Braemar weekend - May 2005

The 2005 season got off to a start with a camping weekend at Braemar (right).  It's one of our favourite campsites, but they now don't allow tents over 2 x 4m, so we won't be able to go there with our new tent.  Shame!


I had tweeked my back earlier in the week, so was hoping that it would recover enough to get some decent walks.  I drove, but could hardly move when we stopped for a coffee en route.  It felt slightly better when we had the tent up, so decided to give it some exercise ...

The warm up was an evening walk up to Morrone (left).  Nice walk, with good views, but the summit is an industrial wasteland!  We sat with our backs to the radio mast and buildings, and admired the view out to the west!


Next day was Sunday - back still pretty stiff - so went to church and had a couple of short walks down by the river, then up at the Linn o' Dee.   It rained heavily in the afternoon, so we were happy to lie low!

Monday looked better, so we headed off up to the Linn o' Dee car park.  We cycled up Glen Lui to Derry Lodge and dumped the bikes behind the bothy, then set off on foot up the lovely path into Glen Derry (right).  Plenty of mist still hanging around the hill tops, but it looked to be lifting, so we strode ahead optimistically, and reached the Lairig an Laoigh (750m) after a couple of hours.  A shower of rain tried to damp our spirits, but it soon eased off, as we struck up the hillside to the right.   

An easy ascent soon brought us to the first Munro summit, Beinn a' Chaorainn.  On the way up, we met an ex-colleague from back in Craigroyston days.  The weather was improving steadily, so after a stop for lunch, we strolled down and back up to the next top, Beinn a' Chaorainn Beag.  Our reward was a fine rainbow (left).


From there, the onward route was south across the wide plateau of the Moine Bhealadh to reach Beinn Bhreac, the next Munro.

This was lovely easy walking mostly on springy short heather.  Reached the top at 5pm, and out came some fine evening sunshine, so we lay down and sunbathed for a while, before descending over the west top and down a gentle ridge back to Glen Derry.  


view from Beinn Bhreac towards Beinn a' Chaorainn across the Moine Bhealadh (right)










Admired the beautiful evening light on the pine forests, and reached Derry Lodge at 7.30pm.  


Trundled gently down the track on our bikes, glad to rest our feet,  and back to the car at 8pm.

Next day was time to go home, but - just to prove the back was completely sorted - I did a quick jaunt up and down The Cairnwell.  


30 minutes up, and 10 minutes down, louping through the heather!  Great fun!


Carn Aosda from The Cairnwell (right)

a few more days out in 2004

Tollmount and Tom Buidhe

9th October 2004

Lovely day - up "Jock's Road" from the top of Glen Clova - through the forest - the massive craggy amphitheatre of Glen Doll - steep ascent to upper valley - easy walking over Crow Craigs, then Tollmount, Ca Whins and Tom Buidhe.
Munros 174 and 175 for me.


(left) view from top of Glen Doll cliffs towards Davy's Bourach and the path onwards towards Tom Buidhe

Stob Ban (Grey Corries)

20th October 2004

A week's holiday in a cottage near Spean Bridge - the weather was varied(!), but we managed two hill days.  

We left the car at the "tramway", a mile above Coirechoille, then tramped up the forest track through the pass to the Lairig Leacach bothy, occupied by Outward Bound campers. 

Followed a very muddy path up the NE ridge, getting drier as we went up.  Final 200m were very cold and steep.  Dusting of snow above 750m, so Stob Ban was even more "ban" than usual.  Excellent views in all directions, but not a day for lingering.  Descended north towards the Grey Corries (can it really be 23 years since we were up there?), then down beside the Giant's Staircase.  Long trudge back to the car.

(right) Stob Ban and the Giant's Staircase

(below) looking south from Carn Liath

a round of Coire Ardair       23rd October 2004

Creag Meaghaidh offers plenty of possibilities.  My first skirmish was a walk up Coire Ardair with Anne, as far as the lochan, but no further - wind, mist and snow - back in May 1982!  Next visit (also with Anne) was an ascent from the south taking in the southern tops and the summit, in 1992 - memorable for having to lie down on the plateau feeling really ill after eating a Mars Bar!  Then, in 2001, Iain and I climbed Carn Liath, and its eastern outlying top, then back over Carn Liath, on a wintry April day.  

So that left one Munro - Stob Poite Coire Ardair - and several tops still to be visited.

We set off from Aberarder at 10.30 and climbed the meandering path up to Carn Liath (third time on its summit!)  Nice to have the hardest work behind us by 12.45!  Enjoyed the high level walk over various humps and bumps round to Stob Poite Coire Ardair (the target Munro) for a late lunch.  The mist had been hanging around at about 1000m, but now lifted.  

(right) Coire Ardair from Stob Poite Coire Ardair

Continued down to "the window", then steeply up again and round the edge of the plateau, with great views down into Coire Ardair to the left, and Moy Corrie to the right.

Crossed the last top at 4pm, and made a slow descent down tussocky moorland and bog as darkness began to fall.  Glad to reach the car park at 6pm, with an owl swooping over our heads!

written 18/01/10