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It had been very mild in the Lake district that October - we had sweltered in Tee shirts on Esk Hause in the late afternoon - but we always liked going to Scotland and The Leader fancied climbing on Coire Sputan Dearg as it had a number of classic easy routes that could be done in boots. I was less certain, but iin those days you didn't argue : if The Leader said you were going rock-climbing in the Cairngorms, you went rock-climbing in the Cairngorms!
We drove up on Friday afternnon, ate in Braemar and camped in my "umbrella" tent in the woods by the Linn of Dee - though the continuous roaring of the stags through the night didn't allow much sleep
Camp at the LinnBreakfastIt was pretty cold, but we both had Buffalo shirts and salopettes, so that wasn't really a problem
"Isn't there a bit too much snow? " I asked.
"No it's OK" said The Leader " you can brush the snow off the ledges"
a remark he has never really managed to live down !
Norm. and I stiill have visions of a magic brush - but we've never managed to find a shop that stocks one
My tent was covered in condensation so we slung it in the boot and taking The Leaders lighter one set off with heavily loaded sacks along the track to Derry Lodge and beyond into Glen Luibeg, where we pitched camp. The weather was cold but mainly clear and the wind was quite bearable - ideal really. The Leader also had a set of these "new fangled" walking poles that he'd acquired in the Alps. I bought a set a short time after and endured the endless " have you lost your skis?" quips for years until they became standard.
Equipped for all eventualities The Leader sets off down the track to Derry Lodge. NIce views through the Scots PinesThe camp in Glen Luibeg Zoomed view up Coire Sputan DeargIt didn't look like there would be time for any climbing today so we decided to walk up Derry Cairngorm which was just up to our right (with much lighter sacks
)
Derry CairngormThe going was quite easyy to start with, but climbing the endless fields of rounded snow-covered boulders higher up was slow going - If there was a path we didn't find it . Here are the photos ( I think) in the order they were taken
Looking up the Alt Carn a Mhaim towards MacduiLooking East across the broad Southern flank of the hill two views across to Sron Riach above Lochan UaineFrozen streamview back South down the broad ridgeThe Leader makes an adjustment - The Devils Point and Cairn Toul behindLooking up to point 1108 beyond our hillNorth West again across the Lairig Ghru - Angel's Peak and Braeriach on the RSummitWe continued North for a bit then circled down and Left into the coire and returned to the tent. The Leader had brought some dried meals in bags into which you poured boling water to create a brown sludge: it was pretty tasteless (they're better now) but no doubt contained all the nutrients we needed for the day ahead
Ben MacduiThe day dawned fine and clear, but the Leader had reluctantly decided that perhaps there was a tad too much snow for climbing
, so the only thing to do was to walk up Macdui
Sunrise on Sron Riach and Coire Sputan DeargA bit later from inside the tentSo after breakfast we again left all the ropes and gear in the tent and took the path up and over Sron Riach
Across the Lairig Ghru againUp R to the rocks we were supposed to be climbing on On the summit plateau - The Devil's Point, Cairn Toul, Angel's Peak and Braeriach resting below the summit cairnA view looking East I think near the summitWe returned the same way, packed up the camp and all the gear, trudged back to the Linn and drove home.
We hadn't achieved what we set out to do, but I think even The Leader agreed it had been a good "mountaineering weekend
Footnote
The Leader has taught me everything I know about climbing and taken me up routes I could only ever have dreamed of. Without him I would never had got to the alps and climbed the Swiss mountains. I hold him in the highest esteem - even though he can occasionally go a little OTT