Creag Mhor, Beinn a' Chaorainn and Beinn Bhreac

Fords of Avon below Beinn Mheadhoin

Breakfast Brew

Bynack Mor from Creag Mhor

Blue Sky and Pink Granite on Creag Mhor summit

Bynack Mhor from Creag Mhor

Beinn Mheadhoin from Creag Mhor

Dubh Lochan and Beinn Mheadhoin

Bynack Mor and Creag Mhor from Beinn a' Chaorainn

Beinn Mheadhoin from Beinn a' Chaorainn

Beinn Mheadhoin

Ben Macdui from Moine Bhealaidh plateau

Looking back to Beinn a' Chaorainn from Beinn Bhreac

Monday 23 September 2013

Ascent:         850 metres           

Distance:      22 kilometres

Time:            6hrs 22mins

c     Creag Mhor                 895m       1hr 02mins

Camp by Fords of Avon     685m       1hr   55mins

m   Beinn a' Chaorainn     1083m       2hrs   42mins    

t     Beinn Bhreac w. top    927m       3hrs   54mins              

m   Beinn Bhreac               931m       4hrs   05mins 

Dawn was accompanied by the sound of red grouse, the skies were clear and the air still. Visibility was excellent, the ground was dry and after a brew and some food we set out at 7:30am to cross the Fords of Avon before climbing Creag Mhor. We were only five minutes away from the bothy which had been rebuilt by the Mountain Bothy Association with help from Cairngorm Mountain Rescue in 2011. A Doctor from Crieff was standing outside admiring his domain, sleeping bag draped over the granite boulders that surround what is no more than a large garden shed. We chatted for a while aware that we were immensely privileged to be in such a pristine location on a perfect autumn day. 

We continued and crossed the Allt Dearg and then set about the steep lower slopes of Creag Mhor. The low angled sun was illuminating the sparse plant life; burnt hombre grasses mingled with pink granite beneath the hooloovoo blue skies. The walk over the plateau to the distant tor was walking at its best: the cool of the early morning, the superb views in all directions and the feelgood that comes from feeling hill fit all intensified by the colour palate that this season provides. We climbed the granite block to the summit, there were sinks in the flat top which you could sit in or take a wash. It was one of those mountain moments that is seared in the memory. We returned taking a more direct route back to the bothy and then crossing the Fords of Avon again to reach the tents. 

We had a brew and packed before tackling the steep 400 metres of climbing to the summit of Beinn a' Chaorainn. This was the only hard part of the day so it was head down and push hard. It worked in that we were on the summit in 47 minutes despite the heavy sacks. It was still before noon and it was all plain sailing from here. We stopped and had 45 minutes sitting at the summit looking over at Ben Macdui and soaking up the warm sun. What a contrast from most summits when it is 3 or 4 minutes to take a drink and a photograph and then on with the walk. 

We descended down to the vast plateau of Moine Bhealaidh but the views of Ben Macdui and down to Beinn a' Ghlo made it a rare treat. Fortunately conditions were dry and the heathers were less fatiguing than they could have been. I decided to take in the west top before turning back to the summit.  We arrived on the summit and took another 20 minutes to eat some food and enjoy the last hill of the past two days. From here we could see down Deeside to Lochnagar and Mount Keen and observe the massive bulk of Beinn a' Bhuird, probably the least distinguished summit in the Cairngorms.

The descent is by a good path to the bealach below Meall an Lundain. Thereafter the normal descent is down to Derry Lodge but I elected to go over Meall an Lundain and subjected us to 3 kilometres of heather battering. We both fell into heather concealed ditches during the descent to the track along the Lui Water. Climbing out was not easy with a heavy rucksack and I had to scramble back down to retrieve my sunglasses. I then made the mistake of going down to a burn for water and found myself in a deep gorge with the only way out to descend the course of the burn. I emerged just above the track along the Lui Water for the final 3 or 4 kilometres back to the car park. 

The Mar estate, owned by the National Trust, had been taking down deer fences and surprisingly we had seen no deer on either of the two days. The native caledonian forest seemed to be rejuvenated with hundreds of scots pine seedlings thriving at up to 500 metres above sea level. We were down by 4pm despite a lazy day when we had spent a couple of hours resting at the camp and the three summits. This had been a superb two day outing and I now need only one more day to complete my two remaining munros and last corbett in the Cairngorms.

 Cairngorm Panorama