Lochnagar and the Eastern Grampians

Black Spout, Lochnagar

Tuesday 3 August and Wednesday 4 August 2010

Alex, Gregor, John

Distance:    18km and 26km

Ascent:       960 metres and 650 metres

Time:          4 hours 42 minutes and 7 hours 2 minutes

Remains of Canberra bomber on Carn an t-Sagairt Mor

Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach, possibly the most boring Munro

Tuesday, 3 August 2010

Carn an t-Sagairt Mor,            1047m. 2hrs 20mins 

Carn a Choire Bhoidheach      1110m. 3hrs 

Cac Carn Mor                          1150m. 

Lochnagar: Cac Carn Beag     1155m. 3hrs 47mins 

This was a bonus outing, Alex had e-mailed me at the weekend to ask whether we could meet up for a walk and, if so, when and where. Gregor had two days off work and the only reasonable weather was in the east so I suggested that we meet at Auchallater just south of Braemar at 2pm which gave me the chance to sort out some work on the house first. We all arrived at 2pm exactly and after packing the rucksacks and roughly agreeing on an itinerary we set out up the Glen just before 2:30pm.

It was the first visit to Callater Glen and on a serene summer afternoon the water sparkled and the Dippers flitted about on the Burn. We reached Lochcallater Lodge within the hour and struck uphill on the excellent and well-engineered path rising above Loch Callater, there were a few walkers about presumably trying to get their walks complete before the start of the shooting and stalking on 12 August. Only the last 100 metres of ascent to the summit of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor required us to leave the path and we meandered through the wreck of the Canberra bomber that went down on 22 November 1956. Although I had seen it before I had not realised it was a Canberra until I searched online. My father's brother had been a test pilot for this plane in the early 1950s at Wharton, near Lytham, and I remember him bubbling with superlatives about it when he came to visit after morning testing sessions.

We dropped down to the Lochnagar path and found a place to pitch the tents on the Allt an Da Chraobh Bheath. It was still, clear and dry so we decided to climb Lochnagar via the underwhelmingly named Carn a'Choire Bhoidheach which has little to commend it other than its close juxtaposition to Lochnagar. And so on to the said mountain which for once was free of other walkers and provided us the opportunity to scramble about on the summit and to admire the deep gullies to the east including the Black Spout. There is something very special about being out on the summits in the late evening knowing that there is not a long walk out or a drive, just a return to the tents and some fine dining! And so it proved.

Wednesday, 4 August 2010

Cairn Bannoch       1012m.    41mins

Broad Cairn            998m.     1hr 18min

Tolmount                958m.     2hrs 26mins

Tom Buidhe,           957m.     3hrs 6mins

Carn of Claise        1064m.    3hrs 54mins

Cairn a' Tuirc         1019m.    4hrs 32mins

After a cold night at 950metres, we had a cold breakfast and in calm, clear conditions began the walk out to Carn Bannoch and then Broad Cairn, the most impressive of the hills with splendid views over to Eagles Rock and the White Mounth. Rough granite forms a tor at the top of Broad Cairn and gives a good view down Loch Muick.

The round of Broad Cairn and Lochnagar is a superb day's walk from Glen Muick but sadly we headed westwards across the peat hags to Tolmount and Tom Buidhe. These are far from spectacular hills but the compensation is the abundance of wildlife in these hills. We saw several groups of ptarmigan, golden plovers, dozens of mountain hares and deer.  Red Grouse were whirring all around us practising their take-offs for the tweed and gun set and the views to the Cairngorms were a permanent backdrop.

We were moving reasonably well and the next group of four munros east of Glenshee were within striking distance. We agreed that John and I would climb Cairn of Claise and Carn an Tuirc and then return to pick up the two cars at Auchallater. This would allow Gregor and Alex to do these two hills in reverse order and then continue over to Glas Maol and along the beautiful ridge wall to Creag Leagach. They could descend from her to the road and meet us after we had driven over from Glenshee. It was a good solution which gave Gregor and Alex a haul of 11 munros. I had already climbed these two hills on this round of munros.  Gregor finished the day on 100 munros in his second round. We were on the way home just after 3pm after a short but productive 24 hours in an area that never fails to prove enjoyable walking.

Sheep on Carn an Tuirc

Cloudberries at a secret location, worth their weight in gold