walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

CARN SGULAIN and A' CHAILLEACH

CARN SGULAIN and A' CHAILLEACH


Postby Bod » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:49 pm

Route description: Monadh Liath Munros: Càrn Dearg, Càrn Sgulain & A' Chailleach

Munros included on this walk: A' Chailleach (Monadhliath), Càrn Sgulain

Date walked: 03/03/2012

Time taken: 5.75 hours

Distance: 14.9 km

Ascent: 845m

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

After a couple of great winter days spent in the Drumochter Pass during January, what had happened to February in terms of getting out there and enjoying the Mountains! It was time to rectify this, so off we went leaving the house by 8.00am and arriving ready to walk by 10.15 leaving from the carpark close to the River Calder in Glen Banchor, by Newtonmore.

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

On leaving the car I was very aware of the wide valley floor that at one time would have been home to many people. The evidence is clear on the more detailed map showing old townships and hut circle locations. There is even the site of an ancient Fort on a large knoll just a few hundred metres up the track that would have commanded an excellent view up the glens, along the valley and southwards to Newtonmore. There was a damp chill in the air, and to remedy this good steady progress was made following the track northwards by the Allt Chaorainn.
1.JPG
2.JPG
3.JPG
Only on arriving at the location just southeast of the stalkers bothy was the decision made to keep on following the river northwards and head first of all for Carn Sgulain. We could see several other walkers across and up the hill at the bothy all preparing to head up into the mists currently shrouding A'Chailleach. Our hope was that as the day progressed the sky would clear and A' Chailleach would present us with a fine afternoon view and enjoyable descent back down into Glen Banchor?
4.JPG
A grand view back down towards Creag Dhubh :D
5.JPG
The clouds attempting to rise and clear the corrie. A' Chaillaich coming into view :D
6.JPG
7.JPG
8.JPG
9.JPG
Valerie standing on the summit of Carn Sgulain. We reached this point in less than three hours after a fairly straightforward route find up and round the prow of Am Bodach with a spot height marked at 794 metres. The route so far had been a mixture tracks, bog-slogs and pleasant footpaths getting ever closer into the cloud. However, navigation was fairly easy once visibilty decreased, especially once we joined the boundary line with the old iron fencing remains that would lead us round in a westerly direction. It was here we met some rather friendy ptarmigans who didn't rush and fly away quite so hastily as their numerous grouse cousins that we had met lower down in the glen.
10.JPG
11.JPG
12.JPG
We shared part of the next leg walking southwest and southwards again with a fellow walker who met us on Carn Sgulain after his journey across from Carn an Fhreiceadain. He claimed he had been tracking us in the clag and had used his detective skills to deduce that the party ahead consisted of one large man, one small woman and a dog. How right was he, and we continued on together to the Allt Cuil na Caillich. Here we parted with our new companion heading off southwest opting for the lower route back to Glen Banchor. Valerie, Ritchie and I rested for a few minutes by some fancinating wee pools linked by underground streams. It was bitter cold once stopped though, so after a ham roll and a dime bar we were off up the initial steep bank onto a lush mossy green summit, joining in with the footpath leading to the cairn.
13.JPG
14.JPG
15.JPG
16.JPG
17.JPG
Here we are now back down on the lower slopes ably guided by Ritchie to the stalkers bothy hoping for a seat and bit of shelter. It was great to get inside and sit for a bit amazed at the age of many of the markings written and scratched in the timber linings. Once upon a time a stove had existed in the corner with just the flue remaining through the ceiling. I was convinced it had been reconstructed at one time, at least repaired and overhauled with some care taken to re-use original linings (some signatures dated back to the 1920's)
18.JPG
19.JPG
20.JPG
21.JPG
22.JPG
23.JPG
24.JPG
All in all, yet another wonderful day out in the Highlands :D :D :D :D :D :lol:
Last edited by Bod on Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:18 pm, edited 13 times in total.
User avatar
Bod
Walker
 
Posts: 1548
Munros:282   Corbetts:67
Fionas:34   Donalds:21
Sub 2000:44   Hewitts:27
Wainwrights:51   Islands:25
Joined: Jul 30, 2010
Location: Cowdenbeath

Re: CARN SGULAIN and A' CHAILLEACH

Postby SusieThePensioner » Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:12 pm

So glad all 3 of you were out and about again!! Loved the photos, can't decide which of you is the biggest poser :lol:

The bothy looks as though it's moved to a different place :lol: :lol: :lol:
User avatar
SusieThePensioner
 
Posts: 1543
Munros:6   Corbetts:3
Fionas:4   Donalds:7
Sub 2000:3   Hewitts:107
Wainwrights:156   
Joined: Sep 7, 2011
Location: County Durham

Re: CARN SGULAIN and A' CHAILLEACH

Postby Valerie » Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:13 pm

SusieThePensioner wrote:So glad all 3 of you were out and about again!! Loved the photos, can't decide which of you is the biggest poser :lol:

The bothy looks as though it's moved to a different place :lol: :lol: :lol:


Yes Susie, we do look like a set of posers in these photos :lol: :lol: :lol: Think Bod takes the prize though for the one outside the bothy :lol: It was an amazing wee bothy, people had been writing and engraving their names on the wood inside, some dating back to the 1920's, amazing! and there was a single sheet of paper with the rules on using the bothy referring you to the bible on the shelf if you weren't happy with them :shock:
User avatar
Valerie
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 77
Munros:71   Corbetts:59
Fionas:34   Donalds:21
Sub 2000:40   Hewitts:89
Wainwrights:182   Islands:16
Joined: Mar 1, 2011

Re: CARN SGULAIN and A' CHAILLEACH

Postby jonny616 » Sun Mar 04, 2012 11:22 pm

Grand day out you two. On the poser front i think it's a toss up between pic 2 & 3 :lol:
User avatar
jonny616
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1621
Munros:282   Corbetts:14
Fionas:2   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:1   Hewitts:17
Wainwrights:8   Islands:8
Joined: Aug 19, 2009

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Moonstone Hippy and 81 guests