free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Previous days adventures - taking it from behindSo the previous couple of days had been a few more miles than I’d realised when I hopped out my sleeping bag nice and early and headed further down the Loch Muick road towards Spittal of Glenmuick. Although the weather for the whole week looked good (the summer that just kept giving!) this looked to be the best day – despite the tired legs, a perfect day for a spectacular hill
I parked up, paid my £4 and headed off down the road, enjoying the use of an actual toilet on the way
I passed the visitor centre and turned right towards Lochnagar.
It was very warm and looked like it was going to be a glorious day – towards Loch Muick
Lochnagar ahead
It was an easy walk up a good track which I followed to gain as much height as possible before heading straight up towards Conachraig. There was no path so I was bashing through steep heather and rocks, but it was a mercifully short ascent and before long I was on the top and it was so worth it
Conachraig summit
Morven
Mayar and Driesh (I think)
The views in all directions were wonderful but my eyes were drawn to Lochnagar…just stunning
I had a wee wander around the summit before starting to head down the good path towards Lochnagar
I negotiated the maze of paths and was headed for Lochnagar..not before I made a wee detour though – Derek had recommended a trip up Miekle Pap and it would have been rude not to! Turns out he was spot on. Wow, just wow
I didn’t really want to leave – quite happy to sit and contemplate life….
I got myself going again eventually; back on the path it was a steep boulder ascent onto the Lochnagar plateau
I had a choice of two paths – the easy track or the path along the top of the cliffs. The choice was obvious
Looking down towards Lochnagar – I spent ages trying to work out what this lochan was called…until I realised that it was literally Loch-nagar
I was already in love with this mountain
Some of the rock here is so cool – it looks like a wall made of lego bricks
Loch-nagar
Looking over towards Glen Clova
Looking out towards Little Pap
Looking back along the cliffs with Miekle Pap and Conachraig in the background
As I approached the summit of Lochnagar there were some super impressive rocks – slabs and a very quick way down
Looking out towards Coire Lochan nan Eun and Carn a Choire Bhoidheach
Clouds ahoy
I walked the final few metres to the summit of Lochnagar – sadly the cloud had come in just as I reached it (although I think the views were probably more impressive on the way up anyway
)
Lochnagar summit and Lochan nan Eun
I found some shelter and enjoyed a sandwich before getting going. It was pretty windy and before long the rain started. This had been forecast although it was coming in a little earlier…ah well…
I reached the huge cairn and as the rain had started lashing down I found a large rock to hide behind – boom! As the rain was coming from the side it was doing a pretty good job. I figured I couldn’t really wait there for an hour so eventually put the waterproofs and got going. As I headed along the path I heard someone shout at me – turned out to be a public spirited person who was worried I was going the wrong way. I thanked him but assured him I wasn’t heading back to Spittal of Glenmuick…yet!
A rare moment of visibility – looking back to Lochnagar
I plodded along with nothing to see for a while before finding a boggy path off towards Carn ‘a Choire Bhoidheach. It was so easy that I had to get the map out and double check that I really was in the right place….but yes, I really was at the summit.
The weather was horrible so I got going – rather than return along my route I cut down steeper and rougher slopes to meet the track a little further on. The rain eased and the visibility began to return along this stretch which was very welcome
The path was pretty damp by now but it led easily past Carn an t-Sagairt Beag and around the steeper prow of Carn a’ t-Sagairt Mor. Looking down towards Dubh Loch was impressive – White Mouth and Eagles Rock on the left, Cairn Bannoch and Creag an Dubh Loch on the right
Looking back to Carn a’ Choire Bhoidheach
I continued along the path until it branched off onto Carn an t-Sagairt Mor – it was an easy climb and soon I was on the summit
Looking back to Lochnagar
Coire Loch Kander and Carn an Tuirc
I had a wee wander along the summit to get better views down to Loch Callater
Looking towards the inner Gorms – I think this is Braeriach
The Glen Ey munros I think
As I wandered back along the summit plateau I found the remains of an aircraft crash – there were quite a few bits strewn about
Carn an t-Sagairt Mor summit
I headed back down the path until I was back on the track – it was more of a crossroads with the final branch dropping down to Loch Callater.
Dubh Loch
It had become a beautiful afternoon following the lunchtime shower and I followed the path along towards Cairn Bannoch
From the summit of Cairn Bannoch I got a great view of the Eagles Rock
Looking back to Carn an t-Sagairt Mor
Summit of Cairn Bannoch
Carn an t-Sagairt Mor and the Western Cairngorms
The route ahead
Again it was an easy but pleasant walk out to Broad Cairn where there were some familiar Cairngormy rocks to climb over to reach the summit
Creag an Dubh Loch and the Eagles Rock
The Lochnagar massif
Loch Muick
The whole shebang
Broad Cairn summit
Towards Glen Clova
Cairn Bannoch, Carn an t-Sagairt Mor and Carn a’ Choire Bhoideach
Again I didn’t really want to leave…I was enjoying the views and being out
But eventually I picked my way off the top of Broad Cairn and picked up a good track
Looking back to Broad Cairn
Looking over towards the Lochnagar tops
I followed the path which led me down into Corrie Chash and followed it as it traversed diagonally down the steep sides of the corrie. There was even a wee rainbow out to play
Little Pap and Cuidhe Crom
Towards Dubh Loch and Cairn Bannoch
I reached Loch Muick – the easy route down would have been to continue along this side of the loch but I decided I wanted to have a wee look into the bothy so took the hit on the distance
A beach
Allt an Dubh Loch
There were some handy wee bridges which helped me across the burns at the tip of the loch and deposited me on a track.
Looking back
The track led me easily into the wee cluster of trees around the Glas-allt-Shiel bothy (sadly locked) and the rather grander residence of those more important than me
From here it was a case of plodding along the track – it felt like it was going on forever, especially as the sun was beating down and the temperature down in the glen had skyrocketed
But there was no denying it was idyllic – what a spot
Looking down Loch Muick
The track led me around the end of Loch Muick and towards the track from the other side….the views though….
Looking back
Finally on the home straight I was at the visitor centre and then back at the car….a decent distance but an absolutely wonderful day
Driving down the road I even ended up with a double rainbow
Looking back to Lochnagar
I didn’t quite find the end of the rainbow…but I felt like I’d found the pot of gold today
Next day's adventures - an easier day!
