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Snow Fun when you want More but get what you Caim for anyway

Snow Fun when you want More but get what you Caim for anyway


Postby tomyboy73 » Sun Dec 04, 2011 10:26 pm

Route description: Càrn na Caim and A'Bhuidheanach Bheag, Drumochter

Munros included on this walk: Càrn na Caim

Date walked: 04/12/2011

Time taken: 5.5 hours

Distance: 13.2 km

Ascent: 702m

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My first walk with WalkHighlanders Pollyh33, Gammy leg walker, and Alan S :D

our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



Having got excited by the weather report for snow on friday evening, I was doubly so, when invited by Pollyh33 to join her and Gammy Leg Walker and Alan S on a hike up Bynack More in the cairngorms....in the snow. Polly phoned me back to let me know that she would pick me up at 5am on sunday :wtf: So i got up early had a shower and skipped my still steaming porridge as she text to say she was at the rendezvous point. I was walking to meet her, what a day i had in store, meeting a strange woman in a mcdonalds car park at 5am, and then some guys i had never met before either who were only usernames/mythical legends on a website to me, being taken up the cairngorms in what looked like blizzard conditions according to the MWIS and my only real worry was .....farting in a stranger`s car :lol: Greetings and hugs were exchanged, it was like meeting an old friend thanks to our exchanges here and on FB and not awkward at all as some people might think, (well for me it was anyway, hope you agree P). We soon met up with Gammy Leg Walker and Alan S and Bynack More was still the chosen Munro for today....until we hit the snow. With driving conditions getting worse the further north we got it was becoming clear that we weren`t going to get near Aviemore. A turnaround was forced on us and left us a bit dissapointed that we couldn`t meet up with RocketRon who was waiting for us up there, some other time mate. GLW had some alternatives up his sleeve and he eventually decided we should go for Carn na caim and some other unpronouncable hill, which were easily accesible from the A9. This led to a good bit of banter between Alan & Gammy as they were both level on munros, but with GLW having done these both before, it gave Alan a chance to get ahead of him. Polly and I lapped it up and the cameraderie between them was great and made me glad i met them.
carn na caim 002.JPG
carn na caim

Anyway onto the walk, we were all suited and booted and ready to go at 8.39, i think it was, and headed down the road to the gate that lead onto the track that takes you almost all the way up the hill. The whole place was like a winter wonderland, just stunning, and we made our way up the path following in someone elses footsteps. We could see the path all the way up the hill as it became filled with deep snow and we had to walk along the edge of it, ocasionally diving into the white stuff for a laugh and some daft pictures.
carn na caim 007.JPG
gammy and alan
carn na caim 008.JPG
polly

carn na caim 010.JPG
me

The higher up we got obviously our views around got better and better with Alan and Gammy pointing out the hills around us which were beautifully covered in snow.
carn na caim 024.JPG
hills

We quickly reached a small cairn on the beallach were the path split for the two peaks, we decided on carn na caim rather than the other one because it was much easier to say :lol: only kidding it meant that the wind was still behind us and could continue blowing us along the way. As GLW promised all the hard walking was behind us as the rest of the way would be along a large flattish plateau (as flat as you can get on a munro i guess) until the final part of the walk wich was just a small incline to the top. Up here the track runs along some fence posts which then turn right up to the summit, very handy in these conditions but have to watch on the return trip that you don`t follow them too far past your descent.
carn na caim 025.JPG
fenceposts

The summit cairn itself is tiny and coould be easily missed and there is no shelter from high winds. When we were walking up there it was great to see the formations the snow was making on the ground (sastrugi ? am i right Wullie?) and as the clouds came and went the mountains around shined in the sun and were a real spectacular sight. I don`t think i`ve smiled so much on a hill. :D
IMG_0883.JPG
summit else

carn na caim 029.JPG
grass
carn na caim 036.JPG
Alan

DSC01029.JPG
sastrugi

We ate quickly, but seriously, i could have sat up there all day at that point as the snow blew along the surface along side me and with the sun shining down on us it really was beautiful and i wish my camera hadn`t packed in on me, as is it`s want these days :( We headed back down, the wind and snow was now blowing heavy in our faces and had already covered the tracks we had made on the way up and as we reached the beallach the decision was made to head back down leaving Alan just one ahead of Gammy :lol: My eyelashes and eyebrows were caked in snow and Polly very kindly remarked that i looked like one of my heroes :) and then told me to sort myself out :lol: She was forever doing this as my gaiter straps kept loosening themselves and i had to stop to fix them. We did see one sight of wildlife as we descended, a mountain hare sprang out in front of us and hopped away in the snow. We enjoyed some laughs, not to mention Polly`s quiz, on the way back and i really enjoyed meeting all three of you, thanks again for your great company. So the objective of the day was to meet some new friends, climb a munro in the snow and come home safely, all done succesfully :D p.s there are some other pics that are for my private collection only :shh: :lol:
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tomyboy73
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Re: Snow Fun when you want More but get what you Caim for an

