2nd day of a winter trip to the Cairngorms and a superb walk up a fine hill so thought it worth posting a quick report and a few pics... (1st post on this site btw)

We had originally planned to do the combined walk taking in Monadh Mor but knew that day light and weather would be up against us so Bhrotain was first on the agenda with the Monadh option left open...

Set off from the car park at the Lin of Dee around 8.30am and began walking along a frosty track up Glen Dee towards the White Bridge. Weather was on our side so far.. sky was getting clearer and wind was light.

Hmm what was that about clear sky.!!

We perceviered through a few snow showers untill the White Bridge was reached (around 9.45am), crossed the river and started heading northwards up the path on the west side of the Dee. Fortunately the snow showers passed and the sky cleared again as the Devils Point came into view.

The path petered out as the toe of Beinn Bhrotain was reached (around 10.45am) and after some cake we began to ascend the eastern flank of the hill. Deep snow and heather made it hard going on the lower slopes but the climbing got easier as we gained height and the views more spectacular.

The open valley of the Coachan Roibidh stream formed the prefered route up untill we reached the base of a ridgeline which would take us to into the cloud and up to the first (eastern) summit. Couldnt hang around here long as the wind chill felt like -20C by this point so it was a brisk march on a westerly bearing across to the main summit and trig point (around 12.30pm).

Decided to leave Monadh Mor for another day at this point as the visibility was so poor and couldnt face hanging around at this altitude much longer so it was onwards and downwards, this time dropping into the Coire an t-Sneadcha and following the Allt Garbh stream (completely iced over on the upper slopes) all the way back down to the track by the Dee again (around 14.00). More cracking views on the way down...

Watch out for those 20ft snow cornices though...! (right side of pic)


And so the long walk back to the White Bridge and the Lin of Dee... passing a number of parked up mountain rescue vehicles on the way (discovered later they were looking for the missing yorkshire man in the Lairig Ghru).

Two very tired feet later we were back to the car park at Lin of Dee (around 4.30pm) and looking forward to a pint or 2...