Having the best part of a week off, without the Sick Kid, who's working, I find myself banned from doing Corbetts or anything remotely interesting on the West Coast. Skye looked inviting when we sailed past on Sunday returning from Rum but my quizzical eye brought a glare from herself. OK, well it was going to be Cairngorm tops then - maybe not the most glamorous option aft er all our recent spiky west coast stuff, but I was sure I'd get in the swing of things. Felt pretty tired and rushed, getting home late on monday from Glenfinnan then having to get kit sorted and set out for Aviemore on the Tuesday. At least the weather forecast seemed promising for the week. My plan was to hit the Northern Cairngorms over 3 days then do a bit of mopping up in Glen Feshie and Glenshee afterwards. This is how it turned out.
Day 1 - Aviemore to Beinn a'Chaorain Beag
Up to Cairngorm Base Station for early afternoon on Tuesday, with a good drive up the A9 for a change. Scoffed some rolls at the car park, got loaded up and headed off - a little apprehensive that with rushing to get away I'd have forgotten some key item of kit that would only become apparent when I was miles from anywhere - I have managed to forget my tent before


Ski Centre from Windy Ridge

Cnap Coire na Spreidhe

View to Bynack More

Heading down to The Saddle

Loch Avon

I headed over the gentle rise of A'Choinneach, which I'd already climbed and made for Bynack Beag. Seeing it crouched to the left of Bynack More I was so glad I was only going up the little baby hill whose 964m appear insignificant against its bigger brother. Getting there was fine, dry stony ground for the most part and quick time was made. Like BM, BB has tors littering its top in a granite jumble. From the summit I headed across the lower slopes of BM and made for the Fords of Avon, passing some odd looking equipment on the track between BM and Creag Mhor. Met the track and had a wee look inside the Refuge hut - more welcoming than the concrete box of the old hut, I believe, but basically a shed

A'Choinneach looking to Bynack More

Rocky tors, Bynack Beag

View to Beinn a'Chaorainn (Beag on L)

What's this for, then?

Fords of Avon hut

Inside

Stepping stones



Top BaCB

Coire Ruairidh

Stats

Rest for the night

Day 2 - The Big Spaces of Ben Avon
Up with the light at 7ish - looked as if it would be another good day. No wind again, so cooking the porridge was easy. A leisurely start up the eastern flanks of Ba'B, heading for North Top, disturbing a large herd of deer - I reckoned around 100 animals, who headed away to the SE. As I reached North Top i was smitten by the sky - rippled cloud formations and bands of orange and yellow light behind Lochnagar and Ben Avon. With views like this to feast on, the miles go past effortlessly. Stopped repeatedly for pictures, yet I knew that the intense colours of the vista before me would never be replicated by the camera. Awestruck, I made for the day's first target, Stob an t-Sluichd. I remembered this top from coming up The Sneck last year, thinking it looked like a dragon's spine. The tors provided some fun scrambling - I'd left my pack at the start of the path to this top. Looking way down into Garbh Coire I could see the bright orange of someone's small tent. The skies were still impressive over Ben Avon as I reached the summit and gazed around. On the way back I noticed a substantial amount of aircrash wreckage that I'd somehow missed on the way over. Even after 60 years the debris field seemed to bear witness to the fireball, with plenty of pools of melted metal to be seen. I knew nothing about the incident, but there had obviously been fatalities (in fact, 5 Czech airmen) and a sombre mood descended upon me for a bit.
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/oxford_b-a-bhuird.htm
Morning sky

