With a pale golden finish, this is one for the connoisseur!

[Graeme D]

Gold Duke of Edinburgh season and I was leading a group on a training expedition using the same Aviemore to Kingussie 4 day route that I had taken an assessment group on last June. On that occasion the weather had been kind to us, at least until the morning of the fourth day for the walk out from the Ruigh Aiteachainn bothy in Glen Feshie to Kingussie. I had made the most of that fine spell to do a couple of side trips of my own either early in the morning before the kids were up or later on in the evening after they were settled for the evening. Trips up the Devil's Point and Monadh Mor - http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=43719 - and Mullach Clach a'Bhlair - http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=43939 - came out of that expedition and I was hopeful that similar sorties could be fitted in this time round. Top of my list was another early morning raid from Corrour bothy, this time targeting Carn Toul and Sgorr an Lochain Uaine. The mid summer weather had other ideas however. Wednesday had turned into a very unpleasant and at times quite brutal walk through the Rothiemurchas Forest and up into the Lairig Ghru. A number of the kids found the boulder fields of the Lairig Ghru very tough going in these conditions, but eventually we rolled into Corrour bothy which we used to cook in and dry out gear before spending a rather damp night pitched nearby. I did stick my nose out of the tent at 3.30 but the cloud was still well down and I therefore canned the idea and crawled back inside.

Things did brighten up for a few hours on the Thursday (Day 2) for the walk down the Dee to White Bridge and then around to the Geldie Burn, but then it all closed in again and the rain came back on before we were battered by winds and heavy rain in our little tented village by the banks of the upper Feshie, just short of the Falls of Eidart. Another option had been to do Sgarsoch and Fiddler on the Friday morning but that was a wash out too, so it was on down Glen Feshie to our Friday night spot by the Ruigh Aiteachainn bothy with no new hills under my belt.

Once encamped around the bothy, two of my three colleagues decided to head off to do Mullach, where they were caught in some horrendous downpours before returning like drowned rats to the bothy where we had got a good fire going in the stove. Myself and one of my colleagues opted to sleep in the bothy and I set my alarm for 3.15 with a view to heading over the river to some of the Corbetts on the other side before making for Kingussie and our train home.

The Saturday forecast had been fairly positive and true enough, I awoke to a promising looking early morning. I was away from the bothy and past the little cluster of tents by 3.45 and facing the first of two wades across the Feshie by 4am.

3.45am leaving the Ruigh Aiteachain bothy

Approaching the Feshie

I had spotted a few possible crossing points the previous day about half a kilometre or so upstream from the bothy, where gravel bars extended out into the wide riverbed. I didn't hang about to make too close an inspection, as I was keen to grab both Carn Dearg Mor and Leathad an Taobhain if possible and I needed to be back at the bothy for 8.30 at the latest. I half walked and half ran across, but this was probably counterproductive as I got wet feet anyway, and as I was above my knees in places, the splashing just soaked me above the knees too.

4.00am crossing the Feshie

Once across and onto the landrover track, it was a straightforward rising walk up through the Slochd Mor past the Lochan an t-Sluic with its herd of grazing deer and views back down into Glen Feshie and the sunrise above Mullach Clach a'Bhlair beyond.

Sron na h-Iolaire and the climb up into the Slochd Mor

Back down through the Slochd Mor into Glen Feshie

Lochan an t-Sluic

Lochan an t-Sluic and sunrise over Glen Feshie

At the split in the track, I opted to tackle Leathad an Taobhain first in the knowledge that I probably would not have time to do both Corbetts, Carn Dearg Mor being the more accessible of the two.

Carn Dearg Mor

Red sky in the morning - Leathad an Taobhain in the distance

Evidence of the wet weather of the past few days

Leathad an Taobhain from Meall an Uillt Chreagaich

Carn Dearg Mor and Glen Feshie from Meall an Uillt Chreagaich

Ruined bothy between Meall an Uillt Chreagaich and Leathad an Taobhain

The track petered out on Meall an Uillt Chreagaich and became a rather boggy path up onto the summit of Leathad an Taobhain, whose circular trig pillar adorned summit gives a tremendous sense of remoteness and isolation. The views have no great depth but they are extensive, across some remarkably wild and remote country.

Carn Dearg Mor and Glen Feshie from the Corbett summit

West from the trig to Leathad an Taobhain (the lower summit being named as LaT on the OS)

Summit selfie

I retraced my steps, with absolutely no chance of squeezing in Carn Dearg Mor today (there will probably be a Friday night wild camp by Lochan an t-Sluic at some point in the future). Back at the Feshie, with my boots feeling a great deal drier than they had several hours before, I spent a bit more time scouting for a shallower crossing point, eventually settling on a spot a short distance upstream from that on the walk in. I still got soaked in the feet department, with four separate stretches of moving water to negotiate and a good 2 or 3 minutes with feet actually in the water, but managed to avoid undue splash back this time.

Evidence of the force of the Feshie in spate

My selected crossing point (centre of image) on the way back

Let's do this again!

Then it was but a short walk back to the bothy where breakfast and packing up was getting into full swing ahead of the last leg out to Kingussie.

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[Gordie12]

Hi Graeme

Great report - I love being out in the hills really early in the morning, perfect peace and quiet and if you are lucky, great light as well.

Did this one and CDM a few weeks ago, two good hills but one of those occasions where the walk in (along Glen Feshie) was more enjoyable than the hills themselves.

That river crossing looked interesting, especially with limited light first thing.

[Collaciotach]

Nice one

Weather has been very poor so far this Summer

[ChrisW]

I'm surprised you didn't have webbed feet when you finally got home Graeme If nothing else it was worth it for the absolute joy of wandering alone in the early morning...and that summit selfie too

[Scotjamie]

Excellent TR Graeme.
3.15 am starts....? Can't help thinking you need to get out less

[basscadet]

Aye, 3.15 id dedicated after having to look after a bunch of kids all day
Mind you I was walking pretty early Saturday, but that was a mistake
Shame you didn't get round any of your other intended hills, but it sounds like you will be back with another group next year possibly, so wouldn't want to exhaust the options

[malky_c]

This hill seems to be getting very popular of late. No wonder you left so early in the morning . Nice feeling of remoteness round here - always enjoy your random off-DofE expedition wanderings

[dogplodder]

Brave soul wading the river in the half light.