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Team Railton v Braeriach
A bit of a cheat here; we didn't do the circuit as described in WH but plotted our own route- a there and back again starting from the Sugar Bowl. This route was slightly shorter than WH coming in at 13.3 miles.....and that'll dink dank do for us.
David: Braeriach, we're comin' to get you!!!
Sarah: Whoo hoo good o'l Dave finding a slightly shorter route.
Nudge: Arewethereyet?Arewethereyet?Arewethereyet?Arewetheryet?Arewethereyet? Are we there yet?
David: Forecast checked: sun, light cloud and a 4mph wind.
Sarah: Cool. It's gonna be a gooood day.
Nudge: Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
Arrive at the Sugar Bowl. Paid £2. Started off on our trek.
David: *steps out of car* Hmmm...feels pretty gusty.
Sarah: *speaking through a mouthful of windblown hair* 4mph my backside!
Nudge: Pee. Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee. Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee. Pee.
David: Think they may have got the weather wrong. *slight frown appears on face*
Sarah: *looking at wild clouds flying by and clinging onto tree* You don't say.
Nudge: Pee. Pee. Pee. Pee. Pee. Pee. Pee. Pee. Pee. Pee.
David: Brilliant track, well maintained and easy to follow. Beats tramping through bogs and heather.
Chalamain Gap comes into view
Sarah: Oooooh I can see the Chalamain Gap. Hope I don't get blown over trying to cross through it. *imagines self upside down in very undignified position with or without broken limbs*
Nudge: *now at doggy defcon 2* Girl dog smell. Girl dog smell. Girl dog smell. Girl dog smell. GIRL DOG SMELL.
- Something smells VERY good around here.........well to a boy dog anyway
David: This Chalamain Gap is not as bad as I thought it was going to be.
- ....and he's off
Sarah: It's a lot easier than I imagined. The descent from the window at Creag Mhegaich on Wednesday was a LOT more challenging. Hope I feel like this on the return after several miles and a few thousand feet ascent.
- Long hair and wild wind is not a good combination. Threatened to cut it all off by the end of the walk.
Nudge: GIRL DOG SMELL. GIRL DOGS. GIRL DOGS. GIRL DOGS. GIRL DOGS.GIRL DOGS. GIRL DOGS.
David: Uh oh that cloud doesn't look too promising. Waterproof time.
Sarah: Lots of grim cloud, I can't see Braeriach. *fights the wind for possession of waterproofs. Wins, but only just*
Nudge: Gotta pee.Gotta pee.Gotta pee.Gotta pee.Gotta pee.Gotta pee.Gotta pee.Gotta pee.
David: GPS says we've a long way yet. We're nearly at 2000ft.
Sarah: I'm not liking this wind. If it's like this at this level, what's it like at 4500ft? *pulls grim face*
Nudge: Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee. Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.
David: We've got 4 miles of uphill to go.....and this wind is getting worse.
Sarah: *to self* Uh oh. I hope we don't end up calling it. Would like to make Munro No 75 today. %@**$ wind.
Nudge: A TURD! I've found a turd!!!! *can barely contain excitement*
- Found a TURD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
David: *darkly* This wind is going to knock me off my feet. It's relentless.
Sarah: I need my Mint Aero please.
Nudge: *still blissed out after sniffing the turd*
David: Dog seems happy.
Sarah: How many miles now?
Nudge: Turds.
Now at the Lairig Ghru.
- Lairig Ghru
David: Lairig Ghru is very impressive up close. We've got to climb up there. *pointing to looming shoulder ahead*
Sarah: I need TWO Mint Aeros to climb that!
Nudge: Turds.
David: My knees.
Sarah: My thighs
Nudge: Turds.
Endless path stretches out in front of us. Wind is even worse. Gusts coming stronger. Very hard to go any faster than a snail on barbiturates. Waterproofs on and hooded up to try and stop the wind from blowing down our ears.
David: *to self* Hmmm should I call it?
Sarah: SICK of this wind. I'm gonna get blown over. *lots of rude words*
Nudge: Smell girl dogs. Smell girl dogs. Smell girl dogs.Smell girl dogs.
David: We're mental.
Sarah: I think that they missed two zeros off that 4mph wind speed. $@@**wind.
Nudge:Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee. Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee. Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.
David: We're the only idiots up here.
Sarah: What? I can't hear you? %@*% wind!
Nudge: Turds. Turds. Turds. Turds. Turds. Turds. Turds. Turds. Turds.
David: Look over there. It's Carn a Mhaim. There's the Angel's Peak, Devil's Elbow and Cairn Toul out there too.
Sarah: Wish the cloud would lift a bit. It'd make a great picture if the light was right.
Nudge: Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee. Pee.Pee.Pee.Pee. Pee. Pee.
Wind is mental now, boiling up and over the top of the mountain.
- Evil wind blowing up out of West Gully
David: HOLD ONTO ME!. STAY AWAY FROM THE EDGE:YOU'LL GET BLOWN TO YOUR DEATH
Sarah: ROPE THE DOG TO YOU!!!
Nudge: Huh? They've put my lead on.
Approaching the last bit. Misty cloud came down and it was boiling at speeds well in excess of 50mph through wind channels in the side of the mountain. Really quite scary. Blown off our feet several times. Rain started to drive into us hard. Painful on the old legs
David: Let's just get on with it and get to the top and back down again before we get blown to our deaths.
Sarah: I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!!! DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?
