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Planning Cairngorms crossing: advise need

Planning Cairngorms crossing: advise need


Postby Jide » Sun Mar 24, 2013 6:52 pm

I plan to cross the Cairngorms from Blair Atholl to Glenmore and need advise about where to camp.
I'm thinking of staying at Corrour Bothy. So I don't need to bring my tent.
I have heard of a bothy at Derry Lodge, but didn't found any confirmation about that.

I have found some references to bothies on the Mountain Bothies website (http://www.MountainBothies.org.uk), but don't know how to read the grid ref (I'm French). So, how do you read this grid ref: LR 36: NN 981 958 ?

Thanks for you help.
JD
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Re: Planning Cairngorms crossing: advise need

Postby gammy leg walker » Sun Mar 24, 2013 7:00 pm

Bob Scotts bothy at Derry Lodge.
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Bob Scotts
Last edited by gammy leg walker on Sun Mar 24, 2013 7:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Planning Cairngorms crossing: advise need

Postby Milesy » Sun Mar 24, 2013 7:03 pm

It means the map you want to look at is Landranger 36

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/ordnance-survey-lr-grantown-aviemore-map-book-p112960

And then on the map you look at the grid NN 981 958.

You can use the "where's the path" website to enter your grid reference as well. Search box at the top left put in NN981958

http://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm
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Re: Planning Cairngorms crossing: advise need

Postby wesil20 » Sun Mar 24, 2013 7:14 pm

The 2 letters NN refer to a 100kmx100km area, the six figures put you within 100m. Basically get your OS map (Landranger 43) The first figures are the Eastings (going west to east, or left to right) The second figures are northings (going north or up) Find the 98 line (first two figures of the eastings) and find the square where it meets the 95 northing line. This gives you a 1km square box within which you will find Corrour Bothy. The third and sixth figures narrows it down to 100m within that box. You really need to see this in action, get someone to show you or check out some examples in a navigation book. Good Luck.
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Re: Planning Cairngorms crossing: advise need

Postby Jide » Sun Mar 24, 2013 7:27 pm

Thanks you all!

Bob Scotts bothy at Derry Lodge looks very comfy :)
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Re: Planning Cairngorms crossing: advise need

Postby sloosh » Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:31 pm

One thing - you CANNOT plan on a bothy being available. Often they are but they can also be stuffed full of people (and their dogs) who got there first and there might simply not be any room for you.
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Re: Planning Cairngorms crossing: advise need

Postby Jide » Sun Mar 24, 2013 8:41 pm

sloosh wrote:One thing - you CANNOT plan on a bothy being available. Often they are but they can also be stuffed full of people (and their dogs) who got there first and there might simply not be any room for you.

I'm fully aware of that, but thanks for the reminder. As there are very few bothy in that zone, I'll bring a light tent, instead of a 'not so light' one.
Bob Scotts bothy at Derry Lodge seems very famous, so I might choose to go through Corrour bothy instead as I prefer loneliness.
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Re: Planning Cairngorms crossing: advise need

Postby NickyRannoch » Sun Mar 24, 2013 9:18 pm

you are not likely to get much loneliness at Corrour either it is a very popular bothy.it all depends when you are there but i wouldnt imagine there are many nights it is completely empty.

your other option would be the hutchison memorial hut at the top of glen derry.
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Re: Planning Cairngorms crossing: advise need

Postby Border Reiver » Sun Mar 24, 2013 11:46 pm

Sometimes, walkers from other parts of Europe expect bothies to be similar the alpine huts where you can have a meal cooked and a nice bunk. A while back a party of Belgian walkers planned an overnight stay at the Shelter Stone and were horrified to find that when they arrives cold and wet, instead of warm comfortable accommodation and hot food, it was in fact...a massive boulder. I believe they had to be rescued.
If you've got a tent and the weather is nice (it can snow in any month of the year) then camping is no problem. Just find a decent area of flattish ground a bit bigger than the tent, with a nearby water supply and pitch the tent (anywhere you want). There's lots of suitable areas in Glen Tilt...we usually camp just past Forest Lodge. Same with the lower part of the Lairig Ghru, Glen Derry, Glen Lui etc.
Two years go, we found a great spot next to the Dee about 1 mile North of the Chest of Dee. The grass was soft and dry and there was a big flat rock on the waters edge for placing stoves on. I doubt anyone had ever camped there before...most walkers look for the bright green and rock hard pieces of grass where hundreds of other people have camped.
Go and enjoy and watch out for the midges from early May onwards.
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Re: Planning Cairngorms crossing: advise need

Postby Jide » Mon Mar 25, 2013 8:17 am

I was planing to cross the Cairngorms before to join the Speyside way at Aviemore. But I decide to change my itinerary and begin my walk at Kingussie and not cross the Cairngorms. Attempting to cross the Cairngorms (from Blair Atholl to Glenmore is 77km) in 2 days is definetly not reasonable.
I will cross the Cairngorms another year with more time and more camping gear.

Thanks all for your insights!
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Re: Planning Cairngorms crossing: advise need

Postby Jide » Sun Mar 31, 2013 12:01 pm

I eventually found a B&B at Braemar who agreed to pick me at Linn of Dee car park :D
So I'll do it!

Then my itineray accross the Cairngorms then along the Spey will be:
28/04 Blair Atholl - Linn of Dee: 36 km (staying at Braemar)
29/04 Linn of Dee - Glenmore: 35 km
30/04 Glenmore - Aviemore - Boat of Garten - Nethy Bridge: 28 km
01/05 Nethy Bridge - Ballindalloch: 32 km
02/05 Ballindalloch - Aberlour: 17km (Short walk to save time for the International Whisky Festival ;) )
03/05 Aberlour - Fochabers: 23km
04/05 Fochabers- Buckie: 18 km

Next step: Glen Affric and hoping the weather will be good enough to climb.
06/05 Cannich - Alltbeithe: 24 km
07/05 Sgurr nan Ceathreamhnan: 12 km
08/05 Alltbeithe - Glomach falls - Allt a' chruinn: 27 km
09/05 Ault a' chruinn - Cluanie Inn: 30 km
10/05 Cluanie Inn - Five Sisters of Kintail - Allt a' chruinn: 20 km

I'll post a report once I came back from that trip.
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