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**** UPDATE 25/8/13 ..........................some fotos " rescued " & posted here with my TR - hopefully it make some clarity to you - i trust from memory they`re in order - my i-phone now fully functioning again , but Samsung Camera with most fotos has died - albeit the fotos are on memory block awaiting a new camera....soon****
Sorry for no fotos at the moment - this report is delayed to try & obtain them - but they`re out there in cyberspace
will edit & add over the w/end - hopefully
Ring of Tarf 5
After reading various reports of this BIG undertaking here on WH & elsewhere I really fancied trying this out , however i`m realistic enough to know that I could never accomplish it in 1 day non-stop ( in a Montyesque fashion ) !
I wanted to do the route in a clock-wise direction & had originally hoped to start 1 evening after work – Bothying overnight at Allt Sheicheachan – then continue to the end at Bridge of Tilt car park the next morning.
In the end I was lucky enough to get Fri 2/8 off work at short notice – so no need to set off after work, so I left home on Fri morning ,getting under way at 9.11am from the car park. My plan now was to Bothy overnight at the Tarf Hotel & continue next morning to the finish.
Fortunately the weather forecast had improved dramatically for Fri in particular & the Sat wasn`t looking too bad either , result - as the start of the week predicted poor weather.
So times / distances etc etc……
Bridge of Tilt car park 09 11
Allt Sheicheachan Bothy 11 21 - 2hrs 10 mins 9.43 Km + 403 M
Allt Scheicheachan Bothy
Allt Sheicheachan Bothy 11 59
Beinn Dearg 13 51 - 1hr 52 mins 5.49Km + 555 M
Beinn Dearg 14 10
Tarf Hotel 22 23 - 8hrs 13 mins 19.47 Km + 830 M
Tarf Hotel 08 07
Bridge of Tilt car park 14 39 - 6 hrs 32 mins 17.21 Km + 618 M
Total = 51.60 KM - 18 hrs 47 mins - + 2396 M
So that’s the facts & figures etc , I know i`m not a quick walker but it shows my breakdowns
& besides I thoroughly enjoyed this round of 4 munros + Beinn Bhreac.
With hindsight I was glad NOT to Bothy overnight at Allt Sheicheachan as it would have left me too much to do next morning , and Oskar was glad of the more salubrious surroundings of the 5 * Tarf Hotel …………
The walk to Allt Sheicheachan was very pleasant in the warming sun & B Dearg alone would make a good – but LONG winters day out. Just before the gate at the end of the forestry 2 mountain biker chaps passed me ,a quick hi was enchanged . Continuing on I enjoyed the views under the big skies over head although I don`t think the fotos show how clear it really was.
Approaching the Bothy – through my binoculars - I saw a large black beast/cow/bull grazing below Druim Dubh - some reference to it was noted in the Bothy book !! I added a few lines to the bothy book commenting on its general cleanliness & good state. After a wee break I continued up the track by the burn leading to Beinn Dearg – this was the easy part of the day !
Approaching onto Beinn Dearg around Meall Dubh nan Dearcag I met the 2 MB`s who had left their bikes at the top of the Allt Sheicheachan beside the ford & had continued up on foot , greetings exchanged & we were on our separate ways .Further on I was aware of a walker catching me up from behind ,he summitted after me & took a foto of me & Oskar , he was up on holiday & only out for the 1 hill that day. I really ejoyed the long rest on Beinn Dearg before moving on again.
Approaching Beinn Dearg
At first the drop off Beinn Dearg down towards the Allt Coire Camariaich was very dry & springy underfoot , however it seemed to go on forever before reaching dryish peat bogs at Tarf Water - on the way down i`m sure I could make out the Tarf Bothy some 8Km off to the east. I crossed the low water easily & had another break before climbing onto Beinn Bhreac. It was a tough pull up onto here via very thick undergrowth with no obvious route / track. The summit views were pretty good !
