walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird with camp at the Sneck

Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird with camp at the Sneck


Postby mrssanta » Wed May 30, 2018 7:58 pm

Munros included on this walk: Beinn a' Bhùird, Ben Avon

Date walked: 24/05/2018

Time taken: 28 hours

Distance: 39 km

Ascent: 1500m

7 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

We are very good at changes of plan and this walk was a good one. Due to a family emergency we didn't end up going up the Deargs for two nights camping as planned, but instead managed to fit in a two day/one night trip which made the best of the lovely weather and leaves us only one red balloon left in the Cairngorms.

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


We parked at Invercauld where the charge is £2.50 per visit and the machine does not give change. However I thought £3 was a small price to pay for such a lovely trip.
P5241620 (Custom).JPG
view to beinn a'bhuird from near Invercauld

Setting off at about noon, we took the WH route to Ben Avon up past Invercauld House, through Glen Slugain to Glen Quoich and up to the Sneck, stopping for lunch just outside the forestry and for a cuppa at the ford where the path crosses the 650 contour.
P5241630 (Custom).JPG
lunch stop at burn crossing just out of the forest

P5241631 (Custom).JPG
it was the kind of hot day when you wet your buff and put it on your head to keep cool - only Rudolph couldn't find his buff so used his hanky.

P5241633 (Custom).JPG
Take the left path up the Fairy Glen

P5241634 (Custom).JPG
where has the water all gone?

P5241641 (Custom).JPG
Emerging into Glen Quoich, wonderful sense of space

P5241642 (Custom).JPG
looking down Glen Quoich

P5241645 (Custom).JPG
cuppa tea time

P5241648 (Custom).JPG
crossing the burn - one of many Glas Allt Mor despite the dry weather was full of snowmelt.


P5241652 (Custom).JPG
looking back to the corries of beinn a'bhuird

At the Sneck there is a flat area which is marked on the Harvey map as a bog, but it was bone dry. It made a grand camping spot. We pitched the tent and left the overnight stuff in it before heading up to the top of Ben Avon.
P5241656 (Custom).JPG
tent in the evening sun

P5241660 (Custom).JPG
Looking north from the Sneck over Slochd

P5241661 (Custom).JPG
and similar

P5241665 (Custom).JPG
crossing the tundra to the summit tor

We weren't exactly sure which bit of the summit tor was the highest so we went to the one we could reach most easily as we weren't entirely sure of being able to come down from the other one. I've had a good look at other people's trip reports and nobody has said we were wrong so I consider the summit bagged.
P5241674 (Custom).JPG
Rudolph on top. And nobody can tell exactly where he is standing !!!

P5241676 (Custom).JPG
and me. I shall never be elegant but I can still be happy!

It was a beautiful evening and very warm out of the wind and we spent some time exploring the summit tor, before returning to our tent and having our tea. It was still a bit early for bed so we went and had a wander round the jumble of rocks at the Sneck, soaking up the last remaining rays of sunshine before the sun set behind the northern cliffs.
P5241684 (Custom).JPG
interesting ripples in the sand at the Sneck

P5241686 (Custom).JPG
a hole cut in the rock by a stone whirling about?

There was some difficulty avoiding stepping on the little red spots which were everywhere on the ground, the little buds of a lovely pink flower which I think is a kind of saxifrage. In fact it felt a bit wicked stepping anywhere on this mountain where the vegetation looks like it clings on to the grit by sheer willpower in places.
Considerable discussion was had about our new voyager tent, which only has one door. We like to sleep with our heads uphill, but get out of the tent downhill feet first. The only way to make this work is to sleep with heads at the narrow (feet) end. We slept surprisingly well, but it was a still, quiet and dry night!
Anyway in the morning it was again promising to be a gorgeous day with very little wind.
P5251733 (Custom).JPG
Rudolph putting the kettle on for breakfast in the camp kitchen

We didn't have to climb very far to reach the plateau of Beinn a'Bhuird, which is relatively flat, huge and spacious with fantastic views in every direction. It was quite hazy but the rest of the Cairngorms were all laid out before us as well as the White Mounth all the way from Mount Keen to Ben a'Ghlo. Not to mention the dramatic Eastern corries of Beinn a'Bhuird itself.
P5251736 (Custom).JPG
the northeastern corries of Beinn a'Bhuird

P5251737 (Custom).JPG
looking back to Ben Avon

P5251753 (Custom).JPG
Looking south from near the summit

We'd had a wee wager on when we would see our first person.. Rudolph said 9.30am and I said 11am. Rudolph won. We reached the summit at just after 9.30 to find a man there eating a banana. He kindly took our picture before heading off to Ben Avon.
P5251757 (Custom).JPG
and here we both are on the top of Beinn a'Bhuird

P5251759 (Custom).JPG
it was easier to make out all these hills in real life, but there is ben macdui and a bit of braeriach peeping out behind, with cliffs, among others!


