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Derry Cairngorm

Derry Cairngorm


Postby mrssanta » Tue Oct 25, 2016 7:24 pm

Munros included on this walk: Derry Cairngorm

Date walked: 21/10/2016

Distance: 17 km

Ascent: 750m

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This was the the last day of our three day adventure and the plan was to go up Derry Cairngorm from Derry Lodge, come down again and cycle out to be home at Rudolph's parents' house in time for tea.
yesterday's walk report is here http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=67646.
After another long relaxing night with nearly 14 hours of darkness to sleep in, we tidied up our camp and set off at about 9.20am. We hoped for another lovely sunny settled day like yesterday, and it looked initially like this might be the case, but the cloud gradually lowered and a cold wind got up.
PA211278.jpg
camp in the morning

There is a well made path goes straight up from the bridge across the Derry Burn near the Lodge, winding through the cliffs at Creag bad an t-Seabhaig and up onto flatter ground where there are scattered young pines establishing themselves even at the height of 650-700 metres.
PA211279.jpg
Creag bad an t-Seabhaig

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wee bit of morning mist hanging about across the glen

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regen rating woodland and that lovely orange grass again

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Pioneer pine up on the ridge above the crag

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a wee rowan way up about 700m

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a toadstool

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that's the top over there

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looking down into upper Glen Derry with oxbow lakes and bog in the glen and on the top of the ridge. A landslip is visible on the right.

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looking across the ridge of Carn Crom to Sron Riach

PA211297.jpg
from front to back, Carn Crom, Sron Riach, Carn a'Mhaim and Cairn Toul with Braeriach peeping out on the right. In real life we could see the falls of Dee but they don't really show on the picture

The path skirts Carn Crom to the East with a lower path right on the cliff edge and a slightly higher one which is straight forward. We met a man coming down who had stayed overnight in the Hutchison hut and been toasty warm. We were passed by a lady going up who went much faster than we did.
Beyond carn crom the landscape is more barren and you can see the top ahead of you. There's a short descent then a nice steady climb until the last bouldery bit.
PA211298.jpg
the top is coming closer now

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Beinn Mheadhoin and Bynack More

There are two cairns on the top. The first one has a shelter next to it and the second is the summit. We stopped and chatted to the lady who had beaten us to the top, who took our picture, and continued on her way North. We also chatted to a couple who had come from Coire Etchachan where they had camped. We discovered they live just the other side of the North York Moors from us! Unfortunately as well as people on the top there was a cloud which arrived about ten minutes before us, so we did not have any summit views. The cloud base had been gradually lowering all morning.
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Just managed to catch this pic of Lochan Uaine before it disappeared again :-(

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summit pic

We stopped in the shelter which was nicely out of the biting wind for a brew and our lunch. It was very cold and we put on all our spare warm clothes.
PA211303.jpg
in the shelter making a brew.

After eating we did not hang about but went straight down again, back to our camp, where we had a cuppa and packed up before cycling back out to Linn of Dee.
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coming downhill, looking towards Carn Crom again

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over to Carn a'Mhaim where you can see the slabs we skirted on Wednesday

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Lui Water glinting in the afternoon sun which seems to be avoiding us!

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back near camp, new life growing out of a fallen tree

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Rudolph demonstrating that the bridge is quite useful! He wasn't worried about keeping his socks dry any more as he would be able to have a nice shower in a couple of hours!

Cycling in was hard work, cycling out again was fab!!!
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mrssanta
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Re: Derry Cairngorm

Postby Graeme D » Tue Oct 25, 2016 10:47 pm

One of my faves. I will never tire of that route up from Derry Lodge, nor the onward continuation over to Loch Etchachan. 8)
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Re: Derry Cairngorm

Postby mrssanta » Wed Oct 26, 2016 11:45 am

Graeme D wrote:One of my faves. I will never tire of that route up from Derry Lodge, nor the onward continuation over to Loch Etchachan. 8)

we really enjoyed these few days. the Cairngorms have a special beauty and spaciousness that you don't really get from a photograph.
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Re: Derry Cairngorm

Postby dogplodder » Wed Oct 26, 2016 11:56 am

Loved that hill and your smoky bits of mist reminds me of the huge fire we reported down below in Glen Luibeg! :o
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Re: Derry Cairngorm

Postby Huff_n_Puff » Wed Oct 26, 2016 4:05 pm

mrssanta wrote:
Graeme D wrote:One of my faves. I will never tire of that route up from Derry Lodge, nor the onward continuation over to Loch Etchachan. 8)

we really enjoyed these few days. the Cairngorms have a special beauty and spaciousness that you don't really get from a photograph.

Agree with you both, I have a big soft spot for this part of the Cairngorms, probably because it was one of the first places I went hill walking in Scotland. Thanks for the memories ... its the old ones that are easier to access :lol: :lol:
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Re: Derry Cairngorm

Postby Caberfeidh » Fri Oct 28, 2016 7:57 am

dogplodder wrote:Loved that hill and your smoky bits of mist reminds me of the huge fire we reported down below in Glen Luibeg! :o


I love that area too, reminds me of the time we were having this lovely big bonfire in Luibeg and some body reported us...

Wicker Man #3A1.jpg
Luibeg fire ~ the Wicker Man will see you now...
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Re: Derry Cairngorm

Postby mrssanta » Fri Oct 28, 2016 8:04 am

I'm not exactly sure where the fire was but looking around we didn't see much evidence of it now. Near our campsite were two dead trees which looked a bit black and that was all we saw. It was very pleasing.
There was however a ring of stones where a campfire had been on the grass. That made me cross. No fires signs everywhere and plenty of stony beach by the river as well.
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Re: Derry Cairngorm

Postby dogplodder » Fri Oct 28, 2016 10:21 am

Me on DC - and that's not cloud behind
IMG_4374-large.JPG


I can understand your not seeing anything as the affected area has recovered pretty well. We saw damage when we passed to climb Devil's Point this year but that's probably down to knowing exactly where to look. There's a photo in DP report.

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=64597
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Re: Derry Cairngorm

Postby Alteknacker » Fri Oct 28, 2016 7:51 pm

mrssanta wrote:we really enjoyed these few days. the Cairngorms have a special beauty and spaciousness that you don't really get from a photograph.


Coming to the Cairngorms for the first time a few months ago, this is exactly what struck me. I'd read a good few reports of walks in these mountains without getting any real appreciation of this very special scale factor. I find the nearest I get to it is if I blow up the pics to fill the entire large work monitor...
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Re: Derry Cairngorm

Postby pollyh33 » Sat Oct 29, 2016 4:52 pm

Another fantastic report Kate. :clap: :clap:


I must say that like you I loved the Cairngorms - so many memories of happy carefree walks without worrying about falling off anything :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Derry Cairngorm

Postby mrssanta » Sun Oct 30, 2016 7:38 pm

pollyh33 wrote: happy carefree walks without worrying about falling off anything :lol: :lol: :lol:

ha ha yes quite agree !
dogplodder wrote:probably down to knowing exactly where to look.

oh yes on re-reading your report I think we were looking in the wrong place, but it is really lovely to see how the trees are regenerating now.
Alteknacker wrote: fill the entire large work monitor...

you obv don't work for the NHS - can barely see the monitor!!
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