The Cairnwell Three

[Driver84]

The distant Ben Macdui

I'd been itching to get out at the weekend, and with the saturday wasted watching the football it would have to be Sunday. Only thing left to do was persuade the girl to join me.

As it turned out she agreed, but I dont think she was happy with the alarm ringing at 6:30 on the Sunday morning.
Bags packed the night before it was just a case of scranning some breakfast and loading the car and we were off.
The journey up was great: nice weather - although a little cloudy, and quiet roads. We had the A93 to ourselves, and within an hour and a half we pulled in at the Glenshee ski centre and took advantage of the amenities before setting off. The only thing to do was to decide which way we would ascend The Cairnwell. As it turned out we made our way up just to the left of the chair lift on the black ski run. What a way to start! Didn't realise how steep it was in places, until you stopped to look back and noticed that what you had just climbed wasn't visible as it dropped off sharply!

H on her way up the Cairnwell

Nearing the summit

A couple of 2 minute stops to ease the thigh burn were required but within 50 mins we'd hit the top.

H at the summit of the Cairnwell

The summit itself is noting great but it does offer some great views.

With the wind whipping, and nothing to stay for, we hastily made our way back off the summit and followed the path round on our way to Carn a Gheóidh. We veered off the path to try cut out some of the distance and with this we also neglected Carn nan Sac. The huge plateau made for easy going but whether it was my pace across it, or the fact it was my girls first munro outing since Ben Nevis in September last year, she was getting a bit breathy and didn't look to good. so with that we sat and rested at the base of the final climb up to Carn a Gheóidh.
After a 5 minute break we shot up the eastern face and made our way across the stony top to the cairn before resting again in the shelter out of the wind which had decided to pick up again.

Me chilling at the top of Carn a Gheóidh

Me and the cairn of Carn a Gheóidh

H at the summit of Carn a Gheóidh

Ensuring that she took on plenty of fluid and energy food, I took the opportunity to look around and enjoy the views, particularly suprised at still being able to see the Lomond Hills and beyond that the Pentlands. The views of the snowless Cairngorms, particularly Cairn Gorm and Ben Macdui, were amazing too, and made me smile a little as these are on my soon to do list...

The distant Ben Macdui

The more distant Lomonds

Carn Aosda (left) and The Cairnwell (right)

With the girl feeling better and raring to go we set off again with Carn Aosda in our sights. it was with walking back towards the path that we had crossed our 1st fellow walkers of the day, which was quite surprising, I thought, with the fact we'd now been out for 2 and a half hours.

We decided upon another wee detour on our way up to Carn Aosda and descended and coasted around the banks of Loch Vrotachan before rejoining the path at the split. We trudged our way up the loose stony path before finally reaching the summit cairn of Carn Aosda, by which time my girl was dying for a rest...

H, is she dead?

Nope, just resting at the summit of Carn Aosda

she has put in a valiant effort (looking back: her last hill walk was Ben Cluech in the Ochills back at the beginning of Novemeber!).

Me at the summit of Carn Aosda

We had another quick rest before setting off and making our way back down towards the ski centre, with the promise of a cuppa at the bottom she was soon moving again and we came off Carn Aosda via the ski run between Butcharts Access Poma and Butcharts T-bar.

Our descent off Carn Aosda

Soon we were back at the car, a whole 4 hours and 15 mins after we had set off. And with that promise of a cuppa still fresh in the mind we sat in at the ski centres café and enjoyed that tea and coffee before setting off on our way back home.