Conachcraig, Lochnagar & A Spot Of Royalty

[Backpacker]

With the MCoS advice of not going above 600M without the winter gear and Mayar & Dreish looking relatively snow free when I drove past last week I had the brain ticking over for what I could get up to over the Easter weekend so I didn't have to dig out the axe & crampons.

After a couple of ideas I settled on Conachcraig, could make a day of it and rounded enough not to worry if I did slip on a bit of ice.

I met David Main in the Carpark at Crathie only to be informed that as there was Royalty in town, we might have to move the cars and park elsewhere, thankfully we were told after the original policeman had spoken to his commander that it was fine. So we suited and booted and head off down the road. We followed the WH route through the estate and forest before we emerged on the other side will Lochnagar's Corrie looking splendid.

DSC_0054 by GaryE1872, on Flickr

As per the route we just followed the track, the sky was blue and the sun was out though a bit hotter than expected.

I just couldn't keep my eyes of Lochnagar, it's an angle I really only ever seen when driving by on my way to Braemar or Glenshee.

DSC_0060 by GaryE1872, on Flickr

DSC_0062 by GaryE1872, on Flickr

After round about 1.5/2 hours we hit the start of the path to begin the ascent. The ascent really just a bit of a gentle plod, with the constant turning around to taker in the beauty behind us.

DSC_0067 by GaryE1872, on Flickr

After reaching the summit we just dumped our bags by the summit and wandered off taking photo's of, well everything about us, it really is a cracking viewpoint.

DSC_0077 by GaryE1872, on Flickr

DSC_0081 by GaryE1872, on Flickr

DSC_0089 by GaryE1872, on Flickr

DSC_0083 by GaryE1872, on Flickr

(Thought I'd better take a photo of the summit )

We spent a good half hour/45 mins up there taking in the views, then decided we should head back. We took in the other 2 tops before descending back down to the landrover track.

It was on the way back that we got our glimpse of Royalty, we'd just walked by the turn off for the bothy when we saw a Range Rover heading towards us, which happened to contain Prince Charles and his driver/bodyguard, I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get a photo

That created a bit of a talking point for me and Dave. When we hit the main road we decided to vary it just a wee bit by walking over the suspension bridge before the short walk back to the cars.

DSC_0092 by GaryE1872, on Flickr

[Gordie12]

Looks like you took as many photos of Lochnagar as me(when doing Conachcraig).

It's a wonder I didn't trip up the number of times I had to turn round to take photos, can't remember another hill where I've spent so much time photographing a different hill from the one I'm climbing.

Great day to be out in the hills.