide a good surface underfoot at the best gradient available to get up to Mullach Clach a'Bhiar. There's quite an impressive view down into Coire Domhain from near the top of the track, then the gradient eases and it's a straightforward walk over to the dome of MCaB. It wasn't very impressive, but the peak of Sgor Gaoith sticking up like an unruly quiff to the North was better.

Ascent up the bulldozed track

P1040587 by 23weasels, on Flickr

View into the corrie

P1040588 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Mullach's mighty peak

P1040591 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Sgor Gaoith

P1040593 by 23weasels, on Flickr

The path I'd chosen heads over to the 974m cairn before descending to the gully containing the River Eidart. Thought I'd have to get my socks and shoes off but found some stepping stones and made it across easily enough.


P1040601 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Up another steep, pathless heathery, boggy hillside then the process repeated going down to the tributaries of Allt Dhaidh Mor - managed to take a little slip just beside the water coming down over the slabs. Up again and ahead of me was the boulder strewn slope of Beinn Bhrotain - the top 150m or so had remained hidden in clag all the way towards it. Summoning some strenght I slowly clambered up the boulders towards the summit, somewhere up there. By this time the wind had got up and was fair chilly. Up to the cairn, sheltered in the lee to have some food and managed to get the jet-boil going for a brew.

Bhrotain

P1040605 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1040606 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Summit Bhrotain

P1040607 by 23weasels, on Flickr

In the occasional clearing in the clag I could see the narrow bealach between Bhrotain & Leac Gorm, with impressive views down into Coire Cath nam Fionn. As I walked up towards the final top of the day, Monadh Mor, I caught sight of a shapely peak that looked oddly familiar. It wasn't until I was crossing the springy surface of Moine Mor - the Great Moss, and could see the adjacent hills that I realised the shapely fellow was none other than The Penis of the Demon, and the peaks to it's left were Cairn Toul, Braeriach et al.

Path from Bhrotain

P1040609 by 23weasels, on Flickr

What's this, then?

P1040612 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Oh, it's that Demon's Dongle

P1040613 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Towards top Monadh Mor, Braeriach beyond

P1040615 by 23weasels, on Flickr

There he is again...

P1040616 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Looking back to Beinn Bhrotain

P1040617 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Summit Monadh Mor

P1040619 by 23weasels, on Flickr

My last Cairngorm peak - until I start the Corbetts

P1040620 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Headed north off Monadh Mor then NW towards Tom Dubh, having to avoid a ravine on the way. The views over towards Sgor Gaoith and its cliffs were great and was interesting to see how it changed in the light. Didn't seem just a week ago I stood on the windswept top and looked down into its coires.


P1040622 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Flat terrain to Tom Dubh

P1040623 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Gaoith

P1040625 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1040626 by 23weasels, on Flickr


I joined up with the track heading towards Carn Ban Mor and onwards down the track cut into the side of Ciste Mhearad. This came down into pinewoods before the final flat section back over heather and back to the road. Sun out, jacket off, legs sore, but it had been a good day

Return route

P1040628 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1040629 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Gliders at the flying club

P1040631 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1040632 by 23weasels, on Flickr

fesh3.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

[Graeme D]

Superb serial bagging Alistair! Love the shots of the "Demon's Dongle".

[riverlodge]

love the autumn colours, great shots.

[ceaser]

congratulations on hitting the 200 WM , cant beleive you only managed to beat a girl by an hour on your first walk

[weaselmaster]

congratulations on hitting the 200 WM , cant beleive you only managed to beat a girl by an hour on your first walk

I know - she obviously walks faster when on her own than she does with me
Mind you, she didn't go hunting for aircraft debris either, I suspect

[ceaser]

congratulations on hitting the 200 WM , cant beleive you only managed to beat a girl by an hour on your first walk

I know - she obviously walks faster when on her own than she does with me
Mind you, she didn't go hunting for aircraft debris either, I suspect

BUT ,she was probably walking and not feeling well

[PeteR]

Another understated title there Alistair

A couple of great rounds though And some great shots too

I'm hoping to finish off the Monadh Ruadh on Saturday, but I'll only be doing the one hill..........I'm just a lightweight

[weaselmaster]

Another understated title there Alistair

A couple of great rounds though And some great shots too

I'm hoping to finish off the Monadh Ruadh on Saturday, but I'll only be doing the one hill..........I'm just a lightweight

Which one's that then, Pete?

[PeteR]

Another understated title there Alistair

A couple of great rounds though And some great shots too

I'm hoping to finish off the Monadh Ruadh on Saturday, but I'll only be doing the one hill..........I'm just a lightweight

Which one's that then, Pete?

Just plotted a 19 mile route to pick off Braeriach I'll be accompanied by my occasional walking partner from work, but I don't think he knows yet the length of the walk I've planned

[battie72]

congratulations on hitting the 200 WM , cant beleive you only managed to beat a girl by an hour on your first walk

Remember he said he jogged part of the way too Ceaser!
And I'd just like to point out that I strolled it at the end with my newest hill friend so could have done it quicker.......

[ceaser]

congratulations on hitting the 200 WM , cant beleive you only managed to beat a girl by an hour on your first walk

Remember he said he jogged part of the way too Ceaser!
And I'd just like to point out that I strolled it at the end with my newest hill friend so could have done it quicker.......

always thought Weasel master was holding you back Alison

[Collaciotach]

Congrats on the 200

And using the correct name

[basscadet]

On when I first opened the report I thought you did all those hills on the same day and was awful confused
Still a long days though.. Not many of those left this year
Like the photos.. The cairngorms are difficult because there is always so much foreground..

[weaselmaster]

Just plotted a 19 mile route to pick off Braeriach I'll be accompanied by my occasional walking partner from work, but I don't think he knows yet the length of the walk I've planned [/quote]

You'll enjoy the topping of snow I noticed when driving by today - just on braeriach

[Scotjamie]

Nice one WM. Enjoyed the white mounth pics as I did this mostly in clag (causing me to walk a few miles more than even your good self). Great looking walk across the Moine Mhor!
I passed Meagaidh about the same time as you passed Braeriach - also with a lovely dusting