Two Corbetts, a long walk in but what a great day!

[The Rodmiester]

It was to be my last day of four on the hills, I had camped over at Newtonmore campsite adjacent to the Spey Bridge (£10.0 for a small tent and they charge you 20p for a shower and hot water to clean your utensils, Rip off!) The intention was to have climbed a couple of grahams North of Newtonmore but when I awoke it was a thick blanket of mist over the campsite, so a last minute change of plan was called for and boy did it turn out to be a good call! I decided to pack up and head on down the A9 and stop off at Dalnacardoch Lodge layby No 67 on the dual carriageway and head on up to the two Gaick Corbetts, a long walk in but that would give some time for hopefully the mist to burn off. I left the car at 0815hrs and walked back passed the bus bay park and turned in at the end of the track to Sronphadruig Lodge further up the glen. At first you climb through Dalnacardoch Wood where at the end you will pass a transmitting tower on your right

Once out of the woods the track climbs gradually and soon you pass a ruin on your left, at this point you can also see what appears to be a prominant cairn also on the left of the track. I'm not sure why the cairn has been built in this position but you can certainly see it from a good distance off even in the misty conditions

Once you pass the cairn approx. half a mile on you come across the cottage at Badnambiast also on your left. The track follows the line of the Edendon Water, another half mile on you cross over to the West of the river. A short while afterwards I hear the sound of vehicles coming behind me, oh no, the dreaded shooting party, they stop and ask where I'm heading? I tell them the two Corbetts, An Dun then A' Chaoirnich from the North East shoulder, and I thought they said ok but not the NE shoulder for the second hill. Fine I'm getting them done but not in the way I was hoping, so press on, it's a long way to walk for nothing, so pleased to be given the OK

Bridge crossing over the Edendon Water with both Corbetts in the distance shrouded in mist

Another three kilometers on after crossing another bridge and remains of a now disused bridge crossing because of changes of river route you find the now boarded up Sronphadruig Lodge which is enclosed with a fence and dangerous building signs

Now your faced with a choice of either crossing the river by these stepping stones and following a track towards the dam and cross there or crossing the river again or walking along the riverbank until you come to the path which takes you alongside Loch an Duin on the West side, I decided on on the rock hopping, a bit more adventurous

Yes blue skies appearing! mist lifting! yes! An Dun's South shoulder with Loch an Duin

Looking back down the glen where I'd come

Large Summit cairn of An Dun but there is a smaller cairn further on which is given the same height. After a wander along the summit I retrace my steps and head on back down the South ridge where I see another two walkers coming towards me. I'm thinking to myself, I'll let them know about the shooting party on the North side. I head on down about 150m and meet up with Gavin and Callum, stop for a wee chat and find that they have already been spoken to by the gamekeepers, but I've picked up the wrong end of the stick in as such the shooting is taking place about 3k to the East rather than the North as I had thought. That gave me two choices keep going down and head on up the South shoulder to Creag an Loch, the area between the two hills and South of the Loch looked pretty wet and swampy or do I re-climb back up and join up with the other two, who are hoping to do the route as I had originally intended. Decision made, join up!, Gavin was doing additional tops 'the SIMS' something I have never heard of, they are hills of over 600m with at least 30m drop on all sides, there are 2192 SIMS in Scotland.

Callum and Gavin on the smaller cairn summit An Dun.

The Rodmiester at the small cairned summit

Looking North East towards Loch Bhrodainn and Gaick Lodge with the crags of Creag an Dubh-chada on the left. It was at this point Gavin was heading off to pick up another two SIMS and we were to meet up with him at the summit cairn of A' Chaoirnich

The track which is only shown as a path on my up to date OS map at the bottom of the NE ridge of A' Chaoirnich

From the steepish NE shoulder looking towards Gaick Lodge. We met and had a chat with the people who were staying at the lodge before climbing up the second Corbett

We had just reached the summit cairn and no longer than five minutes had passed before we saw Gavin approach at one hell of a rate, he must have run all the way as we weren't hanging about

Looking pretty knackered he soon joined us at the summit cairn

The three of us pose at the summit cairn. There are two cairns also on this summit and the smaller one most Northerly is the actual summit by about 10m

Small summit cairn, now this is a very stone free summit, short heather and makes for lovely springy walking, who is it that adds a piece of marble stone to the cairns? Someone must bring these stones up the hills to add to the cairns! WHO?

View looking up Cama Choire and across the South shoulder of An Dun from Creag an Loch. At this point Callum and I are heading off to the Simm Meall na Spianaig 621 just East of Sronphadruig Lodge while Gavin is running over to pick up another Sim further East before joining us at the summit

Summit cairn of Meall na Spianaig 621, looking North over Loch an Duin

View over Sronphadruig Lodge with a plantation of trees

Me on my first SIM as far as I'm concerned

SIM summit cairn

Gavin joined us at the SIM cairn and then proceeded to tank down the hill at an alarming rate, I thought I walked reasonably fast, but going downhill I could noway match his speed, nor would I want to. Callum and I crossed over the stream by the bridge we had crossed in the walk in, Gavin crossed further upstream. We all met up on the track and chatted all the way back to the car, and the five plus miles soon passed by. Most of the way back along the track Schiehallion was showing up well on the horizon, as it does in so many walks. Now nearly back at the cars, what turned out a fabulous day on the hills with two new hillwalking friends. That's what's it's all about, great company, wonderful views and all in all a hard and unforgettable day. Thanks lads, a brilliant day.

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[Gordie12]

This looked like a great day Rod.

Congratulations on your 1st SIM

[The Rodmiester]

This looked like a great day Rod.

Congratulations on your 1st SIM

Thanks Gordie, don't think I'll become a SIM bagger though Now to give the wee blister a break

[The Rodmiester]

Great report and photos, Rod. Its a steep up and down between these two hills. Hope this doesn't disappoint you too much but you've actually done hundreds of Sims. If you can be bothered signing up and logging all your Munros, Munro tops, Corbetts etc on http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk you can find out exactly how many you have done. I've never met anyone who deliberately went out to bag Sims. Gavin is a rare breed

Hi again RTC, thanks! I really enjoyed the day, last weekend was a real bonus and totally made up for lack of walks at the WH Skye meet the previous week. I'm about to check the website out, I knew nothing about such things until the walk. Gavin is one fit guy, mind you I'm a wee bit longer in the tooth

[mountain thyme]

Nice report. Looks like its a good track to take a bike on?? Would it save a fair bit of time taking a bike ?

[wilkiemurray]

Nice report. Looks like its a good track to take a bike on?? Would it save a fair bit of time taking a bike ?

Did these last year with bike- does save time - mind you doesn't help when you don't pay attention and fall off bike -might end up with a broken arm!!

[wilkiemurray]

Great report and great pictures - brought back some memories

[The Rodmiester]

Nice report. Looks like its a good track to take a bike on?? Would it save a fair bit of time taking a bike ?

Hi mountain thyme, deffinately save you time and not to many ups and downs (Mountain Bike) ideal. I did not have a bike with me, and I wanted to pass time to allow the mist to burn off, so a long walk was ideal, I really enjoyed it anyway. Save it for a good day for the views

[The Rodmiester]

Great report and great pictures - brought back some memories

Thanks wilkiemurray, I remember your report on these two and the pain you went through, a long day to suffer and hard going coming off and going up the hills on the North

[mountain thyme]

Nice report. Looks like its a good track to take a bike on?? Would it save a fair bit of time taking a bike ?

Did these last year with bike- does save time - mind you doesn't help when you don't pay attention and fall off bike -might end up with a broken arm!!

so you did..think I commented on your video