At this point I have used up all my attachemnts but it is too hard to pick only 25 of 200 pics so I will add more on a second post. :-)

We headed off to find the South Top which was quite fun as there is no cairn on it and it is quite broad and flat at that point. Whether there has been a cairn in the past is a good question as one is marked on the Harvey's map and the OS shows a cairn a little way south of the spot height. However we confirmed for definite on two electronic devices we were definitely on it, before heading off downhill towards Carn Fiaclach. We stopped at the top of Hourglass Buttress (as marked on the 1:25000 map) for elevenses.
Descending the nose here we soon realised that we were clambering over boulders while watching a man coming up nice grass further into the corrie. A bit of adjustment ensued and we picked up a path which took us down to the nicely graded stalkers path down the west side of Carn Fiaclach, round the bottom and across to the Quoich Water, then up the other side with a nice gentle climb to reach the top of Glen Slugain again.
We stopped for lunch in the Fairy Glen, a remarkable place with wild flowers and frequent sounds of hidden running water, but the burn appearing and disappearing. While we were sitting enjoying our oatcakes and cheese with hard boiled eggs and tomatoes - and butter - the man we had met on the top passed us on his way back down.
From there it was just a plod plod down the glen, through the fragrant pinewoods and back to the car park where we arrived a few moments before 4pm. Two days of an absolute treat!
Last edited by mrssanta on Wed May 30, 2018 8:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
mrssanta
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3132
Munros:281   Corbetts:12
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:12   Hewitts:43
Wainwrights:41   Islands:13
Joined: Jul 18, 2011
Location: north yorkshire moors

Re: Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird with camp at the Sneck

Postby gammy leg walker » Wed May 30, 2018 8:06 pm

Ah, but did you find the " secret howf"


I have the Beinn Dearg 4 penciled in for Saturday the 30th of June
User avatar
gammy leg walker
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 3464
Munros:282   Corbetts:7
Fionas:4   Donalds:3+0
Sub 2000:2   
Islands:7
Joined: Jan 30, 2010
Location: Central Region
Walk wish-list

Re: Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird with camp at the Sneck

Postby mrssanta » Wed May 30, 2018 8:12 pm

gammy leg walker wrote:Ah, but did you find the " secret howf"


I have the Beinn Dearg 4 penciled in for Saturday the 30th of June

ah well we never looked for it! we decided we were having a lovely time and if we failed to find it we would be sad. And also it is sometimes nice to have some mystery in life!
Hope it's half as lovely a day then! I'll be at work that day, but we might make it in late august when the midges are really bad!!!
User avatar
mrssanta
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3132
Munros:281   Corbetts:12
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:12   Hewitts:43
Wainwrights:41   Islands:13
Joined: Jul 18, 2011
Location: north yorkshire moors

Re: Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird with camp at the Sneck

Postby mrssanta » Wed May 30, 2018 8:30 pm

Here are some more pictures.
P5251762 (Custom).JPG
Carn Toul on the left with its distinctive roof shape

P5251765 (Custom).JPG
the sunlight shimmering off Dubh Lochan, with a'Chioch up above

P5251770 (Custom).JPG
A'Chioch

P5251775 (Custom).JPG
top of hourglass buttress

P5251777 (Custom).JPG
heading downhill towards Carn Fiaclach

P5251785 (Custom).JPG
Crossing the Quoich Water. Rudolph going carefully with his poles trying to avoid wet feet. I splashed through and my legs were wet up past the knees - but lovely and cool - and only one foot got wet!

P5251788 (Custom).JPG
Looking back to where we have just been

P5251791 (Custom).JPG
Happy Mugs at lunch in the Fairy Glen

P5251838 (Custom).JPG
Hazy view of Lochnagar as we came through the woods again

and now some pictures of flowers and plants and other things
P5241647 (Custom).JPG
an insect inside a Cloudberry flower

P5241657 (Custom).JPG
little saxifrage in bud all over the place at the Sneck

P5241658 (Custom).JPG
close up of the flowers

P5251790 (Custom).JPG
wood anemone in fairy glen

P5251794 (Custom).JPG
this fellow crawled onto my jacket

P5251832 (Custom).JPG
close up of wood anemone flower

P5251835 (Custom).JPG
close up of the buds of lady's mantle

P5251839 (Custom).JPG
and a bit of dead log in the woods by Invercauld house showing the inside of branches. Amazing!