Mist over Mheadoin

BaB - North Top

Ben Avon




Lochnagar


Stob n t-Sluichd

Towards top

Tors on Avon


Plane wreck



I returned to collect my pack, contouring round Cnap a'Chleirich to reach The Sneck, then down the badly eroded path and up onto Ben Avon. I made for the main summit, naively assuming that the Tops would be some of the tors I could see on the skyline. Oh no - the Meur Gorm pair were much further away than I had reckoned with and out of sight for quite a while of walking. I headed north east over easy terrain and eventually caught site of West Meur Gorm Craig, with East way beyond it. Oh man! I decided to leave the sac and head off unladen for what was a lengthy trek. There's a bit of down and up to reach WMGC and the same again for EMGC, with miles of nothing human (save for the odd track) in sight all around. A truly remote feeling location. Headed back much the same way I'd gone out, with a strengthening fear that I'd not find my pack - although I'd marked it's position on the GPS I feared the battery would go on the GPS and I'd be left stranded - funny how the mind works at times. I was sure I could remember where I'd left it - but one group of granite rocks looks mighty similar to another, when you are approaching it from a slightly different direction and even with a working GPS I managed to walk past it! We were reunited eventually, however and I enjoyed my lunch looking out over the remoteness.

Tiny tent

West Meur Gorm Craig

East MGC from WMGC

View EMGC

Happy to see the pack again!

Lunchtime vista

Next target was Creag an Dail Mhor, far away to the south of Avon. I returned to the main summit before heading over the rocky knobble of Stob Dubh an Eas Bhig and skirting round east of Carn Eas. There's a drop then rise of around 100m between the plateau and CaDM. I had originally planned to head west, dropping down to the valley between Avon and Bhuiridh and ascend by way of Carn Fiaclach to South Top, but this involved far too much loss then gain of height - a 650m steep slog was not on my menu today! So instead I headed over Carn Eas (another top I'd previously claimed) and headed back to the Sneck, returning to North Top then heading round the edge of the mighty coires to reach South Top. I marvelled that I had not seen a soul all day - strange in such good weather.
Stob Dubh an Eas Bhig

Creag an Dail Mhor

Summit CaDM

Looking to South Top BaB

Back towards the Sneck


Coires on way to S Top

South Top BaB

My plan now was to head over towards the heart of the mountains. I noticed that I had omitted Stacan Dubha on Beinn Mheadoin from my targets, which meant Loch Etchachan would be a good resting place for the night, allowing me to access this top easily in the morning. It looked a long way, over flat but boggy ground, but I set off knowing I could always stop earlier if I needed, or ran out of light. I set my sights on Stob Coire Etchachan (another fortunately already climbed) and got on with the business of getting there. As I came down off the western flank of Beinn a'Chaorainn into the Lairig an Laoigh I spotted my first human of the day, heading north along the path. It was a long pull up past the Hutchie hut (occupied by one guy, otherwise I might have nipped in to cook my tea) then up the steep, seemingly never ending path to the loch itself - hard on tired legs. Nobody else around the loch, and I picked a suitable site and pitched, looking forward to some food. In particular looking forward to a slab of M&S Millionaire Shortbread - only to discover I'd left it in the car...drat! A Lidl Mars Bar had to suffice and I settled down to sleep in the calm quiet after watching the setting sun paint the mountain tops red and ignite the clouds over Carn Etchachan.
View over towards Etchachan

Mheadoin

Path to the Hutchie hut, with Etchachan beyond up the hill...

Stats

Evening sky

Mountaintops turning red


Day 3 - Around Etchachan and the Gorm
A restful night with only the grumbles of Ptarmigan echoing in the rocky cauldron of Etchechan. Again up at 7 and a relaxed breakfast before nipping off up Stacan Dubha - from my campspot less than 100m of ascent and definitely the simplest top of the trip. Good views along Loch Avon from here. Returned to the tent, packed up, having considered then dismissed an idea to nip up Carn Etchechan in the same manner - it looked pretty steep and stony. So off I headed for the two tops on Derry Cairngorm - Creagan a Coire Etchechan and Sgurr an Lochan Uaine. The moon was still in evidence over Macdhui as I set off and quickly reached the first target. Then on to the main path to Derry Cairngorm, which was looking resplendent this morning, before heading off due east along flat ground to SaLU. Easy going and good views of the cliffs of Stob Coire Etchechan from the top. Returning to the DC path I looked over at what I (mistakenly) assumed to be the next target - Sron Riach.
morning sky

