Cairngorms: West of the Lairig Ghru

Sgor Gaoith, Braeriach and Cairntoul

The heatwave was well into its second week apart from the western highlands which were to be hit by rain over the next few days. John called and suggested a two-day trip to climb some of the corbetts in the northeast of Scotland where the forecast was for the good weather to be retained. I suggested an alternative walk over the Western Cairngorm plateau, camping overnight and collecting the 8 munros to the west of the Lairig Ghru. It would be a chance to camp high and enjoy the remote tundra-like landscape on the tops. We agreed that the corbetts could wait for later in the year.

Monday, 15 July 2013

Ascent:        1425 metres

Distance:     22 kilometres

Time:          6 hours 26 mins

t   Carn Ban Mor             1052m      1hr   36mins

m  Sgor Gaoith                1118m      2hrs  7mins

Camp - Tom Dubh            870m      3hrs 37mins

m  Monadh Mor               1113m     4hrs 13mins

m  Beinn Bhrotain            1157m     4hrs 58mins

Feshie plateau towards Sgorr Gaoith and Braeriach

Braeriach from Sgor Gaoith

Camp by Allt Luineag below Monadh Mor

The Devil's Point in the sun, Ben Macdui in the cloud

Beinn Bhrotain from Monadh Mor

Some colour to temper the intimidating bogs below Monadh Mor

The journey up the A9 had been long and frustrating with slow trains of caravans and lorries as well as several sections of roadworks. We arrived at the relatively new car park in Glen Feshie which is a kilometre short of Achlean. As always packing for a two-day trip took some time and we filled up on food before setting out in a heat of 25ºC. The path up the Allt Fhearmagan from Achlean is well made and the first 100 metres of climbing are through the native forest before emerging into the searing heat of the open hillside. As well as food for two days and overnight camp stuff  I was carrying a bladder with 3 litres of water to test my new rucksack. Our pace was steady with no stops until we reached the top of Carn Ban Mor.

From here the long plateau from Braeriach to Cairntoul beckoned and was still cloud-free. We walked into the stiff breeze to the summit of Sgor Gaoith with its rocky upturned summit. We arrived just after 3pm, took photos and enjoyed ten minutes absorbing the splendid views of Loch Einich below the cliffs and then started heading round the southern end of the Loch, dropping to the undulating boggy ground.  It was slow going and I calculated that we had another 5 hours to get over the four munros from Braeriach to The Devil's Point and back to a suitable burn before we could make camp. Moreover, clouds had gathered on the summits which would further slow progress. I suggested setting camp below Monadh Mor instead and then climbing Monadh Mor and Beinn Bhrotain. They were both out of cloud and we could set out early in the morning to climb the other four before returning to Glen Feshie via Mullach Clach a' Bhlair.

We decided that this was a more sensible option and so it proved. We found a perfect campsite next to the Allt Luineag just below the lump of Tom Dubh which is classified as a top. After a brew and putting up the tent, we set out in the early evening sunshine to climb the rock-strewn slopes of Monadh Mor. We were rewarded with great views of the eastern Cairngorms. Ben Macdui was in cloud but the sunlight illuminated The Devil's Peak and the bulk of Beinn Bhrotain ahead. There are two cairns on the hill and a pleasant ridge walk across the mountain before a brief but steep descent. The winds had whipped up as we crossed the bealach and climbed up the steep blocky granite slopes to Beinn Bhrotain. There are a lot of cairns built at the summit as well as one of the ugly cylindrical trig points. 

We returned by much the same route but took in the other top on Monadh Mor and descended via a burn to the camp. Ptarmigan were very evident throughout this part of the walk with young birds still being protected by their parents, the mothers giving us several demonstrations of their broken wing sketch to divert us away from their young. We were in the unusual position of being back at the tent and eating by 8:30pm. The fresh breeze kept the midges at bay and we sat and watched the sun retire into the clouds over over Braeriach. John took to his bivvy and overnight we had some rain.

Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Ascent:     1425 metres

Distance:  39 kilometres

Time:       12 hours 9 minutes

t    Carn na Criche                 1265m   1hr   21min

m  Braeriach                          1296m   2hrs 27mins

m  Sgor an Lochain Uaine    1258m   3hrs 49mins

m  Cairntoul                          1291m   4hrs 18mins

t   Stob Coire an t-Saighdeir  1213m  4hrs 51mins

m The Devil's Point               1004m  5hrs 32mins

Camp                      

m Mullach Clach a' Bhlair     1019m  9hrs 34mins  

Cairntoul summit

Corrour bothy from The Devil's Point

Reindeer above Glen Geusachan

Sgor Gaoith through bog cotton

 Across the Moine Mhor to Braeriach, Angel's Peak and Cairntoul

Looking south from Mullach Clach a' Bhlair

Expressing my feelings for Mullach Clach a' Bhlair

Descending to Glen Feshie

Glen Feshie in its evening glory

We had planned to start at 7:30am but after some food and sorting the tent, it was almost 8am as we headed off for the cloud-obscured mass of Braeriach. It took a while to negotiate the featureless peat bogs and get on the slopes to Braeriach and then we veered too far to the west in the poor visibility. We took a bearing for Carn na Criche and cranked our way up the slopes. There was no joy in this and the occasional shower meant we had to don waterproofs as well as the prospect of a 10-hour day at least. From the top, we made a circuitous route around the other tops, the Wells of Dee was shimmering with the clearest of water flowing towards the cliff girt Garbh Corrie. We ramped up to the summit of Braeriach and realised that this was going to take longer than we had scheduled. The poor visibility and boulder fields, despite the excellent grip on the granite, were not conducive to fast walking.

The walk round to Angel's Peak (Sgor an Lochain Uaine) and Cairntoul is one of the classic ridge walks but nothing could be seen of it. We made good time in the circumstances and continued until Cairntoul. We were joined by a mother with two children, they seemed well-equipped and knew what they were doing, unlike the character from the West Midlands who arrived next and had little clue about where he was or which way to go next. We convinced him he was not on the Angel's Peak but he ought to go across to it. The descent from Cairntoul to its top - Stob Coire an t-Saighdeir involves one of the most tricky descents down a boulder field. Beyond the top, there is an easier path that takes you down to the col above the Corrour bothy.

We continued straight up The Devil's Peak and at last, we had reached a peak with no cloud cover. The views down Glen Dee and through the Lairig Ghru were a consolation prize. But then began the tough part of the day, a 7-kilometre contour below Cairntoul and past Loch nan Stuirteag to the tent at Tom Dubh. It took a couple of hours during which we wandered into a large herd of Reindeer with about a dozen calves which were still suckling. At the tent, we had a brew, packed our rucksacks and set out for the long and tedious slog over to Mullach Clach a' Bhlair. Irvine Butterfield had described this walk as "a crossing which is perhaps the most psychologically intimidating walk in Britain."

We decided against a quick visit to the top of Tom Dubh, also described by Butterfield as "the most meaningless top in all Britain, for here lies the ultimate in desolate wilderness," and made for the dirt road over Moine Mhor that undulates all the way to Mullach Clach a' Bhlair. The views of Sgor Gaoith through the cotton grass, a meadow pipit's nest with young in it, a twite and a ring ouzel flitting along a burn broke the monotony of the walk. It was 7pm when we arrived at Mullach Clach a' Bhlair, a hill with no apparent merits and even the cairn was trampled down. Normally I would spend ten minutes restoring a cairn but not this one, it is one of the runts of the Munro family. We were able to cut a corner to reach the summit along the old path through the boggy ground which was relatively dry.

We were then faced by the long tramp down the well-graded but brutally bulldozed track down to Glen Feshie. We had been walking too long to appreciate the purple heather that was in flower nearer to the glen;  the native forest was lit up by the late evening sun which had arrived to see out the day. The path from Achlean had been recently restored by Glen Feshie estates, owned by a Danish billionaire who had instigated a massive culling of deer on the estate. On previous visits, I had despaired of this fine glen which seemed over-planted with conifers and poorly maintained. It has changed for the better and the path back to Achlean is one of the most scenic walks capturing the very essence of the highland landscape.

There is a superb new path that meanders through the pine trees and makes tangents with the loops in the sparkling river. There were other signs of investment to restore the magnificent Caledonia forest and welcoming notices to walkers and cyclists. It diverted our attention from our sore feet and weary bodies. We had been walking for 13 hours minus a stop on Cairntoul and another to break camp. Our estimate of 10 or 11 hours had been blown by the poor weather on the summits and the long contour back to the camp. I looked at my diaries and discovered that I had done much the same walk in 1995 with an eleven-year-old and it had taken pretty much the same time.