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I suspect this is a hill few would climb if it wasn't classified as something. And even at that I don't think we'd have bothered if it hadn't been on our way home with no need for a detour to reach the start point. We didn't follow the WH route but the one starting near Corgarff Castle and the first time we went was on 15th May, on the way home from Ballater.
We pulled in at the Allargue Arms
We went in to ask if it was okay to leave the car here but could find no-one at home so left a note on windscreen saying where we were going and when we should be back.
Proud to park under the flag
Upper reaches of the River Don
We started in sunshine but 20 minutes into the walk the skies ahead had turned ominously black. What was going on - MWIS hadn't predicted this! Then a heavy shower of rain and hailstones had our bottom halves soaked as we stupidly hadn't brought waterproof trousers. It was bitterly cold and Moira asked if I wanted to go on. I said I did but 5 minutes later changed my mind and we turned round and headed back to the car. By the time we got dried off at the car the rain had stopped and the sun was out and as we drove towards the Lecht we could see our hill was now clear of cloud so we weren't sure if we'd done the right thing. Oh well you win some and you lose some and to make us feel better we stopped at the tea room at Bridge of Brown for hot chocolate with marshmallows and cream. Well we had to do something to compensate for eating our sandwiches beside the lavvies in the Tomintoul car park which is probably the least scenic spot we've ever stopped for lunch!
So we had unfinished business with Elizabeth's hill and decided to have another go on the way home from Braemar on 27th June. It was a toss up between it and one of the Deeside Corbetts but since we were unlikely to come back specially for this one we thought we should just do it. The other plus was to get views of Ben Avon which we'd climbed two days before.
This time when we rang the bell at the Allargue Arms someone was in and said it was fine to park there provided we were away by 12.00 as the car park could be busy with folk stopping for lunch. Fair enough. I did wonder if two hours 45 minutes would be enough time as we're not the speediest of walkers - but we would do the best we could.
No dark clouds this time
A rough vehicle track leads all the way to the summit - not visible from here
Shortly after passing Loinherry Farm take a fork to the right
Looking across Loinherry Burn to the A939 which at this point was higher than we were
Looking back the way
The track zig zagged up then did a bit of a loop, passed a series of grouse butts and we got our first good view of Ben Avon.
View south west
Zoomed to Ben Avon
From a bit higher
Cliffs of Beinn a' Bhuird now visible
The track doesn't follow the shortest route to the top and at times it was tempting to go off piste which we only did once and I'm not sure if it saved any time. I noticed when the track swung off to the right a path headed across the heather in the direction we wanted to go...... so ever the optimist I followed it. But after about 10 minutes the path disappeared into wetness and after about 10 minutes of weaving through squelch I made a beeline for the track which I could see coming in from the right.
A quick sit down at summit with wind trying hard to perfect the Camilla look
Aware of our deadline we didn't stay long
I was still faffing about at the cairn as Moira left and noticed a lone figure approaching. I waited to say hello and as she came nearer thought I recognised her. "Do you do reports on Walkhighlands?" I said. "Yes" she said. It was Basscadet and I knew from following the site she was close to doing her last Munro but it turned out she'd done it the previous Saturday. I shook her hand which seems a rather masculine thing to do but felt entirely appropriate as a way of acknowledging the achievement of someone I'd just met for the first time but who I felt I knew from reading her reports. I've always been impressed with her determination and down to earth honesty as well as her love of wildlife - so I guess if I could have chosen to meet anyone on top of a random hill she'd be up there at the top of the list.
We chatted for a few minutes, as you do, about what next and in answer to the usual question asked at her compleation about doing the Corbetts she had said she didn't know if she wanted to climb boring heathery lumps but then half way through the week decided 'boring heathery lumps' was exactly what she felt like doing - so here she was on Carn Ealasaid! We could have talked longer but out of respect for the man at the Allargue Arms I said I'd have to dash which I did to try and catch Moira who was by this time well out of sight. But I regret not taking a photo to prove my meeting with such a WH celebrity!
The descent
Back at the right turn off the main track
We reached the car park at 12.10 to find we were the only car there. So we could have taken all the time we liked! We'd already decided since we'd parked there we'd go into the hotel for lunch. So we did that and were served a delicious spicy bean soup and crusty bread which was a hearty meal in itself and just right after climbing a hill. It seemed a shame we were the only customers and if anyone is considering climbing this hill we can throroughly recommend the cuisine in the Allargue Arms - if the soup was anything to go by that is!