"Beaky"

Stacan Dubha

Loch Avon

Derry Cairngorm




View from Creagan Choire Etchachan

Derry Cairngorm

Lochan Uaine

Stob Coire Etchechan

Cliffs of Coire Sputan Dearg

Heading on a good path (good because it's a main route up Macdhui, as I later discovered) I passed by the cliffs lining Coire Sputan Dearg and was on my way to Macdhui before I realised my error. Turning around, and again dropping the sac, I made off for what I thought was Sron Riach - the highest point of the Coire Sputan cliffs - oh no - Sron Riach lay way below to the south. It was a rocky scramble over boulders to get down there, eventually finding a path of sorts. From the summit cairn I got good views to Carn Toul and the Penis of the Demon, with Beinn Bhrotain looming in the bluish haze beyond. Heading back up towards Macdhui, I managed to relocate my sac and trundle the short distance to the main summit of Macdhui. Met a guy from Thurso there and chatted for a while, then ate an early lunch enjoying the sunshine and surprising solitude of the summit.
Sron Riach - away down there!

Carn Toul etc

Path back up from Sron Riach

Summit Macdhui

View down to Carn Etchechan

Next up was a trip NE over boulderfields to Carn Etchechan, which would take me only a few hundred metres from my starting point of the day. Steep and slippy in places, I was mindful of being on my own and how a broken ankle would be quite problematic

Mheadoin from CE

Loch Avon


Lurcher's Crag

It's a long way away!

Noisy guy

Braereach

Top, Lurcher's Crag

Cairn Lochan


Cairn Gorm from Stob Coire an t-Sneachde

Route back to Ski Centre

Stats

Day 4 - Flat Feshie Frolics
My plan for today had been to set out from Whitewell, head down to Loch Eanaich and ascend to the west, going over Moine Mhor to Bhrotain to do it's southernly top, before returning across the 3 remaining tops of Sgor Gaoithe I needed and following the ridge down over Creag Dhubh to my starting point. However, I was not in the mood to entertain such a long trauchle today and decided instead to head up from Achlean, do the Sgor Gaoithe tops and leave Bhrotain for another day (maybe combine it with the Corbett Sgor Mhor from Linn of Dee). So with a spring in my step and a lightweight rucksac I set off up the trail from Achlean. This is definitely the easiest of the 3 routes up from Glen Feshie and provides an almost effortless height gain. I could make out a large machine near the top of the hill - a JCB digger doing something to the track. Chatted to the driver, who was friendly enough then set off across flat grassland for Meall Dubhag, a nondescript rounded top. Then onto Carn Ban Mor, a former Munro, which was just as exciting as Meall Dubhag

