3,4 and 5; 6, 35 and 1800

Final outing of 2005.  Read on to figure out the numbers!


Late summer, and Fiona (and her belongings) needed to be fetched home from Nethy Bridge.  With an eye on some big hills to the west of the Lairig Ghru, I set off a day early, and parked the Espace in the evening in the big lay-by just beyond Coylumbridge.  Hopes of a good sleep were dashed - a big wind blew up, and it rained pine cones all night!  At least that meant an early start!

The day (24th August 2005) looked unsettled - a mix of blue sky and big clouds, and still blowing quite hard.  Anyway, I drove down to Coylumbridge, unloaded the bike, and set off up the track as far as the Cairngorm Club footbridge.  I could have cycled on up the path, but was planning to return a different way, so left it there chained to a fence.

Now 8.25am, time to start walking - through the beautiful pines and up the Lairig Ghru path (left).  By 10am I was well up into the narrows, at the point where the Braeriach path branches off, but had to take shelter for 15 minutes under some boulders from a very heavy shower.

The shower passed on, and I struck off up the path gradually rising up the ridge of Sron na Lairige.  Hard work, being blown around by a strong wind, and pelted every now and then by a passing shower.   As the ridge levelled off, the wind dropped and the going got easier.  Enjoyed spectacular views down into the Lairig and across to Lurcher's Crag (right).










Passed over the tops of Sron na Lairige at 11.45, the dropped down into the dip, before striking more steeply up the ridge towards the summit of Braeriach (Braigh Riabhach).  Cloud coming and going, but good views into Coire Brochain.  Reached the top (Munro number 3 in rank of height) at 12.30, ate lunch and rested for half an hour or so in the lee of the cairn.  Not another soul to be seen anywhere around!  Blissful.  

The wind was lessening, and the cloud base lifting as I set off westward across the wide eery plateau (left) towards the 1235m point, then south to Einich Cairn, and on past the "wells o' Dee" to Carn na Criche (at 1265m, the highest Munro Top in the list).

Now the sun appeared, although it was still windy, as I continued easily down round the head of the coire, then up the rocky ridge to Sgor an Lochan Uaine (also known as the Angel's Peak).


(right) Sgor an Lochan Uaine and Cairn Toul from Carn na Criche:


What a viewpoint!  Promoted to Munro status in 1990, it now proudly stands as the 5th highest mountain in Scotland (1258m).  Some would argue it is just a top lying between Braeriach and Cairn Toul - but its position and remoteness (I was 18km from the car, and had been on the go for 6.5 hours) make it a worthy Munro, in my opinion!

(left) Braeriach from Angels' Peak


No time to linger long, though, as I headed on down the bouldery slope to the next col, and then up the next short ridge to Scotland's 4th highest mountain, Cairn Toul (more properly Carn an t-Sabhail,  hill of the barn).  Another superb viewpoint, looking across the 2000ft deep gash of the Lairig Ghru to Ben MacDui.  Click here to see the view from the other side!

Allowed myself a 5 minute stop here (now 3.15pm) before heading off south round the lip of Coire an t-Saighdeir to the final top of the day, Stob Coire an t-Saighdeir.   The furthest point of the day (20km out) deserved a slightly longer rest - I allowed myself 10 mins!  


(right) Cairn Toul from Stob Coire an t-Saighdeir












Now, if I were completely crazed by this Munro lark, I could have continued on a couple of miles to The Devil's "Point", but it's a big drop, and would mean a huge walk back, so decided to leave that for another day ...


Instead, I retraced my steps to the col, with the wind now dropped and the sun at my back, and the bike (and car) like a distant mirage, encouraging my tired legs on the homeward path.  By contouring across behind Cairn Toul and Sgor an Lochan Uaine, I was able to save some climbing, although no saving in distance.  What a different scene on this side of these mountains - instead of the cliffs and coires of the Lairig Ghru, the backs of these hills drift away into the Moine Mor's miles of peat bogs to the west.  

Following various intermittent paths and sheep tracks, I gradually traversed across to find the path leading down through Coire Dondail into Glen Einich (left).  


Ah bliss - a real path again, and by 5.45pm, I was dropping down towards the outflow of Loch Einich.  Last time we were here, Anne and I were floundering through deep snowdrifts.  Today was a lovely warm evening.  






After 9.5 hours, I spotted the first other person I had seen all day - a solitary camper by the loch side!


I was now off the hill, but the road home was a long and wearisome 11km on foot.  At 8pm, my bike was a very welcome sight, waiting patiently to whisk me back to the car in 15 minutes downhill all the way!


A mega-day:  6km cycling, 35km walking and 1800m of ascent.


PS did you get all the numbers on the way through?


(written by D. Bethune, 19/02/10)