Admiring Cairngorm Crags and Coirres
Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2016 10:12 pmOur plan for today was to walk up Ben Macdui, cross to its southern side and explore Coire Sputan Dearg, then walk back via Loch Etchachan and Loch Avon admiring the spectacular Cairngorm crags on route.
The mist added atmosphere to the walk along the well constructed path up to Ben Macdui and there were remarkably few other walkers about for a Sunday morning.
As we reached the plateau the mist was lifting
We enjoyed lunch with the midges, they ate us and we unavoidably ate a few of them
When everyone was satisfied we took a compass bearing and headed off down the other side.
The plan was to descend into the Coire by one of the gullies, listed as a climbers descent path, but all the gullies looked very loose and eroded. We did get half way down one, but when the going wasn't getting any easier and the lower half of the gully was hidden round the corner, we decided to play safe and came back up.
A bit wimpish, but we were not even sure if it was the right gully. Instead we admired the crags from above and then continued our walk along Loch Etchachan.
While we were messing around in the gully a military looking helicopter was circling overhead and then landed on the summit of Ben Macdui. No idea what was going on
but it did not look like the search and rescue helicopters, perhaps it was delivering stones for path construction.
The path through to the Loch Avon baisin would be an impassable bog if it weren't for all the boulders and it goes down along way, but is very impressive and my favorite spot in the Cairngorms.
We decided to follow the walk around the Loch to Coire Raibert. My memory of Coire Raibert was of it being loose and slippery but apart from some very minor scrambling at the start it is now a pitched path most of the way, and a less steep ascent than Coire Domhain
Stopping to fill water bottles in the burn we were well and truly mobbed by midges
and sand flies. I discovered that my buff was see through when pulled up over my face and eyes so continues in this mode until we had outpaced them.
The walking across Coire Raibert was pleasent easy going, we stopped for a brew up of midge soup and tea, briefly contemplated walking up Cairngorm but decided to take it easy and descend via Fiacaill a Choire Chais holding onto the wilderness just a little bit longer. There are the mechanisms of the ski slopes whichever way you go and although Cairngorm is still much tidier than some of the other Ski Centres I am sure it is gradually becoming more mechanised, untidy and spoilt .
And back to the car for 18:45.
- The Route
- 9:30 in the car park. There are mountains here somewhere.
The mist added atmosphere to the walk along the well constructed path up to Ben Macdui and there were remarkably few other walkers about for a Sunday morning.
As we reached the plateau the mist was lifting
- Mist lifting across Laraig Ghru
- Angels peak poking above the cloud
- First view of Ben Macdui summit
- Braeriach Coirres although the summit still in cloud.
- 12:15 on Ben Macdui
We enjoyed lunch with the midges, they ate us and we unavoidably ate a few of them
When everyone was satisfied we took a compass bearing and headed off down the other side.
- South slopes of Ben Macdui.
- Craggy wall of Coire Sputan Dearg in front of us.
The plan was to descend into the Coire by one of the gullies, listed as a climbers descent path, but all the gullies looked very loose and eroded. We did get half way down one, but when the going wasn't getting any easier and the lower half of the gully was hidden round the corner, we decided to play safe and came back up.
- Coire Sputan Dearg and the loose gully
While we were messing around in the gully a military looking helicopter was circling overhead and then landed on the summit of Ben Macdui. No idea what was going on
but it did not look like the search and rescue helicopters, perhaps it was delivering stones for path construction.- Loch Etchachan
- Helicopter taking of from Ben Macdui.
- Looking towards Coire Etchachan
- Loch Etchachan
The path through to the Loch Avon baisin would be an impassable bog if it weren't for all the boulders and it goes down along way, but is very impressive and my favorite spot in the Cairngorms.
- Loch Avon
- Hells Lum aand Coire Domhain ahead
- Shelter Stone Crags
We decided to follow the walk around the Loch to Coire Raibert. My memory of Coire Raibert was of it being loose and slippery but apart from some very minor scrambling at the start it is now a pitched path most of the way, and a less steep ascent than Coire Domhain
Stopping to fill water bottles in the burn we were well and truly mobbed by midges
and sand flies. I discovered that my buff was see through when pulled up over my face and eyes so continues in this mode until we had outpaced them.- Across Loch Avon to Beinn Mheadoin and Stacan Dhuba
- Looking back from the top of Coire Raibert
The walking across Coire Raibert was pleasent easy going, we stopped for a brew up of midge soup and tea, briefly contemplated walking up Cairngorm but decided to take it easy and descend via Fiacaill a Choire Chais holding onto the wilderness just a little bit longer. There are the mechanisms of the ski slopes whichever way you go and although Cairngorm is still much tidier than some of the other Ski Centres I am sure it is gradually becoming more mechanised, untidy and spoilt
.- Looking across Loch Morlich and Glen Coe
And back to the car for 18:45.