.
User avatar
mrssanta
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3132
Munros:281   Corbetts:12
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:12   Hewitts:43
Wainwrights:41   Islands:13
Joined: Jul 18, 2011
Location: north yorkshire moors

Re: Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird with camp at the Sneck

Postby malky_c » Wed May 30, 2018 9:39 pm

The Cairngorms are big but Ben Avon is the biggest of the lot. Lovely plateau in that sort of weather though. A trip well salvaged by the look of it 8) .
User avatar
malky_c
 
Posts: 6342
Munros:282   Corbetts:222
Fionas:219   Donalds:80+37
Sub 2000:315   Hewitts:281
Wainwrights:140   Islands:39
Joined: Nov 22, 2009
Location: Glasgow/Inverness

Re: Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird with camp at the Sneck

Postby mrssanta » Fri Jun 01, 2018 8:05 pm

malky_c wrote:The Cairngorms are big but Ben Avon is the biggest of the lot. Lovely plateau in that sort of weather though. A trip well salvaged by the look of it 8) .

Thank you - yes we were really pleased with our holiday all in all!
User avatar
mrssanta
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3132
Munros:281   Corbetts:12
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:12   Hewitts:43
Wainwrights:41   Islands:13
Joined: Jul 18, 2011
Location: north yorkshire moors

Re: Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird with camp at the Sneck

Postby Alteknacker » Fri Jun 01, 2018 10:28 pm

Great report. :clap: :clap: :clap: Beinn a'Bhuird has a special place in my affections - because I just didn't spend enough time there (trying to squeeze too much in on the day). This is definitely the way to do it.

Love the wildlife pics too. Another reason not to rush....
User avatar
Alteknacker
Scrambler
 
Posts: 3473
Munros:176   Corbetts:33
Fionas:1   
Hewitts:264
Wainwrights:118   
Joined: May 25, 2013
Location: Effete South (of WIgan, anyway)

Re: Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird with camp at the Sneck

Postby mrssanta » Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:51 pm

Alteknacker wrote:Great report. :clap: :clap: :clap: Beinn a'Bhuird has a special place in my affections - because I just didn't spend enough time there (trying to squeeze too much in on the day). This is definitely the way to do it.

Love the wildlife pics too. Another reason not to rush....

I like taking pictures of flowers. They generally don't run away - I'm hopeless with birds and animals! And it gives a chance for a breather!
User avatar
mrssanta
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3132
Munros:281   Corbetts:12
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:12   Hewitts:43
Wainwrights:41   Islands:13
Joined: Jul 18, 2011
Location: north yorkshire moors

Re: Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird with camp at the Sneck

Postby jim hutcheson » Thu Jun 07, 2018 5:36 pm

Did this on Tuesday,it's a big route and the feeling of openness on the summits was enjoyable for me.A route to go for at this time of year and the conditions we are enjoying.Liked the pictures of the plants you managed to get.
jim hutcheson
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 22
Munros:282   Corbetts:178
Fionas:106   Donalds:89+52
Sub 2000:93   Hewitts:10
Wainwrights:10   Islands:6
Joined: Jun 5, 2015
Location: Airdrie

Re: Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird with camp at the Sneck

Postby mrssanta » Sat Jun 09, 2018 6:40 pm

jim hutcheson wrote:Did this on Tuesday,it's a big route and the feeling of openness on the summits was enjoyable for me.A route to go for at this time of year and the conditions we are enjoying.Liked the pictures of the plants you managed to get.

Thanks Jim, glad you enjoyed these. I don't think photos really capture that sense of space you get in the Cairngorms.
User avatar
mrssanta
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3132
Munros:281   Corbetts:12
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:12   Hewitts:43
Wainwrights:41   Islands:13
Joined: Jul 18, 2011
Location: north yorkshire moors

Re: Ben Avon and Beinn a'Bhuird with camp at the Sneck

Postby dogplodder » Sat Jun 09, 2018 8:10 pm

That was just lovely. :D
User avatar
dogplodder
 
Posts: 4238
Munros:242   Corbetts:74
Fionas:25   
Sub 2000:32   Hewitts:4
Wainwrights:9   Islands:24
Joined: Jul 16, 2011

7 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 57 guests