Walk Report: Loch Avon

Today I'll conclude the walking diary I wrote while in Scotland last month.

Thursday 28th July
The weather was probably even worse today with rain for most of the morning and through until three o'clock, but I still had a long walk in the mountains. Setting off before nine again I headed off through the Ryvoan Gap just as I had on Tuesday, veering off from the former route at the site of the Bynack Stable heading up Strath Nethy. This was a long narrow path that meandered its way up the valley seeming to take forever while walking in the rain and through the clouds to reach the end, but eventually my perseverance paid off and I reached the Saddle. Passing through I descended down to the spectacular Loch Avon, made perhaps even more special by the low cloud, the huge ominous crags peering through the gaps in the clouds. Slowly I made my way along the shore towards the western end, constantly gazing at the impressive rock forms that look over this end of the loch. When I reached the end I had my lunch in the shelter of a huge stone while the rain poured down midges had their way with me.

After lunch I decided that an ascent of Beinn Mheadhoin would have been a waste of energy - there wasn't the time and I just couldn't be bothered, I was too tired to make the effort after all the walking I'd been doing during the last ten days, so instead I started heading back to Glenmore. The most direct route was up and over the Cairn Gorm plateau so I headed off along the footpath up the side of the cliffs beside the smallest of the three streams that flowed down to feed Loch Avon. After a lot of careful effort in the wet conditions I reached Coire Domhain on the Cairn Gorm plateau and crossing the marshy ground brought me to the northern edge beside Cairn Lochan looking out over Coire na t-Sneachda. The rain had just stopped with the clouds lifting sufficiently to afford a tremendous view across to Glenmore and Loch Morlich, and my route was plain. Any thought of going around or over Cairn Lochan and down my route of Tuesday disappeared, I descended the steep walls into the corrie and across the boulder field to join the manufactured path all the way to the Coire Cas car park. It was an enjoyable end to the day with a relaxing stroll to the ski centre and then along the Allt Mhor trail back to Glenmore. I may not have climbed a Munro but it was still a long days walk and in bad weather; I should not ashamed for this walk to end my holiday in Scotland.

Walk Report: Braeriach

The Scottish walking diary continues:

Wednesday 27th July
The weather was not very good today: overcast and drizzly, but I still went out for a walk, potentially a very long one. I set off walking up beside the Allt Mòr and then took the path across the heathland through the Chalamain Gap into the Lairig Ghru. That may have been easy to write, but it took me ages to complete due to a lack of energy to get up the hills quickly (and besides, the heavily, over-engineered footpaths were depressing me). After crossing the Allt Druidh at the foot of the Lairig Ghru I started my slow ascent up the ridge opposite, the drizzle continuing off and on and the cloud base coming closer and closer with every step. Eventually I arrived at a wide grassy plain, which the map declared was not the Munro, merely a top, Sròn na Lairige. With the aid of my compass I passed over the plateau and resumed my climb in the clouds and increasingly heavy rain up to the cliff edge and along it to the summit of Braeriach, the third highest mountain in Britain.

Here I had my lunch and contemplated the situation. It was cloudy and it was chucking it down with rain. A walk over the plateau around the corries to Cairn Toul in this weather would be crazy, and besides it had taken me five hours just to get this far; how much longer was it going to take me to get to Cairn Toul before I had to come all the way back. With my decision made I set off back down the hill secure in the knowledge that I had climbed at least one Munro today. Returning down the ridge over Sròn na Lairige back the northern end of the Lairig Ghru I decided to take a different route back to the youth hostel. Following the path beside the Allt Druidh down into the Rothiemarchus woods I had a very pleasant woodland walk heading towards Loch Morlich, circling round the loch to return to Glenmore. Just one more day in Scotland, let's hope for better weather.

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.

Walk Report: The Central Mamores

More from my Scottish walking diary:

Sunday 24th July
Another brilliant days walk in excellent weather; the cloudy start looked ominous, but thankfully the clouds soon rose above the summits and by early evening it was a bright sunny day, once again. As it was a Sunday there were no buses to take me down Glen Nevis so I had to walk there, this time using the forest tracks to avoid the traffic on the road. The Ralph Storer walk that was the inspiration for todays walk was Route 22 but I'd altered his plan significantly. Storer started the walk by going up Sgurr a'Mhaim, but I did that yesterday necessitating a change of plan. On leaving the wood I took the path near by the lower falls and followed the river keeping to the southern bank even when the going got very rough and I had to clamber over the cliffs on the southern side of the narrow gorge, Eas an Tuill. It would have been infinitely more sensible to use the path on the northern bank, but that was far too sensible and boring! It may have been nerve-wracking at times but it was tremendous fun, especially when I was standing on the cliff face looking down into the gorge at the people on the footpath who were looking up at me. It made me feel so daring!

