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Mud dogs and east coast quines out in the midday gloom

Mud dogs and east coast quines out in the midday gloom


Postby dogplodder » Mon Nov 16, 2015 8:21 pm

Route description: Meall na h-Aisre, from Garva Bridge

Corbetts included on this walk: Meall na h-Aisre

Date walked: 03/10/2015

Distance: 13 km

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After a week of blue skies and sunshine it was disappointing that Saturday signalled a downward change and Saturday was the only day Evelyn and Moira were free to walk. I scoured the forecasts and the area that looked least dismal was down the A9 round Newtonmore way and a quick search came up with the unfortunately named Meall na h-Airse which none of us had climbed. :think:

We followed the minor road down the glen (involving at one point an awkward reverse to allow a vehicle to pass after he ignored a passing place he should have pulled into) and parked by Garva Bridge. The last time I was here was in 2006 when we climbed Geal Charn on a scorching hot day in July and I got blisters. :o

General Wade built this bridge as part of his route over the Corryairack Pass
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We crossed the bridge and took a right turn up a track heading north which soon crosses over a new track (built to construct the Beauly to Denny pylons) and continues on a grassy track which goes through a gate, staying on the west side of the burn. After about 600m we took a right fork down towards a footbridge, which we crossed then followed a boggy track along the east side of the burn. We didn't know it at the time but if we had followed a track to the right a bit earlier we could have crossed easily on stones at a ford and that track would have led us all the way to the summit. :wink:

Heading down to the footbridge
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Footbridge
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Looking back to Garva Bridge from footbridge
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The continuation of the track from here was wet and muddy.

Meall na h-Airse just right of centre with a little cloud on top
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After about 1.5k of wet track we left it to head up the grassy slopes NE towards the ridge. This was initially pathless, then we happened on a vehicle track which we followed for a bit but when the fence on the ridgeline came into view we made a beeline for it. If we had stuck to it this was the vehicle track that would have taken us all the way to the top, as we discovered later.

Climbing the grassy slopes
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Dogs (still relatively mud free) investigating an Interesting smell
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It's difficult to emphasise how disappointing it was to have this grey blanket of cloud after brilliant blue skies and sunshine all week. But that's Scottish weather for you and at least it wasn't raining. :shh:

Looking back to Garva Bridge
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When we reached the fence we waited for the others to catch up
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After a coffee stop we continued along the fence line before crossing it and shortly after that came across a gap in it which let the helpful vehicle track through and which we then followed up to point 844m. This was the track we used on the descent, which we found better going underfoot than the way we had come up.

On the track again
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Up to point 844m
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From the subsidiary top the wheel marked track didn't seem to go the most direct route but it made sense to stick with it as it avoided any difficulties through the peat hags. So often on this type of terrain the shortest route isn't the quickest one. 8)

Over peat-hagged bealach to Meall na h-Airse
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View west
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Looking back to bealach and craggy nose on subsidiary top we came over
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Not the most exciting summit with not even a cairn to sit down at
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Moira comes from Edinburgh, Evelyn from Dundee and I spent 24 years in Dundee and 4 in Aberdeen so think it's not stretching things too far to describe us collectively as east coast quines. 8)

Here we are on this dullish day at one of the Monadhliath's duller summits - but we're quite happy! :D
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The mournful look from mud dog is down to me eating my sandwich instead of giving it to him :o
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Perhaps someone else is a better bet....?
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This track led all the way from the summit back to the road
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Mud dog being called back over the ford to wash off the mud before he gets into the car :eh:
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Once over the ford we weren't far from the car at Garva Bridge - looks like it's got company.
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So all in all we had a fine day out, the dogs had a good wallow in peat bogs, we climbed a hill we'd not climbed before, got some grey sky views and didn't get rained on. 8)
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dogplodder
 
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Re: Mud dogs and east coast quines out in the midday gloom

Postby AnnieMacD » Mon Nov 16, 2015 9:07 pm

Great report. quine. There's nothing quite like a great day out in the hills and looks like you had one.
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Re: Mud dogs and east coast quines out in the midday gloom

Postby dogplodder » Tue Nov 17, 2015 12:48 pm

AnnieMacD wrote:Great report. quine. There's nothing quite like a great day out in the hills and looks like you had one.


Can't beat it Annie and we did. :D
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Re: Mud dogs and east coast quines out in the midday gloom

Postby Silverhill » Wed Nov 18, 2015 10:06 pm

A day spent walking with friends is never wasted! :D
Your dogs are very well behaved, sitting there waiting patiently for you.
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Re: Mud dogs and east coast quines out in the midday gloom

Postby Beaner001 » Thu Nov 19, 2015 12:11 am

Great to see the Labs out again. They both look in great condition :D
Cheers
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Re: Mud dogs and east coast quines out in the midday gloom

Postby tweedledog » Thu Nov 19, 2015 11:31 am

Great to see the dogs enjoying themselves (and you folk too, of course).
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Re: Mud dogs and east coast quines out in the midday gloom

Postby dogplodder » Fri Nov 20, 2015 11:35 am

Silverhill wrote:A day spent walking with friends is never wasted! :D
Your dogs are very well behaved, sitting there waiting patiently for you.


They're pretty good now - but the yellow had his moments when he was younger! :lol:
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Re: Mud dogs and east coast quines out in the midday gloom

Postby dogplodder » Mon Nov 23, 2015 1:21 pm

Beaner001 wrote:Great to see the Labs out again. They both look in great condition :D
Cheers


Not bad for their age (both 11 now). :thumbup:
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Re: Mud dogs and east coast quines out in the midday gloom

Postby dogplodder » Tue Nov 24, 2015 8:37 pm

tweedledog wrote:Great to see the dogs enjoying themselves (and you folk too, of course).


Peat bogs to wallow in always puts a smile on their faces. 8)
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Re: Mud dogs and east coast quines out in the midday gloom

Postby BlackPanther » Wed Nov 25, 2015 4:35 pm

People always laugh when I say I once climbed an A**e mountain :lol: :lol: We did it in summer but I still recall it was boggy and full of peat hags. I guess some hills never dry out.

Loved the muddy pooch portraits, hope you didn't have to clean much of that mud from your car :wink:
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Re: Mud dogs and east coast quines out in the midday gloom

Postby dogplodder » Thu Nov 26, 2015 12:20 pm

BlackPanther wrote:People always laugh when I say I once climbed an A**e mountain :lol: :lol: We did it in summer but I still recall it was boggy and full of peat hags. I guess some hills never dry out.

Loved the muddy pooch portraits, hope you didn't have to clean much of that mud from your car :wink:


Restrict them to the boot - the designated mud zone! :D
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