Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning
Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.
Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling in CG
Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling in CG
by tombombadilio » Fri Nov 06, 2015 12:07 am
Munros included on this walk: Beinn Mheadhoin, Ben Macdui, Cairn Gorm
Date walked: 03/11/2015
Time taken: 8.3 hours
Distance: 24.7 km
Ascent: 1732m
7 people think this report is great. Register or Login free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).Hello again fellow walkers. Just had to post something after experiencing 'that' autumnal weather - just, amazeballs, in the parlance of our times. There are some great posts up already with far stunninger pics than mine, but here is my humble contribution.
My thanks to J888ohn for his route description of the 'Cairngorms Circuit'. Tried to stick to it, but as you can see, went a bit off piste at points.
This is what transpired…
0500: Up from my SYHA Aviemore bed to quietly step outside into corridor with gear, get dressed. Sorry fellow hostellers, but the sun waits for no man. Breakfast: 2 x butteries with substandard apricot jam, 1 x banana, 1 x coffee style hot drink (regretted that). Flask, water bottles filled, rolls packed. Car packed.
0600: Depart for Ski Centre car park. Tunes playing from tape deck to get blood flowing (tape adaptor thing for phone to play through).
0630: Await sufficient light. Boot up.
0700: Head off.
So this is where things went slightly awry. Apparently the path out of Dodge goes up the right of this Allt Coire Raibeirt.
But it seemed to disappear after a few metres, after which I improvised, going more directly north away from the stream. It wasn't pretty, or sensible, but got the heart pumping. Has anyone done this properly? Where did I go wrong?
Got to a wee cairn at 1082 then made a B-line for Cairn Gorm, last Munro of the day.
To round the day off, made a hash of getting down from Ptarmigan Station. In my eagerness to avoid the ski lifts, ended up over shooting the ski centre and suffering the indignity of having to walk uphill on the road as cars passed leaving for the day.
1523: Arrive back at car.
Still, nothing could wreck what was an utterly amazing day. Having suffered the disappointment of several claggy days trying to see these places, I was primed for this. The only thing that hurt more than my feet was my face from smiling all day.
My thanks to J888ohn for his route description of the 'Cairngorms Circuit'. Tried to stick to it, but as you can see, went a bit off piste at points.
This is what transpired…
0500: Up from my SYHA Aviemore bed to quietly step outside into corridor with gear, get dressed. Sorry fellow hostellers, but the sun waits for no man. Breakfast: 2 x butteries with substandard apricot jam, 1 x banana, 1 x coffee style hot drink (regretted that). Flask, water bottles filled, rolls packed. Car packed.
0600: Depart for Ski Centre car park. Tunes playing from tape deck to get blood flowing (tape adaptor thing for phone to play through).
0630: Await sufficient light. Boot up.
0700: Head off.
So this is where things went slightly awry. Apparently the path out of Dodge goes up the right of this Allt Coire Raibeirt.
But it seemed to disappear after a few metres, after which I improvised, going more directly north away from the stream. It wasn't pretty, or sensible, but got the heart pumping. Has anyone done this properly? Where did I go wrong?
Got to a wee cairn at 1082 then made a B-line for Cairn Gorm, last Munro of the day.
To round the day off, made a hash of getting down from Ptarmigan Station. In my eagerness to avoid the ski lifts, ended up over shooting the ski centre and suffering the indignity of having to walk uphill on the road as cars passed leaving for the day.
1523: Arrive back at car.
Still, nothing could wreck what was an utterly amazing day. Having suffered the disappointment of several claggy days trying to see these places, I was primed for this. The only thing that hurt more than my feet was my face from smiling all day.
-
tombombadilio - Walker
- Posts: 136
- Munros:236 Corbetts:6
- Hewitts:8
- Islands:17
- Joined: Jul 21, 2015
- Location: Lincolnshire
Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i
by wilkiemurray » Fri Nov 06, 2015 7:34 am
WOW - Great day to be wandering in the Cairngorms - looked amazing 

