Short Cairngorm round

[Guinessman]

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Sunday 25Th August.
Drive up to Braemar and onto the Linn of Dee. I usually give camping and walking in the Scottish summer due to the midge issue but since the TGO in May I hadn't really done much and having had a knee injury for the last 2 weeks had lain around the house so the idea for a short Cairngorm round was formed with the objective being the corbett Creag Mhor, which despite having been around it about 4 times on various backpacking trips I had never been to the top. Parked up in the Linn of Dee car park and put 1 days payment in the parking machine which states £3 per day but as it wouldn't take £2 coins I had to leave it at that. Followed the track up towards the direction of Derry Lodge and took the track which cuts NE over Clais Fhearnaig and down into Glen Quioch. The time was around 7pm and at the time of walking the sun was out and the midge in, however on the sun setting behind the hill they came out with a vengeance and it was a hurriedly and badly pitched tent that I put up near some old shielings in the glen. The photo doesn't really indicate the amount of midge which were about, the worst I've seen for years.

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Monday morning was horrendous with midge. I packed the rucksack inside the tent and having a cold drink only got out with midge net on to hurriedly pack up the tent and then start walking gaining height as soon as I could on towards an Dollaid. Took several breaks at height and took the opportunity to put out the tent flat and dry in the breeze and sunshine as inner and outer having been pitched badly had been soaked through with condensation.Having gained the high ground I wandered over to have a look at A Chioch and the Dubh Lochan before continuing onto the north top. From there it was a mile over to and descent into The Sneck where I met the only other walker I saw on the hills that day. Chatted for about 15 minutes before the ascent to Ben Avon and the clamber up onto the tops of the tors doing two parts which looked as high as each other. Initially I had planned to continue all the way along Ben Avon and descend into Glen Avon but my lack of fitness and the potential of the midge I decided to descend via Sron na h-lolaire ,cross the burn early and pick up faint tracks on the west side of the burn that lead to the footbridge and the ponyman,s hut. From there I knew it was easy 3 miles to Faindouran bothy. when I got to the bothy disappointed initially to find the the raised platform sleeping area taken but pleasantly surprised to find that the hut across the path has been converted with bunk sleeping areas so it was into there which I found on reading the bothy book had been referred to as "The annex" Spent best part of the night chatting a walkhighlander Duncan about the CWT and SNT.

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Tuesday. 8.30 start in the morning and I followed the water course up from the bothy up onto Dagrum and then onto Creag Mhor where I took a couple of photos of unusual rock formations. From Creag Mhor I descended directly to the Fords of Avon and met Duncan in the refuge. Took a break there, hitting my head a few times on the low beams as always on visits here before setting off towards Loch Avon and a visit to the shelterstone howff before climbing up onto the plateau and then despite it only being 2pm I decided to camp at Loch Etchachan. The last time I did this on a similar trip in 2004 I had gone onto Ben Macdui and descended to Derry Lodge to camp but age and fitness are definitely different. That night I barely slept as the wind got stronger and rain stronger. the next morning was mist down the level of the Loch so plans to go onto Macdui were cancelled so I descended via the Hutchy hut and onto Derry Lodge and back to the car. Back in Braemar visited one of the cafes to get some food and study the weather as I had the option of staying but it looked poor so it was off home.
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