Walk Report: Cairn Gorm
Tuesday 26th July
After a days rest while I travelled to Glenmore (in poor weather - yes!) I set off bright and early this morning for a full days walk in the Cairn Gorm Mountains. After a couple of days of dramatic rocky ridges, the sight of rolling heather-clad hills filled me with dismay, fortunately I was mistaken. Following Ralph Storer's Route 84, I set off through the woods around Glenmore along easy, heavily constructed paths, walking through the through the Pass of Ryvoan past An Lochan Uaine into the bleak heather-clad moorland. Crossing the river Nethy I climbed onto the ridge beyond and then left the path to go over Bynack More, my first Munro of the day and it wasn't even midday yet! The cloudy start to the day was slowly dispersing to reveal a glorious summers day with every peak free of clouds. Heading across the grassy plains I walked over A'Choinneach, which surprisingly used to be a Munro, astonishing for a mere grassy hillock. After passing over the top I began descending the rocky terrain (rocks! Hooray!) down to the Saddle where amazing views could seen around Loch Avon with large crags overlooking the western end of the loch, definitely a place to investigate later in the week.
From the Saddle I slowly made my way up the steep, almost pathless eastern slopes of Cairn Gorm. After an age I reached the rocky summit realising that the tops would be very rocky and my despair at the start of the day was unjustified. Eating my lunch sitting by the weather station I looked out over the breath-taking scenery, including the cliffs over looking Loch Avon and across to Ben Macdui, the second highest mountain in Britain, and it was clear of clouds. Since it was still early I decided to head out over Ben Macdui in case later on in the week would prove cloudy. So setting off from Cairn Gorm I walked around the top of Coire an t-Sneachda and up onto Cairn Lochan before heading south to join the path onto the bleak rocky mars-scape on top of Ben Macdui. I was on the second highest mountain in Britain in brilliant weather with clear views all around and there was just a middle-ages couple at the top with me. A stark contrast to Ben Nevis, which I'm sure at the same time would have had dozens of people on its top. I always find it ridiculous how so many people go up Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon when there are many more mountains all around them, some much more interesting than those three.
Turning around I headed back towards Cairn Lochan, passing to the west of it I headed down the ridge, Fiacaill an Leth-Choin, and then in an attempt to avoid the Ski Centre I veered off towards the young Allt Mór following the stream as it became a river all the wayintoi Glen More and back to the hostel. Tomorrow I'll head off to the third and fourth highest mountains in Britain.
After a days rest while I travelled to Glenmore (in poor weather - yes!) I set off bright and early this morning for a full days walk in the Cairn Gorm Mountains. After a couple of days of dramatic rocky ridges, the sight of rolling heather-clad hills filled me with dismay, fortunately I was mistaken. Following Ralph Storer's Route 84, I set off through the woods around Glenmore along easy, heavily constructed paths, walking through the through the Pass of Ryvoan past An Lochan Uaine into the bleak heather-clad moorland. Crossing the river Nethy I climbed onto the ridge beyond and then left the path to go over Bynack More, my first Munro of the day and it wasn't even midday yet! The cloudy start to the day was slowly dispersing to reveal a glorious summers day with every peak free of clouds. Heading across the grassy plains I walked over A'Choinneach, which surprisingly used to be a Munro, astonishing for a mere grassy hillock. After passing over the top I began descending the rocky terrain (rocks! Hooray!) down to the Saddle where amazing views could seen around Loch Avon with large crags overlooking the western end of the loch, definitely a place to investigate later in the week.
From the Saddle I slowly made my way up the steep, almost pathless eastern slopes of Cairn Gorm. After an age I reached the rocky summit realising that the tops would be very rocky and my despair at the start of the day was unjustified. Eating my lunch sitting by the weather station I looked out over the breath-taking scenery, including the cliffs over looking Loch Avon and across to Ben Macdui, the second highest mountain in Britain, and it was clear of clouds. Since it was still early I decided to head out over Ben Macdui in case later on in the week would prove cloudy. So setting off from Cairn Gorm I walked around the top of Coire an t-Sneachda and up onto Cairn Lochan before heading south to join the path onto the bleak rocky mars-scape on top of Ben Macdui. I was on the second highest mountain in Britain in brilliant weather with clear views all around and there was just a middle-ages couple at the top with me. A stark contrast to Ben Nevis, which I'm sure at the same time would have had dozens of people on its top. I always find it ridiculous how so many people go up Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon when there are many more mountains all around them, some much more interesting than those three.
Turning around I headed back towards Cairn Lochan, passing to the west of it I headed down the ridge, Fiacaill an Leth-Choin, and then in an attempt to avoid the Ski Centre I veered off towards the young Allt Mór following the stream as it became a river all the wayintoi Glen More and back to the hostel. Tomorrow I'll head off to the third and fourth highest mountains in Britain.
posted by David Keates at 10:50 am
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