-
wilkiemurray - Posts: 1332
- Joined: Jan 26, 2012
- Location: Perthshire
-
Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i
by tombombadilio » Fri Nov 06, 2015 7:25 pm
wilkiemurray wrote:WOW - Great day to be wandering in the Cairngorms - looked amazing
I see you shared in the utter amazingness of that day! I was up that way on Saturday afternoon actually, up Ben Chonzie, not as nice as that though. Some shots you got.
Don't know how you can be ar*ed stopping and setting up and walking back to get in the shot and walking back again to pack the camera and tripod up again etc… Good effort, but hard work, no?
-
tombombadilio - Walker
- Posts: 136
- Munros:236 Corbetts:6
- Hewitts:8
- Islands:17
- Joined: Jul 21, 2015
- Location: Lincolnshire
Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i
by brocoli » Fri Nov 06, 2015 8:04 pm
That was one of the BEST days! Especially for november. I was there too but I started in Coylumbridge to climb Braeriach and then make my way to the Cairn Gorm Car Park. It was just beautiful.
The path in Coire Raibeirt doesn't leave the stream until you reach flatter ground below Cairn Gorm. It keeps right of the stream when you're walking up (for the next time
). I put my photos on my blog at http://brocoli.sirius.uberspace.de/blog/19-wanderung-braeriach-2.php. There are more photos from other tours as well 
The path in Coire Raibeirt doesn't leave the stream until you reach flatter ground below Cairn Gorm. It keeps right of the stream when you're walking up (for the next time


Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i
by Silverhill » Fri Nov 06, 2015 10:36 pm
Are you sure you got the date right?!
Unbelievable, what an amazing day you had for it! Stunning pictures, it is such a beautiful area.
I walked the path in Coire Raibert in June (it was snowing
). As brocoli says, the path follows the river pretty much all the way. At one point it gets really close to the river along a rocky section, which can easily be mistaken for the river bank, or part of the river if the stream is full. On the way up you could see where people had tried to climb up the slope to the right of that point. Didn't look like an appealing route....


I walked the path in Coire Raibert in June (it was snowing

Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i
by dogplodder » Sat Nov 07, 2015 7:54 pm
What a day you got! We were out the same day in Assynt but didn't get the blue skies you had. Still a fabulous day though! 

Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i
by tombombadilio » Sat Nov 07, 2015 8:15 pm
brocoli wrote:That was one of the BEST days! Especially for november. I was there too but I started in Coylumbridge to climb Braeriach and then make my way to the Cairn Gorm Car Park. It was just beautiful.
The path in Coire Raibeirt doesn't leave the stream until you reach flatter ground below Cairn Gorm. It keeps right of the stream when you're walking up (for the next time). I put my photos on my blog at http://brocoli.sirius.uberspace.de/blog/19-wanderung-braeriach-2.php. There are more photos from other tours as well
Yeah, we were so lucky. The local hostel keeper said that crisp days like those are most likely in May and October so I'll defffinitely be making plans for then next year.
From the looks of your posts you've fairly been getting around in the past few weeks, you must know Braeriach like the back of your hand! Some great photos.
You're not the same German woman I stopped and chatted with overlooking Loch Etchachan by any chance??
Yeah, thanks, will stick to the stream next time. I just couldn't see it though! Maybe it's like the 'leep of faith' scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where you have to believe in it for it to become a reality...
Cheers,
Adam.
-
tombombadilio - Walker
- Posts: 136
- Munros:236 Corbetts:6
- Hewitts:8
- Islands:17
- Joined: Jul 21, 2015
- Location: Lincolnshire
Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i
by brocoli » Sat Nov 07, 2015 9:53 pm
tombombadilio wrote:From the looks of your posts you've fairly been getting around in the past few weeks, you must know Braeriach like the back of your hand! Some great photos.
We were lucky indeed! Thanks (for the photos), I only returned because monday and tuesday the week before were so cloudy, I couldn't see a thing from Braeriach. I wanted to have the view this time

I know the route Braeriach very well now, that's true

tombombadilio wrote:You're not the same German woman I stopped and chatted with overlooking Loch Etchachan by any chance??
Nope, I'm a guy

- Attachments
-
- The Angel's Peak in miniature on Sron na Lairige - very useful guide in cloudy conditions :)
Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i
by Sunset tripper » Sun Nov 08, 2015 2:49 pm
That looks a good and long route. You made good time though. Its a long haul up from Loch Avon. This photo (taken from the path on the opposite side of the loch) shows the path across the hillside then following the stream quite clearly.
The diagonal path across the hillside isn't shown on the 1:50k os map and not obvious to pick up at the lochside. The ground you went up to the right (east) of Allt Coire Raibeirt looks pretty steep in places.
The diagonal path across the hillside isn't shown on the 1:50k os map and not obvious to pick up at the lochside. The ground you went up to the right (east) of Allt Coire Raibeirt looks pretty steep in places.

