Friday - this was an opportunity to tag a couple of Simms onto Cairn Gorm and Bynack More, including Stac na h-Iolaire which i'd looked at on several previous occasions from Strath Nethy with interest. Quite a windy morning though bright and sunny when we set out from just past Glenmore Lodge. The route took us up Creag nan Gall - I'd seen what looked like a track on the map but this was a figleaf of the imagination - or may have been a track in a previous life. What we had was a very steep climb up through dense heather and scrub for the first couple of hundred metres, then a (slightly) more relaxed ascent over open hillside to the summit. Once up the going was easier - we followed a faint path towards Stac na h-Iolaire, passing a deep craggy cleft. When we reached the top of the Stac, the clag had drifted in and views were curtailed, but it's a fine spot. A Peregrine, rather than an Eagle swept from the summit off into the air as I arrived.
Creag nan Gall
P1170514 by Al, on FlickrNot as pretty climbing through it as it looks
P1170515 by Al, on FlickrSummit Creag nan Gall
P1170517 by Al, on FlickrCleft
P1170518 by Al, on FlickrStac na h-Iolaire
P1170520 by Al, on Flickr
P1170521 by Al, on FlickrNext section climbs a shoulder of Cairn Gorm, Sron a'Cha-no. Looking back there was a fine rainbow away to the north - indeed it was to be a day of rainbows. The ascent is straightforward and passes over an ex-Munro Top (there are numerous on Cairn Gorm). The wind increased as we climbed - and the rain came in waves. It was blowy at the summit of Cnap Coire na Spreidhe and ferocious at the top of Cairn Gorm itself. We followed the boundary line down towards The Saddle, skirting round the crags and slabs then joining the path. next up was the Top of A'Choinneach, with the double head of the Bynacks before us, glimpsed every now and then through the clag. A fairly straigh line was taken to Bynack Beg, quite wet underfoot as we reached the Allt, then an easy ascent to the granite boulders at the summit. A clear path leads up to the summit of Bynack More. I can remember last time I was here - in freezing snow/ice and feeling awful {{shudder}}.
The first of many rainbows - Meall a'Buachaille in backdrop
P1170523 by Al, on FlickrWindy on Cnap Coire na Spreidhe
P1170526 by Al, on Flickr...and Cairn Gorm
P1170527 by Al, on FlickrSlabs - best avoided in the wet
P1170529 by Al, on FlickrA'Choinneach
P1170530 by Al, on FlickrThe Bynacks ahead
P1170531 by Al, on FlickrAtop Bynack Beag
P1170533 by Al, on Flickrand More
P1170534 by Al, on FlickrWe trotted down the track towards the footbridge at the River Nethy, where a contingent of teens were in the process of setting up camp - looked like a DofE outing and there were several other parties of young folk on their way - looked like being a busy spot. Back through the woods to the car and a good enough evening to sit outside and have our tea at the campsite.
Big rainbow
P1170535 by Al, on Flickr
P1170536 by Al, on FlickrSaturday was back up Cairn Gorm way to do Coire Lochan and Creag an Leth-Choin. Allison suggested ascending by way of the Fiacaill Ridge, which sounded good - that is until we drove up to the ski centre car park and experienced the wind. If yesterday had been fierce, today was a good deal worse. As the wind was coming from the SE it would have made the ridge uncomfortably exposed - we thought better of it and settled for the track into Coire an Lochain. There were a number of folk about braving the elements, sun was shining though cloud was on and off the tops. A pleasant walk up, enveloped in cloud when we got to the top of Y Gully and grey sky from the first Top, Cairn Lochan. We set off for Stob Coire an t-Sneachda - although I was absolutely sure she'd already done this when we did Cairn Gorm from MacDhui in the past. We walked out to the edge of the Fiacaill Buttress to have a look - one for another day, definitely. Met a Welshman asking if he was on the right track for MacDhui, which happily he was. Retracing our steps, we sought shelter from the winds behind the cairn on Coire Lochan before setting off downhill to creag an Leth-Choin. An impressive rocky top to this one. The massive cliffs of Braeriach forming the western wall of the Lairig Ghru were disappointingly cloud sheathed much of the time.