road from Achlean

Digger

Meall Dubhag

Carn Ban Mor from Dubhag

Gaoithe from CBM

Loch Eaneich

Sgoran Dubh Mor

Gaoithe from SDM


Fungi

Stats

I had wondered about doing the top on the east Drumochter hills or the outlier on Beinn Liath at Creag Meagaidh, but didn't have maps for either. Airigod Bheinn at Beinn a'Ghlo was a possibility but a long walk for 1 top. Glenshee was more appealing as there were 6 more tops to get there. decided, I drove down the road, stopping at Pitlochry for blister plasters and some food (falalfel & babaganoush with a wee bottle of wine - very civilised). Enjoyed the windy road to Kirkmichael with the top down, Neil Young of the stereo and sunshine in the air. Arrived at Glenshee Ski Centre as a group of other walkers were packing up - turned out to be 3 guys from Inverclyde - small world. Transferred kit to my bigger pack and set off into the late afternoon sunshine for the Lesser Hills of Hell. First made my way up the steep wet grassy slopes by the ski run to the track by Cairnwell then easy walking up to Carn a'Geoidh. It was lovely having the mountains to myself, all the day walkers having gone home and the hares and deer for company. Lost in reflection I took my mind from the route and found myself headed for a large hill, when I knew there shouldn't be a large hill in my way. "I don't want to have to go up that" was my first thought, before working out what it was - Carn Binnien, another top already collected, fortunately. I had to skirt round steep slopes abouve the Allt Elrig to rejoin the route. However, mist had started rolling in by now, there was no obvious path, and I remembered having got rather lost in this area (from the opposite direction) last time we were here. I had hoped to get to Loch nan Eun to camp for the night, but going was slow, darkness was coming apon me and visibility was worsening, so I pitched up on a flattish spot about 1km short of the loch. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and wine and read more from my book. Another windless night, but broken by the mournful sound of stags calling, sounding like tormented souls. Sleep was fitful, interrupted by fears of being trampled by rutting stags - my wee tent providing minimal protection from antler or hoof.
Carn Aosda

Carn a'Geoidh

Mist coming in

Bleak Beaky

Day 5 - Weasel ventures to the Lesser Hills of Hell
Somehow I managed to survive the demons of the night and woke early to see a red glow in the sky over the Hills of Hell (Beinn Iutharn Mhor & Beag, plus Mam nan Carn). I lay and watched as clouds shaped like schooners sailed by, their mainsails ablaze, then the baleful red eye of the sun himself piercing the mists. I breakfasted in the tent and set off the short distance to Loch nan Eun before setting off directly up Beinn Iutharn Beag - steep and rocky going. Reaching the top, rather puffed out, I looked across at its parent hill, remembering the awful battle against wind and hail we'd had on our ill-fated circuit of these Munros. On that occasion we'd camped on the flanks of Man nan Carn, but not - as far as I recalled, made the summit, so it was an opportunity to put that right. Dropping my sac at the bealach between BIB and MnC I set off up the slopes, following a faint path to the summit - there;s a knoll that in mist could be mistaken for the summit on the way up, but the true top is some way past this. Returning to my pack I boiled up a coffee and enjoyed the peace and quiet before returning by my outward route. Many hares on the way, sitting erect like sentries then bounding off into the heather. Heading up over Carn a'Geoidh I heard the sound of guns - grouse shooting by the sound of it - a dismal pursuit by lame brained rich folk - grrrr. Made it back to the Ski Centre before midday and treated myself to an all-day veggie breakfast in the cafe.
Morning Glow in the Hills of Hell



Carn nan Mam (L), Beinn Iutharn Beag(R)

Loch nan Eun

Summit BIB


Top, CnM

Hares


stats

For the afternoon's delight I had intended to head up and do the 4 tops of the east Glenshee hills. Legs were tired, but I forced them into action again, heading randomly up through the ski runs to reach Meall Odhar where a few other men were sitting having a hot drink. Onwards up an easy winding path to Glas Maol, again quite a few walkers going by. Next up was Druim Mor, which needed an irritatingly lengthy detour around the coire walls to get there. Mist was closing in again, swirling around the top of Glas Maol. Back the way I'd come, taking the track to Little Glas Maol which nestles to the SE behind its buddy. Contoured around the western slopes of Glas Maol to reach the track leading to Creag Leacach. When I'd done this hill before, I'd cut short before the SW top and glissaded down the gully back towards the road, otherwise I'd have this in the bag already. It was no great hardship to head along the rocky track to CL however, though clag prevented good views. Everyone else seemed to have departed the hills by this time. I made another navigational error in the mist, heading for Carn Ait rather than Meall Gorm - I blame tiredness


Summit Meall Odhar

Glas Maol

Druim Mor, at R

Exciting cairn on Druim Mor

Misty Little Glas Maol

Summit LGM

SW top, Creag Leacach

Road back to Glenshee

Stats (forgot to switch on initially)