Nudge: It's awful drafty up my back end.
David: I CAN SEE A CAIRN!
Sarah: IS THAT A CAIRN OVER THERE?
Nudge: I'm cold.
David: IT'S NOT THE SUMMIT CAIRN. WE'VE GOT TO GO A BIT FURTHER.
Sarah: I DON'T THINK THAT IS THE SUMMIT CAIRN. IS IT MUCH FURTHER?
Nudge: I'm cold.
David: THERE IT IS. IT'S THE TOP. OVER THERE!!!!
Sarah: WHY'VE WE STOPPED. ARE YOU OK?
Nudge: They've stopped!!!!!!!Lunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunch
David: THAT'S IT WE'VE REACHED THE TOP.
Sarah: *disdainfully* IS THAT THE SUMMIT CAIRN. IT'S TINY. ARE YOU SURE. CHECK THE GPS
Nudge: lunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunch
David: *checks GPS* YES THAT'S IT!!!
Sarah: CAN I TAKE SOME PHOTOS?
Nudge: lunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunch
- David's happy to be at the summit; Nudge not so much so....what a grumpy face.
David: *rolls eyes and poses dutifully for camera*
Sarah: JUST TAKE THE PHOTO DAVE!!! *no jump shots today*
- Braeriach summit. Whoo hoo!!!
Nudge: lunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunch
Team Railton not so hastily hot foot it back down the mountain.The cloud rushes over us giving a glimpse of the sheer drop to our right. We press on fighting the wind.
David: STAY AWAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggggghhhhhh!!!!!
David gets completely blown off his feet.
Up ahead of him and I'm completely oblivious to the Hub's plight as I'm also being blown off my feet, deftly managing the art of madly bicycling in thin air whilst screaming. I can't imagine that I look elegant.
Nudge: lunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunch
David: * now on all fours* YOU OKAY???
Sarah: *now lying on the ground hugging a rock* YOU GOT BLOWN OVER TOO?
Nudge: lunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunch
David: WE'RE GONNA STRUGGLE WITH THE BOULDER FIELDS!!!!
Sarah: *whimpers*
Nudge: lunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunchlunch
Now almost at the end of first boulder field on descent.
David: ARRRRRRRGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
Sarah: *up ahead* MADE IT THROUGH THE BOULDER FIELD!!! DAVID??? DAVID!!!!! *spots Hubs barrel-rolling over nasty pointy rocks as wind blows him over a second time.
Nudge: My paws hurt!
David: Arrrgggghhhhhhhh!!! *finally comes to a halt*
Sarah: *fights wind and makes it over to where injured hubby is tangled amongst rocks* CAN YOU MOVE YOUR FEET? IS ANYTHING BROKEN????
Nudge: Blood?????
David: *looking down at three nasty gashes on lower leg* My leg, my arm, uh and I've twisted my back.
Sarah: Can you walk? *I'm very close to him now so I don't have to shout through the wind*
Nudge: Sore paws.
- Battered, bruised but not broken
David: *stoical, tenacious creature that is gets up* Yeah I can walk. My back's bad though.
Sarah: Let me help.I'll clean up that blood.
Nudge: Sore paws
David: Nah I'll be fine *walks off with blood dripping down leg*
Sarah *to self* Stubborn b****r
Nudge: * no thought, just very grumpy face as he's clearly had enough*
- The poor dog lies shattered at my feet
David: It'll be teatime by the time we have lunch *visualises nice cheese and tomato roll being carried away on the wind followed by his crisps*
Sarah: THAT'S IT. WE'RE HAVING LUNCH and drops to the ground near some rocks offering pitiful shelter.
Nudge: Yay!
David: *eats lunch with a grimace* I just want to be down this mountain.
Sarah: Wind's getting a bit better.
Nudge: *chowing down dog biccies with one VERY beady eye on our pack-up*
After lunch we finally make it to the relative calm of the Lairig Ghru, although the wind is funneling through there at a pace, it is no longer enough to knock us off our feet. A check of Nudge's feet shows that all four of his paws are bleeding. The wind and rocks clearly didn't help him either.
- The dog pulls his saddest sad face. The corners of his mouth couldn't get any lower.
David: More b****y uphill
Sarah: Should we carry the dog?
Nudge: Sounds good to me.
David: Are you having a laugh? I want carrying first!
Sarah: I'm not carrying BOTH of you!
Nudge: Bummer.
- Cairngorm side of Lairig Ghru
Now back at the Chalamain Gap. We make our way through it unscathed, although Nudge needs a helping hand.
- Jump shot
- David enjoys the views over the Chalamain Gap
David: Not far now.
Sarah: We really EARNED that Munro!
Nudge: My paws *in a grim mood, too grim to even bother with turd-sniffing*
David: Look at that. The dog's just ignored that huge turd!!!
Sarah: I can't believe my eyes. Poor Nudge
Nudge: carcaracaracarcarcarcarcarcarcarcarcarcaracarcarcarcarcarcarcarcarcar
The sugar bowl comes into view, we pass a few cheery looking families who've been on a jolly to see the reindeer. We look like the Walking Dead.
We smile.
We try not to scare the small children.
- Yay! The Sugar Bowl comes into view.
7 hours on the nose, we make it to the car. A great big chippy tea for us tonight. Treatment for Nudge's paws and even an order of chip shop gravy to go with the dog's dinner. A tough walk but a great feeling of accomplishment.
Team Railton go home.