Carn an Fhidhleir was now very obvious in front of me but the route was very rough with various ways of crossing open boggy area available, thankfully despite rain during the week it was quite dry underfoot –this would be a nightmare in the wet. I more or less threaded a route up via the Glas Feith Mor towards the 856 M point. From here looking back to Beinn Dearg black , heavy clouds were approaching , I put my jacket on & 10 mins later was thoroughly soaked in Biblical type rain , then the sun came out again & I was dry very quickly. The views towards Glen Feshie & particularly Sgor Gaoith were awesome – i`d recently “done” Sgor Gaoith in very poor visibility & now wished i`d saved it for a finer day.
Spot the dug ????
After some fotos off to An Sgarsoch which involved a big drop off & re-ascent ,there was a rough path off the summit , so I hovered around for 15 mins or so below the 906 M point deciding which way to go up An Sg.
After here the track disappeared leaving me to choose my own route up , the bealach was the wettest part of the trip so far- worse would follow , oh yes !
I plodded up slowly through threatening rain & passing clouds onto the top , this seemed to take an age – perhaps it did , it is a big walk. Topping out was a relief with rain off towards Beinn a `Ghlo & a fabulous rainbow waiting for me.
Fotos over - the threatening rain engulfed me now. Deep joy.
Here it comes folks.....
Clouds closed in and were my constant companion ALL the way to the Tarf Bothy accompanied by non-stop heavy rain . I exited over the 967 M point & down over Sron na Macranaich & passed the old shieling to cross the still low Allt a` Chaorainn , the last Km as always was the longest , still over rough ground - I still couldn`t see the bothy yet through low cloud & mist , but plodded on knowing it wasn`t far. Then the bothy appeared at last it was very close now & a sight for wet feet ! Just before it however on a small hillock were laid out the carcases of 6 or 7 dead sheep , quite unusual & strange – no other sheep having been seen all day ??
I shouted “ Hello the Bothy ! ” but got no reply , I guessed by it`s darkened state that no-one was there – or they`d had an early night. It was empty. I took the smallest room , hanging up all my wet gear & changed into my carpet slippers & dressing robe in a Basil Rathbone style
!
The bothy was clean & tidy , no mess left lying around , a great place i`d imagine for a " rural rave " ......
Some food for me & Oskar , truly a candle lit dinner for 2 accompanied by various tunes off my old nokia fone – I knew there`d be no TV or mini-bar .A wee whisky & bed. I was tired.
Next morning I eventually got up at about 7am , thankfully my wet gear had dried overnight except my boots which left wee puddles at the fire place – which I hadn`t lit. Breakfast over we set off just after 8 into a dull but dry morning .
Oskar departing the Bothy - having did the dishes !!
Oh well , no going back now ..........
I didn’t like the look of Meall Tionail so decided to go up via Braigh Coire na Conlaich .
Although I skirted the top aiming for the bealach at 740 M and then onto Conlach Mhor , I was enjoying myself now out on the go again , down towards the very boggy bealach before coming up over Conlach Beag which has a large cairn & a wee stone shelter below it . The cloud was blowing through occasionally but I had no views from Carn a` Chlamain as I topped out – Munro no 4 – was I chuffed to bits!
Last top Munro no 4
Moving off down the track the wind did blow through to reveal some views as I descended. The track was much rougher than the route onto Beinn Dearg , but gave wonderful views down into Glen Tilt although the tops of Beinn a` Ghlo were in the clouds – Carn Liath only visible now and then.
It was a bit of a relief to reach tarmac & the way out in Glen Tilt.
I chatted to a young guy ( must be getting old ) who was about to make his way up at
Slochd Dail Mhoraisd , then put Oskar on his lead – he`d been great since the start of the
walk but there were now 100`s + of sheep below. Better for everyone just in case.
It was a long ,but very lovely walk out down Glen Tilt , getting warmer as I went. It was also very busy many folk saying Hi for a minute or 2 , with quite a few walking onto Aviemore or Braemar. I was pleased to reach the car park , change into some clean gear & head off home having conquered the Ring of Tarf.
I learned that I-phones / Samsung Cameras & Biblical type rain do not mix well , my Viewranger App worked well , i`ve had it for approx 2 years – but it seems that my phone is seriously unwell now –hopefully my camera is just off on holiday . They were in a wee “water-proof ” bag – but not a specifically designed one , a possible expensive lesson here…
Fotos to add soon folks
