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Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling in CG

Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling in CG


Postby tombombadilio » Fri Nov 06, 2015 12:07 am

Munros included on this walk: Beinn Mheadhoin, Ben Macdui, Cairn Gorm

Date walked: 03/11/2015

Time taken: 8.3 hours

Distance: 24.7 km

Ascent: 1732m

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Hello again fellow walkers. Just had to post something after experiencing 'that' autumnal weather - just, amazeballs, in the parlance of our times. There are some great posts up already with far stunninger pics than mine, but here is my humble contribution.

My thanks to J888ohn for his route description of the 'Cairngorms Circuit'. Tried to stick to it, but as you can see, went a bit off piste at points.


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


This is what transpired…

0500: Up from my SYHA Aviemore bed to quietly step outside into corridor with gear, get dressed. Sorry fellow hostellers, but the sun waits for no man. Breakfast: 2 x butteries with substandard apricot jam, 1 x banana, 1 x coffee style hot drink (regretted that). Flask, water bottles filled, rolls packed. Car packed.

0600: Depart for Ski Centre car park. Tunes playing from tape deck to get blood flowing (tape adaptor thing for phone to play through).

0630: Await sufficient light. Boot up.

0700: Head off.

IMG_2081.jpg
Looking back towards ski centre.


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Looking across to the Fiacaill Ridge.


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Sron na Lairige catching the first rays.


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Looking down the Lairig Ghru.


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First drop of sun.


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Saw someone else do this in a post, shadow portrait, looked cool. Amazingly long shadows.


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Think that's Cairn Toul, Angel's Peak, start of the ascent to Braeriach?


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0900: Ben Macdui. All to myself. Emotional.


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One minute later, man and dog arrive. Exchange pleasantries with man, pat dog. Good to share it in a way, just to know that someone else is seeing this amazingness. Plus he gave my photo some scale.


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Looking across to Derry Cairngorm, pointy.


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Loch Etchachan. Think I caught the moon in that shot too.


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Tors of Beinn Mheadhoin coming into view. That sky! Can't believe this is Scotland!


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Some nice wind carved stone bowl things, I believe is the technical term.


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1045: After the scramble to the top (and I'm not a scrambler), wanted photographic evidence. First serious wind chill of the day.


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First view of Loch Avon. Should've studied the route out more closely from here.


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First visit to the Shelter Stone. Next time taking a black bin bag. Who are these people that leave sh*t in there? Slightly marred the day.


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Beach.


So this is where things went slightly awry. Apparently the path out of Dodge goes up the right of this Allt Coire Raibeirt.

IMG_2126.jpg
Allt Coire Raibeirt.


But it seemed to disappear after a few metres, after which I improvised, going more directly north away from the stream. It wasn't pretty, or sensible, but got the heart pumping. Has anyone done this properly? Where did I go wrong?

Got to a wee cairn at 1082 then made a B-line for Cairn Gorm, last Munro of the day.

IMG_2127.jpg
1400: All this blue sky's getting a bit boring. It's just not natural!


IMG_2128.jpg
Classic camera phone over exposed panorama… Really need a proper camera.


To round the day off, made a hash of getting down from Ptarmigan Station. In my eagerness to avoid the ski lifts, ended up over shooting the ski centre and suffering the indignity of having to walk uphill on the road as cars passed leaving for the day.

IMG_2130.jpg
Heading back uphill to ski centre.


1523: Arrive back at car.

Still, nothing could wreck what was an utterly amazing day. Having suffered the disappointment of several claggy days trying to see these places, I was primed for this. The only thing that hurt more than my feet was my face from smiling all day.
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Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i

Postby wilkiemurray » Fri Nov 06, 2015 7:34 am

WOW - Great day to be wandering in the Cairngorms - looked amazing :)
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Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i

Postby tombombadilio » Fri Nov 06, 2015 7:25 pm

wilkiemurray wrote:WOW - Great day to be wandering in the Cairngorms - looked amazing :)


I see you shared in the utter amazingness of that day! I was up that way on Saturday afternoon actually, up Ben Chonzie, not as nice as that though. Some shots you got.

Don't know how you can be ar*ed stopping and setting up and walking back to get in the shot and walking back again to pack the camera and tripod up again etc… Good effort, but hard work, no?
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Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i

Postby brocoli » Fri Nov 06, 2015 8:04 pm

That was one of the BEST days! Especially for november. I was there too but I started in Coylumbridge to climb Braeriach and then make my way to the Cairn Gorm Car Park. It was just beautiful.
The path in Coire Raibeirt doesn't leave the stream until you reach flatter ground below Cairn Gorm. It keeps right of the stream when you're walking up (for the next time :D ). I put my photos on my blog at http://brocoli.sirius.uberspace.de/blog/19-wanderung-braeriach-2.php. There are more photos from other tours as well :wink:
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Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i

Postby Silverhill » Fri Nov 06, 2015 10:36 pm

Are you sure you got the date right?! :wink: Unbelievable, what an amazing day you had for it! Stunning pictures, it is such a beautiful area. :D
I walked the path in Coire Raibert in June (it was snowing :shock: ). As brocoli says, the path follows the river pretty much all the way. At one point it gets really close to the river along a rocky section, which can easily be mistaken for the river bank, or part of the river if the stream is full. On the way up you could see where people had tried to climb up the slope to the right of that point. Didn't look like an appealing route....
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Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i

Postby dogplodder » Sat Nov 07, 2015 7:54 pm

What a day you got! We were out the same day in Assynt but didn't get the blue skies you had. Still a fabulous day though! :D
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Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i

Postby tombombadilio » Sat Nov 07, 2015 8:15 pm

brocoli wrote:That was one of the BEST days! Especially for november. I was there too but I started in Coylumbridge to climb Braeriach and then make my way to the Cairn Gorm Car Park. It was just beautiful.
The path in Coire Raibeirt doesn't leave the stream until you reach flatter ground below Cairn Gorm. It keeps right of the stream when you're walking up (for the next time :D ). I put my photos on my blog at http://brocoli.sirius.uberspace.de/blog/19-wanderung-braeriach-2.php. There are more photos from other tours as well :wink:


Yeah, we were so lucky. The local hostel keeper said that crisp days like those are most likely in May and October so I'll defffinitely be making plans for then next year.

