walkhighlands

Macdui with a club

Route: Ben Macdui and Cairngorm

Munros: Ben Macdui

Date walked: 05/10/2010

Time taken: 8 hours

Distance: 17km

Ascent: 900m

Macdui ....with a club
A few walk reports have mentioned early signs of winter, indeed snow, so I thought I’d go back a few years for this walk.
I am not a member of a walking club. It’s not a prejudice against club membership, more a lack of social confidence allied to the Marxist tenet “I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members”.
Like many, I have a strong preference for solo walking…..or walking with Malcolm. Malcolm is comfortable to walk with. He walks and talks steadily. I can stop for a rest and admit it’s because I’m knackered rather than stopping to take my sack off to alter my layering.
It was Malcolm who invited me to join his former work colleagues on a certain national bank’s ‘club weekend’ in the Cairngorms…a club anniversary outing, though to my slight embarrassment I do not remember which anniversary. It was a spring weekend in 2007 and it was a kind invitation. I knew I would feel a little bit intimidated by the collective mountain abilities, the cumulative knowledge, the bagging totals, not to mention some of the beards
munro beard.JPG

The club had booked out much of the Loch Morlich YH, by this time renamed the Cairngorm Hostel. Malcolm and I shared a bunkroom with two others, one of whom demonstrated particularly strange sleeping habits, emitting noises that evoked creatures long extinct. The night’s repose was interrupted every 40 minutes or so by a two minute stream of foul oaths and threats, which stopped as suddenly as it started. It would be unfair to identify him in any photograph
three and one.JPG
…..I think the experience bonded the remaining three of us for the rest of this beautiful April day’s walking. Just like a current TV advert “you know who your friends are” as we headed from Coire Cas up the west ridge of Coire an Lochain, on to the 1083 top
you know who your friends are.JPG
Crunchy snowfields and hazy spring sunshine views across to Braeriach, Sgor an Lochain Uaine and Cairn Toul
Braeriach corries.JPG
Braeriach across the LG.JPG
Cairn Toul, Sgorr and Lochan Uaine.JPG
Sgorr an Lochan Uaine and Braeriach (Malcolm's pic).jpg
and thereafter on to Ben Macdui. Retracing steps to Lochan Buidhe we crossed the plateau, enjoying the snowfields above Corrie Dhomain, and a lengthy lunch stop with views across to Beinn Mheadhoin
Beinn Mheadhoin lunch.JPG
At this point the other bunkroom companion asked the midnight curser if he was aware that he had uttered loud profanities at regular intervals last night. He admitted with no hint of embarrassment that he understood it to be a regular nocturnal occurrence, and that these weekends offered his wife some respite. He said he hoped it had not been too much of an inconvenience. Malcolm quietly but firmly pulled me back and removed my walking pole from my tightening grasp. After lunch we strolled along the northern corrie edges overlooking the Fiacaill Ridge
Northern Corries 3.JPG
Northern Corries 2.JPG
Northern corries.JPG
It was a busy day around the corrie edges and on Cairngorm itself so we escaped back into Coire Cas and onto Glenmore for a late afternoon pint. The evening was as club evenings must be
A sandwich club.JPG
thoroughly enjoyable for all….very welcoming people – I may well be tempted to join a club at some point…..maybe later….

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Comments: 10



Lochnagar, the White Mounth munros and a compass.

Attachment(s) Munros: Broad Cairn, Cairn Bannoch, Càrn a' Choire Bhòidheach, Càrn an t-Sagairt Mòr, Lochnagar
Date walked: 26/07/2010
Distance: 29km
Ascent: 1300m
Comments: 8
Views: 9934


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Attachment(s) Munros: Sgùrr a' Mhadaidh
Date walked: 25/05/2010
Ascent: 920m
Comments: 5
Views: 6071


Beinn a'Chaorainn and Beinn Teallach (Glen Spean)

Attachment(s) Munros: Beinn a' Chaorainn (Glen Spean), Beinn Teallach
Date walked: 22/05/2010
Distance: 16km
Ascent: 1172m
Comments: 3
Views: 5310


Aonach Eagach

Attachment(s) Munros: Meall Dearg (Aonach Eagach), Sgòrr nam Fiannaidh (Aonach Eagach)
Date walked: 21/05/2009
Distance: 9km
Ascent: 1100m
Comments: 12
Views: 11565

Scotjamie


User avatar
Location: north berwick
Activity: Wanderer
Pub: Crask Inn
Mountain: Bidean Nam Bian
Place: Assynt
Gear: leki poles
Member: MBA
Ideal day out: Four or five nice tops, 30 miles, two days and overnight camp - maybe a wee inn on the second night.
Ambition: not to fall off anything

Munros: 148
Long Distance routes: West Highland Way    Dava Way    Speyside Way    Cape Wrath Trail    Berwickshire Coastal Path    Affric Kintail Way   



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Statistics

2010

Trips: 4
Distance: 62 km
Ascent: 4292m
Munros: 9

2009

Trips: 1
Distance: 9 km
Ascent: 1100m
Munros: 2


Joined: Jul 27, 2009
Last visited: Feb 05, 2024
Total posts: 1170 | Search posts