Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling in CG
Posted: Fri Nov 06, 2015 12:07 am
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.