From the looks of your posts you've fairly been getting around in the past few weeks, you must know Braeriach like the back of your hand! Some great photos.

You're not the same German woman I stopped and chatted with overlooking Loch Etchachan by any chance??

Yeah, thanks, will stick to the stream next time. I just couldn't see it though! Maybe it's like the 'leep of faith' scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where you have to believe in it for it to become a reality...

Cheers,

Adam.
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Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i

Postby brocoli » Sat Nov 07, 2015 9:53 pm

tombombadilio wrote:From the looks of your posts you've fairly been getting around in the past few weeks, you must know Braeriach like the back of your hand! Some great photos.


We were lucky indeed! Thanks (for the photos), I only returned because monday and tuesday the week before were so cloudy, I couldn't see a thing from Braeriach. I wanted to have the view this time :D
I know the route Braeriach very well now, that's true :D . I even found The Angel's Peak in miniature, see attached photo.

tombombadilio wrote:You're not the same German woman I stopped and chatted with overlooking Loch Etchachan by any chance??


Nope, I'm a guy :wink:
Attachments
P1280943.JPG
The Angel's Peak in miniature on Sron na Lairige - very useful guide in cloudy conditions :)
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Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i

Postby Sunset tripper » Sun Nov 08, 2015 2:49 pm

That looks a good and long route. You made good time though. Its a long haul up from Loch Avon. This photo (taken from the path on the opposite side of the loch) shows the path across the hillside then following the stream quite clearly.
The diagonal path across the hillside isn't shown on the 1:50k os map and not obvious to pick up at the lochside. The ground you went up to the right (east) of Allt Coire Raibeirt looks pretty steep in places. :shock:
2012-08-10 14.53.52-1 (640x475).jpg
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Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i

Postby tombombadilio » Sun Nov 08, 2015 9:46 pm

Silverhill wrote:Are you sure you got the date right?! :wink: Unbelievable, what an amazing day you had for it! Stunning pictures, it is such a beautiful area. :D
I walked the path in Coire Raibert in June (it was snowing :shock: ). As brocoli says, the path follows the river pretty much all the way. At one point it gets really close to the river along a rocky section, which can easily be mistaken for the river bank, or part of the river if the stream is full. On the way up you could see where people had tried to climb up the slope to the right of that point. Didn't look like an appealing route....


Yeah, totally unreal for November! Was hard to take a bad photo that day, so beautiful.

Got a hankering for some jaggy west coast walking now, having looked at your posts, very nice. Different kettle of fish from the lumpy east.

(I was one who tried to climb up that unappealing route… never again).

Cheers,

Adam.
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Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i

Postby tombombadilio » Sun Nov 08, 2015 9:51 pm

dogplodder wrote:What a day you got! We were out the same day in Assynt but didn't get the blue skies you had. Still a fabulous day though! :D


Hello dogplodder,

A couple of labs plodding along would've perfected the day though!

Do you know is there any ideal time of year for hitting the NW Highlands? Never been north of Kyle of Lochalsh, not familiar with the area. Similar to Cairngormsby any chance?, May and October for best chance of clear skies?

Cheers,

Adam.
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Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i

Postby tombombadilio » Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:01 pm

Sunset tripper wrote:That looks a good and long route. You made good time though. Its a long haul up from Loch Avon. This photo (taken from the path on the opposite side of the loch) shows the path across the hillside then following the stream quite clearly.
The diagonal path across the hillside isn't shown on the 1:50k os map and not obvious to pick up at the lochside. The ground you went up to the right (east) of Allt Coire Raibeirt looks pretty steep in places. :shock:
2012-08-10 14.53.52-1 (640x475).jpg


Hello Sunset tripper,

Yeah, that's a clearer photo. Had a 1:25k and still managed to miss it though :?

And I share your embarrassment at blundering into the Nevis car park, after my cock up. Nothing like navigating competently throughout a challenging walk only to cock it up at the end trying to get to one's car :lol:

Cheers,

Adam.
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Re: Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling i

Postby tombombadilio » Sun Nov 08, 2015 10:12 pm

brocoli wrote:
tombombadilio wrote:From the looks of your posts you've fairly been getting around in the past few weeks, you must know Braeriach like the back of your hand! Some great photos.


We were lucky indeed! Thanks (for the photos), I only returned because monday and tuesday the week before were so cloudy, I couldn't see a thing from Braeriach. I wanted to have the view this time :D
I know the route Braeriach very well now, that's true :D . I even found The Angel's Peak in miniature, see attached photo.

tombombadilio wrote:You're not the same German woman I stopped and chatted with overlooking Loch Etchachan by any chance??


Nope, I'm a guy :wink:


Ha, well it was a long shot :lol: . I wonder how many German people were walking in the Cairngorms that day though… And that's some way to come from Frankfurt :o . Really glad you got to see the top.

Danke,

Adam.
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