Once through the gorge I passed the spectacular waterfall, An Steall, in it's picturesque setting and followed the footpath that zigzagged up Coire Chadha Chaoruinn and then up to the top of An Gearanach, the first Munro of the day. There now followed a narrow ridge over An Garbhanach, which was every bit as fun as I expected. A drop and a climb led to a very proper looking hill called Stob Coire a'Chàirn, which apparently is a Munro despite not appearing to have enough re-ascent. It shows what I know! A stiff climb was now ahead of me as I climbed the steep rocky northern face of An Bodach. After a look around the summit I reflected that this was my third Munro of the day and my last in the Mamores. As I descended the western ridge I looked around me at the fantastic rocky scenery. They had provided some very enjoyable walking over the last two days and now I had just one hill, a Munro top, Sgurr an Iubhair, to go. There has been some good walking in this area and I'm sorry to leave it. I'll have to return here so I can finish off the eastern Mamores that I've had to leave out this weekend; it'll feel like coming to see a friend.

Descending the last hill, Sgurr an Iubhair, I took the path I should have taken yesterday down Coire a'Mhusgain. It was now much later than it had been yesterday as I followed the interesting path as it weaved down the narrow valley back to the bus stop, but once again I had missed the bus so an hour's walk back to the youth hostel in the hot early evening sun was necessary. Tomorrow I'll be travelling to Aviemore, spending some time in my favourite city, Inverness, on the way before walking to the Cairngorm youth hostel.

Walk Report: The Western Mamores

Saturday 23rd July
Today the weather was brilliant once again. It won't last, of course, it was already beginning to cloud up today but that just served to cool the temperature just at the hottest part of the day. The weather combined with the tremendous terrain to provide a thoroughly enjoyable days walk. It was one of those days in the hills you remember with fondness and make me say to myself, "This is why I do this." This morning I caught the bus from the youth hostel to its terminus at the lower falls in Glen Nevis, and immediately started following a signposted 'Forest Walk'. I was following Ralph Storer's Route 21 today, which should have taken me onto the ridge via a 'hilltop seat'. No such path to a seat could be found and I ended up following the river, Allt a'Choire Dheirg, on a clear, though occasionally muddy, path to the boundary fence. I was now faced with a very steep climb up the hill beside the fence in the blazing sun; the clear path was my only assurance that I was following a path that many before had followed. [There were even a few people further up the hill also going this way, but a quick look on the internet has revealed a probably easier route beside the Allt a'Choire Riabhach gaining the ridge much lower down. Ralph Storer's is non-existent and probably has been for years.]

When finally on top of the ridge I squeezed through the gap in the fence and headed up the ridge on an increasingly rocky path to my first Munro of the day: Mullach nan Coirean. A short diversion took me to Meall a'Chaorainn and back; a pleasant, little effort required trip. Bypassing the summit of Mullach nan Coirean on my return I headed off along the eastern ridge towards Stob Ban passing over various minor summits and admiring the stunning scenery on the way. Climbing up the white stony path I reached my second Munro and had my lunch (and also provided the midges theirs!). Storer's route was now almost downhill all the way despite it being only lunch time so I decided to abandon Storer once I had got down the steep rocky descent of Stob Ban (a great path, but very tricky in descent it would have been really difficult in ascent. I'm glad I didn't go up that way!).

Passing Lochan Coire nam Miseach, below Sgor an Iubhair, I headed up the steep grassy slope to the bealach between the aforementioned and Stob Choire a'Mhail. Passing over the latter I began to cross the narrow 'Devil's Ridge', which although very high, in this weather (almost no wind) I had no problems walking along the top except for one small crevice in the rocks that seemed too high for me to dare jumping over. A path exists bypassing this bit but I clambered down on one side of the gap and then climbed up on the other side. My nerve may have failed to allow me to jump the gap, but I'll be blowed if I was going to miss the top of the ridge out altogether! With a short scramble down at the end I completed the narrow ridge that had been worrying for ages but turned out to be alot easier than Crib Goch and began the climb up my third Munro of the day: Sgurr a'Mhaim.

After a short rest at the top to admire the views down Glen Nevis and across to Ben Nevis, I began a most enjoyable descent over the white stones on its western slopes often sliding down the hill several feet with every step. It reminded me of how Wainwright used to describe Dorehead Screes before it lost all its stones(!); this wasn't as steep, but still a very enjoyable way to descend several hundred feet. There now remained a long descent zigzagging down the steep grassy slope back to the bus stop. Unfortunately I had missed the bus by less than ten minutes but the three mile walk back to the youth hostel failed to dampen what had been a very enjoyable day over thoroughly exciting terrain. The walk and terrain reminded me of the best sort of walk imaginable in the Lake District; it was a ridge walk, par excellence. And I get to go back again tomorrow.