-
Sunset tripper - Posts: 2212
- Joined: Nov 3, 2013
- Location: Inverness
Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i
by tombombadilio » Sun Nov 08, 2015 9:46 pm
Silverhill wrote:Are you sure you got the date right?!Unbelievable, what an amazing day you had for it! Stunning pictures, it is such a beautiful area.
![]()
I walked the path in Coire Raibert in June (it was snowing). As brocoli says, the path follows the river pretty much all the way. At one point it gets really close to the river along a rocky section, which can easily be mistaken for the river bank, or part of the river if the stream is full. On the way up you could see where people had tried to climb up the slope to the right of that point. Didn't look like an appealing route....
Yeah, totally unreal for November! Was hard to take a bad photo that day, so beautiful.
Got a hankering for some jaggy west coast walking now, having looked at your posts, very nice. Different kettle of fish from the lumpy east.
(I was one who tried to climb up that unappealing route… never again).
Cheers,
Adam.
-
tombombadilio - Walker
- Posts: 136
- Munros:236 Corbetts:6
- Hewitts:8
- Islands:17
- Joined: Jul 21, 2015
- Location: Lincolnshire
Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i
by tombombadilio » Sun Nov 08, 2015 9:51 pm
dogplodder wrote:What a day you got! We were out the same day in Assynt but didn't get the blue skies you had. Still a fabulous day though!
Hello dogplodder,
A couple of labs plodding along would've perfected the day though!
Do you know is there any ideal time of year for hitting the NW Highlands? Never been north of Kyle of Lochalsh, not familiar with the area. Similar to Cairngormsby any chance?, May and October for best chance of clear skies?
Cheers,
Adam.
-
tombombadilio - Walker
- Posts: 136
- Munros:236 Corbetts:6
- Hewitts:8
- Islands:17
- Joined: Jul 21, 2015
- Location: Lincolnshire
Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i
by tombombadilio » Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:01 pm
Sunset tripper wrote:That looks a good and long route. You made good time though. Its a long haul up from Loch Avon. This photo (taken from the path on the opposite side of the loch) shows the path across the hillside then following the stream quite clearly.
The diagonal path across the hillside isn't shown on the 1:50k os map and not obvious to pick up at the lochside. The ground you went up to the right (east) of Allt Coire Raibeirt looks pretty steep in places.
2012-08-10 14.53.52-1 (640x475).jpg
Hello Sunset tripper,
Yeah, that's a clearer photo. Had a 1:25k and still managed to miss it though

And I share your embarrassment at blundering into the Nevis car park, after my cock up. Nothing like navigating competently throughout a challenging walk only to cock it up at the end trying to get to one's car

Cheers,
Adam.
-
tombombadilio - Walker
- Posts: 136
- Munros:236 Corbetts:6
- Hewitts:8
- Islands:17
- Joined: Jul 21, 2015
- Location: Lincolnshire
Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i
by tombombadilio » Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:12 pm
brocoli wrote:tombombadilio wrote:From the looks of your posts you've fairly been getting around in the past few weeks, you must know Braeriach like the back of your hand! Some great photos.
We were lucky indeed! Thanks (for the photos), I only returned because monday and tuesday the week before were so cloudy, I couldn't see a thing from Braeriach. I wanted to have the view this time![]()
I know the route Braeriach very well now, that's true. I even found The Angel's Peak in miniature, see attached photo.
tombombadilio wrote:You're not the same German woman I stopped and chatted with overlooking Loch Etchachan by any chance??
Nope, I'm a guy
Ha, well it was a long shot


Danke,
Adam.
-
tombombadilio - Walker
- Posts: 136
- Munros:236 Corbetts:6
- Hewitts:8
- Islands:17
- Joined: Jul 21, 2015
- Location: Lincolnshire
7 people think this report is great. Register or Login free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
13 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Walkhighlands community forum is advert free
We need help to keep the site online.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and the online community by setting up a monthly donation by direct debit?
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 57 guests