Evening in the Gorms - taking my idiot for a walk!
Posted: Mon Jun 03, 2019 10:44 pm
A stressful day of chores – watching the clock there was a frankly heroic dash across Inverness to make the van deadline before we jumped in the car, destination Aviemore. A vague plan had been to get on the plateau via the Northern corries. There was a nasty shower as we drove past Loch Morlich but it only lasted a few minutes and by the time we were parked up it was overcast and a bit breezy but wonderfully inviting – so much so that I was wearing shorts
We took the usual path but instead of heading up the Fiacaill Ridge we went for the easy option – I’d been lifting boxes all day and was a bit sore
River crossing to negotiate
Despite trying to take it easy I was walking far too fast – we both just wanted to get up there!
Looking back – Loch Morlich visible and Meall a’ Buachaille
A slight deviation from the path meant we could see into coire an lochain
Wee wisps of cloud were hanging stubbornly around but the forecast seemed to be for an improvement
Across to Braeriach
There were plenty of people coming off the hill – easy to forget it was a Saturday – but we were the only ones going up. For once I was the one getting the weird looks about wearing shorts (clearly Malcy was wearing the trousers today )
Out the top we looked down the impressive crags
Loch Morlich and Meall a’ Buachaille
The sun was starting to come out too – wahey
We were on the plateau – yas!
The Shelter Stone crag and Lochnagar in the distance – we had thought to wander down there but were probably too short on time today
Cairn Gorm and our route ahead over Stob Coire an t-Sneachda
We stopped to add layers – there was little more climbing and it was a bit chilly in shorts! Continuing along the path we could see down towards Loch Avon
Taking my idiot for a walk
Ben Macdui
Stob Coire an t-Sneachda and Cairn Gorm
And then the sun really came out
Carn Etchachan
Malcy contemplating life, the universe and everything
Looking down Coire an t-Sneachda
There were a few folk still out on the ridge, but it was pretty quiet as we stopped to look back to the Fiacaill ridge
Beinn Mheadhoin and Loch Etchachan
We decided to pop out to Stac an Fharaidh which we’d missed out on before – we weren’t fussed about climbing Cairn Gorm and could traverse around afterwards
We didn’t have to drop very much height to hit the path up from Loch Avon which we followed for a short distance before setting off across easy ground
It was going to be so worth it….and yes it was!
Stacan Dubh where we had camped last summer
Malcy doing his thing
And showing his better side
The sun hitting Carn Etchachan
Towards the Fords of Avon
Although it was stunning we figured we ought to get going – it was getting late and we were hopeful the Winking Owl might still be serving pies if we got there before 10 (turns out they weren’t )
Bynack Mor
Ben Avon
Although we had been planning not to bother with Cairn Gorm itself we sort of found ourselves climbing up it anyway
The crags with Macdui behind
Suddenly we heard a thundering above
Helicopter above the Fiacaill
It was circling around probably looking for someone
It came so close that we could see the guys leaning out with binoculars and gave them a big thumbs up; we assumed they hadn’t come to give us a ride to the Winking Owl
Looking back
Again I’d been walking faster than I should have and we were at the summit of Cairn Gorm in no time – I’d never been up there til this year, and now twice in two months!
Gorms
He actually looks happy for once
Loch Morlich
I could manage this without getting blown over this time
Back the way we’d come
Didn’t feel the need to climb up there this time
After sharing a toffee crisp (Malcy’s idea of sharing food is that I get a bite and he gets the rest ) we headed down the non-yellow brick road
It was a stunning evening so we stuck to the ridge and were rewarded with a pair of ptarmigan (only one really visible in the photo sadly)
As well as stunning views back to the Northern Corries
And the evening light hitting Loch Morlich
Looking back – we were both actually beyond hungry by the this point!
Unfortunately the Winking Owl didn’t serve food that late so we had to shoot back to Inverness to eat, but totally worth the hunger for a wonderful (and well deserved!) evening out on the plateau Hard to believe I didn’t like the Gorms until a few years ago!
We took the usual path but instead of heading up the Fiacaill Ridge we went for the easy option – I’d been lifting boxes all day and was a bit sore
River crossing to negotiate
Despite trying to take it easy I was walking far too fast – we both just wanted to get up there!
Looking back – Loch Morlich visible and Meall a’ Buachaille
A slight deviation from the path meant we could see into coire an lochain
Wee wisps of cloud were hanging stubbornly around but the forecast seemed to be for an improvement
Across to Braeriach
There were plenty of people coming off the hill – easy to forget it was a Saturday – but we were the only ones going up. For once I was the one getting the weird looks about wearing shorts (clearly Malcy was wearing the trousers today )
Out the top we looked down the impressive crags
Loch Morlich and Meall a’ Buachaille
The sun was starting to come out too – wahey
We were on the plateau – yas!
The Shelter Stone crag and Lochnagar in the distance – we had thought to wander down there but were probably too short on time today
Cairn Gorm and our route ahead over Stob Coire an t-Sneachda
We stopped to add layers – there was little more climbing and it was a bit chilly in shorts! Continuing along the path we could see down towards Loch Avon
Taking my idiot for a walk
Ben Macdui
Stob Coire an t-Sneachda and Cairn Gorm
And then the sun really came out
Carn Etchachan
Malcy contemplating life, the universe and everything
Looking down Coire an t-Sneachda
There were a few folk still out on the ridge, but it was pretty quiet as we stopped to look back to the Fiacaill ridge
Beinn Mheadhoin and Loch Etchachan
We decided to pop out to Stac an Fharaidh which we’d missed out on before – we weren’t fussed about climbing Cairn Gorm and could traverse around afterwards
We didn’t have to drop very much height to hit the path up from Loch Avon which we followed for a short distance before setting off across easy ground
It was going to be so worth it….and yes it was!
Stacan Dubh where we had camped last summer
Malcy doing his thing
And showing his better side
The sun hitting Carn Etchachan
Towards the Fords of Avon
Although it was stunning we figured we ought to get going – it was getting late and we were hopeful the Winking Owl might still be serving pies if we got there before 10 (turns out they weren’t )
Bynack Mor
Ben Avon
Although we had been planning not to bother with Cairn Gorm itself we sort of found ourselves climbing up it anyway
The crags with Macdui behind
Suddenly we heard a thundering above
Helicopter above the Fiacaill
It was circling around probably looking for someone
It came so close that we could see the guys leaning out with binoculars and gave them a big thumbs up; we assumed they hadn’t come to give us a ride to the Winking Owl
Looking back
Again I’d been walking faster than I should have and we were at the summit of Cairn Gorm in no time – I’d never been up there til this year, and now twice in two months!
Gorms
He actually looks happy for once
Loch Morlich
I could manage this without getting blown over this time
Back the way we’d come
Didn’t feel the need to climb up there this time
After sharing a toffee crisp (Malcy’s idea of sharing food is that I get a bite and he gets the rest ) we headed down the non-yellow brick road
It was a stunning evening so we stuck to the ridge and were rewarded with a pair of ptarmigan (only one really visible in the photo sadly)
As well as stunning views back to the Northern Corries
And the evening light hitting Loch Morlich
Looking back – we were both actually beyond hungry by the this point!
Unfortunately the Winking Owl didn’t serve food that late so we had to shoot back to Inverness to eat, but totally worth the hunger for a wonderful (and well deserved!) evening out on the plateau Hard to believe I didn’t like the Gorms until a few years ago!