Cloud on the tops
P1170538 by Al, on Flickr
P1170539 by Al, on FlickrCarn Lochan
P1170542 by Al, on FlickrStob Coire an t-Sneachda
P1170545 by Al, on FlickrBriefly clear!
P1170546 by Al, on FlickrFiacaill Ridge
P1170547 by Al, on Flickr
P1170548 by Al, on FlickrTowards Creag an Leth-Choin
P1170549 by Al, on Flickr
P1170550 by Al, on FlickrArriving at the summit of Creag an leth-Choin we continued on to the 1026m point (another ex Munro Top) and then followed a rough path down NW aiming for the track that emerges from the Chalamain Gap. The wind was stronger than ever here, being funnelled through the Lairig Ghru. We followed a path up Creag a' Chalamain (Simm), being virtually blown up the hill and finding it difficult to perch on the summit. From here we continued over Castle Hill then turned east for Airgiod Meall (another Simm). This included entering the Reindeer Enclosure by a gate at the bealach. We didn't see any reindeer on this side of the hill - crafty devils obviously away somewhere on the leeward side avoiding the blasts. Down to another gate south of Lochan Dubh a'Chadha then back onto track that leads to the footbridge over the Allt a' Choire Chais. The lower footpath back up to the carpark is closed at present, due to landslip - we'd had a good look from high up as we approached and it looked alright, so we went along it anyhow, meeting a few other "bad people" who'd ignored the closed sign coming down. A strenuous day fighting the wind, but pleased it stayed dry. Another evening to sit out at the campsite - remarkable!
Leth-Choin summit
P1170551 by Al, on FlickrDescent towards Chalamain Gap and carn a'Chalamain
P1170553 by Al, on FlickrSummit Chalamain
P1170554 by Al, on FlickrAirgiod Meall on R
P1170555 by Al, on FlickrAnother windy top
P1170557 by Al, on Flickr
P1170558 by Al, on FlickrLandslip
P1170559 by Al, on Flickr
P1170560 by Al, on FlickrSunday was a reversion to form for the weather however. Although dry as we had breakfast, we could see the black clouds boiling up to the west where we were going and sure enough we had no sooner pulled into the car park at Achlean than the rain started. I'd "re-proofed" my waterproofs but clearly not effectively, as within 10 minutes i was soaked to the skin. We had some respite from wind and rain as we walked through the forest, but once out onto the track ascending up Coire Fearnagan we were walking right into the wind and rain. There was no escape. it's a long haul up that track, the monotony broken only by a nip up Carn Ban West Top (Simm). Once we reached the plateau the clag was down and i was utterly miserable - wet and cold, my gloves were saturated and weighed about a kilo each, my GPS was getting wet - fun it was not. To make matters worse the path which I sort of remembered out to Meall Dubhag (our first Top) was elusive.
Not too bad through the trees...
P1170561 by Al, on FlickrCarn Ban West Top summit
P1170562 by Al, on FlickrAfter much huffing and puffing we found the cairn and stopped behind it for lunch, having a modicum of shelter from the elements. back the way we'd come, over the sprawling summit of Carn Ban Mor and on towards Sgor Gaoith - fortunately with paths visible from space to follow. Clag continued to dog our steps, with brief liftings only. We continued on to the northern Top of Sgoran Dubh Mor which was attained without incident. There are several other Simms in the vicinity, but today was not the day for them - I wanted off the hill and out of these wet clothes as soon as possible. Back the way we'd come - the walk down the track from Carn Ban Mor somewhat more pleasant as at least the wind and rain were at our backs. Out of sopping clothes at the car - new waterproof trousers high on the agenda for me before next time
Meall Dubhag (honest!)
P1170563 by Al, on FlickrSgor Gaoith
P1170564 by Al, on FlickrSgoran Dubh Mor
P1170565 by Al, on FlickrCarn Ban Mor
P1170567 by Al, on FlickrMaking our soggy way back
P1170568 by Al, on Flickr
P1170569 by Al, on Flickr
