As T S Elliot once wrote: “A cold coming we
had of it”! The green shoots of spring
we started to witness in Braemar the previous week were well and truly snuffed
out once we moved across to Aviemore. A
week of sustained cold northerly winds and heavy snow showers denied us the
high tops of the Northern Cairngorms and forced a rethink.
As snow showers turned into blizzards and yet
more snow started to settle on the big hills, we turned our attention to some
slightly lower peaks in the area and did what we could on the few days we could
safely venture out during the week. Only
once, and then only briefly, did we feel any warmth from the sun.
Geal Charn
Despite all the above, our first day produced
what became a very warm, sunny afternoon - not only the warmest day of the
trip, but also the warmest day of the month!
We selected one of the many Geal Charns in the Highlands. This particular one sits quietly out of sight
on the southern fringe of the Monadh Liath above upper Speyside.
We parked by the Spey Dam and made our way
around countless signs, wire fences and gates all too loudly and unsubtly
proclaiming a major water treatment construction site. Lovely!
It was a relief to get away up Glen Markie and into the hills. We searched in vain for a safe crossing point
on the busy Markie Burn and had to move well up the glen before we found one.
Once over the water, it was a heather plod on to the shoulder of Bruach nam Biodag after which the cloud and mist
finally started to clear and we finally caught sight of our peak. Heather gave way to grass and the last 2Km to
the summit were quite pleasant as we followed the ubiquitous line of fence
posts to the large cairn that marks the summit of Geal Charn (926m; white hill).
The return route was almost identical to our
way in, the exception being the replacement of overcast gloom with increasingly
bright sunshine and rapidly climbing temperatures. It was to be the only warmth we felt on the
whole trip. Approaching the construction
site, we suddenly saw a sparrowhawk swoop low across an adjacent field in an
only-just-in-vain attempt to take a meadow pipit. It failed at the first attempt and mobbing
gulls ensured it didn’t get another chance!
Glen Feshie
Our second hill-day of the week saw us
parking at the new Achlean car park in Glen Feshie and taking the familiar path
up on to the Moine Mhor (great moss). This path always was an easy climb, but recent
– and much appreciated – renovation work has turned it into one of the best
mountain footpaths in Scotland. Before
you know it, you are above 1000m and the majority of your climbing for the day
is behind you! That said, having entered
cloud a little way above the car park, we didn’t actually see anything until we
were descending late in the day.
As if to compensate for the perpetual 20m
visibility, we were treated to the sight of 2 dotterel as we approached the
plateau. We had looked long and hard for
these birds during the previous week but it had taken until now to finally
catch sight of them. The female lays the eggs and then buggers off in search of pastures (and other dotterel) new, leaving the man to raise the young. It will never catch on.....
Dotterel
The photo’s a little
grainy, but poor light, low visibility and thick mist tend to make stunning
wildlife photography somewhat difficult to achieve!
Once on the plateau, it was several hours of
follow my leader in the mist, first to Mullach Clach a’ Bhlair (1019m; summit of the stone of the plain)
and then backtracking before heading north to capture Sgor Gaoith (1118m; windy peak). Neither peak gave us a view; neither tempted
us to linger on their summits and neither was seen in their best light. These photos from a previous trip give an
idea of what you get to see on a good day!
Einich Cairn & Loch Einich From Sgor Gaoith
We finally cleared the cloud at about 800m in
the descent but the dotterel were gone and so was the prospect of any sun.
Monadh Liath – The Newtonmore Hills
A' Chailleach
One final day offered the chance to comple
the Munros of the Monadh Liath (grey
mountains) above Newtonmore. We
parked in Glen Banchor and headed north alongside the Allt a’ Chaorainn for 1½Km. A small cairn marks the spot where you leave
the track, turning sharp left and descending to cross the burn by what is now a
dilapidated bridge.
An intermittent path leads up easy slopes
through the heather and past the Red Bothy on the slopes of An Leitir to grassier slopes higher up where a
clear path leads straight to the summit of A’ Chailleach (930m; the old woman). It had
been a clear, sunny morning thus far but the view north we now had revealed
the first of the heavy winter showers that were to plague us for the rest of our day.
We descended quickly into the narrow glacial
trough that separates A’ Chailleach from the surrounding peaks and took
advantage of the last sheltered spot of the day to have our only real break of
the day. Then it was up the other side,
across some peat hags to intercept yet more old fence posts and on to the flat
summit of Carn Sgulain (920m; hill of the
basket).
The Summit of Carn Dearg
All we had to do now was turn around and follow the fence posts over several km of almost flat grass, moss and stones to
our 3rd Munro of the day.
This is easy on a good day, but it wasn’t much fun being constantly
battered by gusty, heavy snow showers as a steady stream of hurt tried to halt
our progress. Of the intermediate tops,
only the last one, Carn Ban (white hill),
proved problematical as the snow really took hold and the stony false summits
sapped our strength. Eventually though,
we sighted the summit cairn and there was Carn Dearg, our last Munro of the
day, just a short way across a shallow bealach.
The showers stopped too, which gave us both respite and good views as we
claimed our prize: Carn Dearg (945m; red
hill).
Carn Dearg
The walk-out started well, but became a bit
of a prolonged drag in the peat and rough heather of upper Gleann Ballach. Eventually though, we made it to the wee
bridge across the Allt Fionndrigh which we followed back down into Glen
Banchor.
Glen Banchor
So, not the most productive week, but given
the previous week’s impressive Munro tally and the vengeful return of winter in
mid-May, there was every reason to be pleased with ourselves. Well done to Jennifer for battling the
elements and finishing the trip with a creditable overall Munro count of 70. She’ll soon be finished at this rate! One way or the other...
Check out my plans for the coming season at: http://www.hillways.co.uk/summer/summer.htm
Check out my plans for the coming season at: http://www.hillways.co.uk/summer/summer.htm
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