Carn Dearg SE - Glen Roy ( The hare & the tortoise )

[Gordon Ballantyne]

The plan was to do CD SE then cross the glen to Beinn Iaruinn if the legs were still working.
Drove up the glen and parked up in a layby just before the bridge across from the green hut below Coire na Rainich.

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I thought it would be better not to clog the entrance to the bridge on a working day in case they decided to load up some sheep in a big transporter.

Footbridge over River Roy below Coire nan Rainich of Carn Dearg SE

Looking back towards the River Roy footbridge & Huttie

River Roy at footbridge

Just as I was about to set off, a green car pulled up and a guy got out and briskly set off up CD SE. By the time I'd got going up the track into the corrie, he was well up the north slope, going at a fair rate. By the time I was only half way up the corrie, he was already disappearing up the final slopes towards the top. The path up the corrie deteriorated into various animal tracks, so I did what someone else had reported in WH and started to traverse upwards to meet the bealach to the north of the CD SE top. Stopped to admire a bonny wee floor and a frog that hopped over my foot when I disturbed him/her.

Floor in Coire nan Rainich

HA Puddock on Carn Dearg SE

I synchronised my arrival at the summit with a wee squall swept which had just swept in. So I coorie'd doon behind the cairn until it passed. This was the last hurrah of a front that had passed through during the night. About 15 min later the sun was beaming again to take the edge off the chill wind.

Squall recedes behind the summit cairn of Carn Dearg SE

I finished my piece and headed back down over the route that the speedy chap had taken on the way up. I didn't see him again so presumed he had gone down over Carn Brunachain.
As I descended and skirted a boggy area, I noticed this grey moss, which I'd often seen, but seemed to be more pronounced in the bright sunlight.

Grey moss in the coire SW of the 675m top of Sgurr an Fithich

Back at the bridge, the speedy walker's car was long gone, so I shuffled back down the road to my car.

My legs were telling me that they'd done enough for the day, so I headed back doon the glen, passing speedy walker's car parked at the starting point for Beinn Iaruinn. Fit a cheil ! This time the hare won by a country mile, but I didn't mind, we both had enjoyed another glorious day !
Back in the Roy Bridge Hotel bar, it was supper and fitba' on the telly. A very satisfying day !