Postby tomyboy73 » Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:16 pm

:)
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tomyboy73
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Re: Snow Fun when you want More but get what you Caim for an

Postby PeteR » Mon Dec 05, 2011 11:59 pm

Another great report of your day out :D

I'm just a bit jealous :lol: You get to play in the snow and you got views from this one :D :D If I get the chance then I'll have to return this winter. My day on this one was clag, wind and freezing cold :shock: Saw nowt :(
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PeteR
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Re: Snow Fun when you want More but get what you Caim for an

Postby tomyboy73 » Tue Dec 06, 2011 12:05 am

PeteR wrote:Another great report of your day out :D

I'm just a bit jealous :lol: You get to play in the snow and you got views from this one :D :D If I get the chance then I'll have to return this winter. My day on this one was clag, wind and freezing cold :shock: Saw nowt :(


cheers Pete, i`ve heard people don`t rate this hill that much and i didn`t know it before. i can understand that in the actual walk up the hill but the views must be great on any clear day, and it`s an easy one to do :D there`s not many of them i guess :lol:
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tomyboy73
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Re: Snow Fun when you want More but get what you Caim for an

Postby Alan S » Tue Dec 06, 2011 2:49 pm

Great report and pics mate, Glad you enjoyed your day out :D Was great to meet you and Polly

tomyboy73 wrote:with GLW having done these both before, it gave Alan a chance to get ahead of him


Numbers mean nothing to us we just enjoy being out on the hills having a day out together and I am not competitive with him in any way ....... Im just glad to be one in front of the big git :lol:

tomyboy73 wrote:my only real worry was .....farting in a stranger`s car

Wouldnt worry this is fairly normal :lol:

tomyboy73 wrote:p.s there are some other pics that are for my private collection only


Sorry did I give Gammy a cuddle when I fell asleep in the car again, Its a bad habit :lol: :lol:

Hopefully do this again soon

Thanks again
Alan
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Alan S
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Re: Snow Fun when you want More but get what you Caim for an

Postby lomondwalkers » Tue Dec 06, 2011 3:27 pm

Looks like you guys had a blast TB, Loving the bantrer :lol:
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Re: Snow Fun when you want More but get what you Caim for an

Postby SusieThePensioner » Tue Dec 06, 2011 3:31 pm

Loved the report, made me laugh and some brilliant photos :thumbup:
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Re: Snow Fun when you want More but get what you Caim for an

Postby pollyh33 » Tue Dec 06, 2011 4:14 pm

Fantastic report Tommy :D

Your photos are brilliant. There was I thinking you were just flaffing about but you were in fact capturing lots of details to enjoy later :clap:

Totally agree that it didn't feel like we were meeting up with strangers. I think we all gelled together very well, like we had known each other for years :D

As for your private collection of photos.... :evil: :evil: Don't even think about it :lol:
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pollyh33
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Re: Snow Fun when you want More but get what you Caim for an

Postby gammy leg walker » Tue Dec 06, 2011 8:02 pm

tomyboy73 wrote:farting in a stranger`s car


:lol: :lol: Alan & I were doing the same,did not want to fart in front of strangers(no holding back next time)

Great report TB.

Good to meet you also.

As for Alan now being one in front,I will sort that out in the next few weeks with a bit of luck.

Lets try and get another walk sorted soon Gammy.
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gammy leg walker
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Re: Snow Fun when you want More but get what you Caim for an

Postby tomyboy73 » Tue Dec 06, 2011 8:04 pm

thanks to all who liked my report :) Alan the dodgy photos weren`t of you ;-) and will defo meet up again, maybe on an O.F sunday ? & Polly, you know i`m only kiddin. I thought you thought i was struggling at times but at those points my camera was working and i was trying to get as many pics as possible,just wish it worked on the summit, the views were amazing !
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tomyboy73
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Re: Snow Fun when you want More but get what you Caim for an

Postby tomyboy73 » Tue Dec 06, 2011 8:06 pm

gammy leg walker wrote:
tomyboy73 wrote:farting in a stranger`s car


:lol: :lol: Alan & I were doing the same,did not want to fart in front of strangers(no holding back next time)

Great report TB.

Good to meet you also.

As for Alan now being one in front,I will sort that out in the next few weeks with a bit of luck.

Lets try and get another walk sorted soon Gammy.


Lol, knew we were all on the same wavelength Wullie, next time we can just discreetly roll the window down :lol: , yeah defo get somethin sorted soon, but think i`ll be grounded untill new year, cheers
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tomyboy73
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Posts: 1080
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Sub 2000:6   Hewitts:6
Wainwrights:3   Islands:5
Joined: Jan 21, 2010
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