We were greeted by biting winds and (some) blue skies this weekend in the southern Cairngorms. The days are noticeably getting longer and we were all keen to make the most of it, and feel the sun on our faces!
With a cracking forecast, the weekend started early for many, with days out in the hills from Thursday onwards. On Friday Martha and Balandino serendipitously bumped into each other in the car park at Auchallater, both with a plan to head up Creag nan Gabhar. They enjoyed the views from the summit (but not the smoke of the ongoing Muirburn). “Beating” the Walkhighlands estimated timing by over two hours, meant lunch in the Callater stable bothy and multiple coffees in Braemar before checking in at Mar Lodge. Meanwhile Steve was over at Lochnagar on Cac Carn Beag via Conachcraig, and Fiona cycled into the hills down Glen Ey.
Saturday morning started early for many, to make the most of the newfound morning light. Balandino, Anna C and Anna L all headed off for a crack of dawn start on the White Mounth for a full round of Munros. They were rewarded with blue skies and cracking views.
Meanwhile, Hamish, Martha and I cycled up to Derry Lodge for a grand day out. We had a windy, claggy start to the day over Carn a’ Mhaim, traversed across some frozen snowly slopes to Srὸn Riach, sheltering from the brutal winds in the shelter near the summit of Ben Macdui for ‘flunch’. The afternoon skies broadened out into rainbows and blue skies, so we enjoyed a very slippy scramble up the summit of Beinn Mheadhoid (aided by a kind stranger) and ‘bagged’ three more Munro tops (Stob Coire Etchachan, Creagan a’ Choire Etchachan, Sgurr an Lochan Uaine) before floating (at least in Martha’s case) over the boulder fields on the descent off Derry Cairngorm to pick up our bikes before sunset. The ptarmigan were beautifully camouflaged in the patchy, rocky snow, and we also laid eyes on a hare coming off one of the tops.
After two days out on the hills already, Fiona had a more leisurely start on the same cycle to Derry Lodge with Doug. They timed their summit of Carn a’ Mhaim for the cloud to have lifted and were able to enjoy the sunshine. Meanwhile Steve got cracking views on the heather trudge up nearby Sgor Mor. Further East, Emma, Shireen and Kate climbed Culardoch & Carn Liath (Creag an Dail Bheag) from Keiloch. There were plenty of windswept faces and exercised limbs back at the lodge on Saturday evening, though no one actually fell off the sofa whilst dozing off. Mar Lodge is toasty, and the sloe gin warmed us all further (thanks to ‘sloe’ Steve!).
On Sunday, Balandino, Doug, Hamish, Anna C and Martha got terribly lost at the start of their walk up Morrone in Braemar’s city centre. Hamish briefly returned to the car, because he realised he was carrying a bottle of shampoo with him – unnecessary weight, which he opted to leave behind alongside his second pair of waterproof trousers that had made it through the long day before. Baltic wind greeted them on the summit ridge, but once they had dropped they enjoyed proper spring temperatures and had lunch in the sunshine.
Just along the road, Steve opted for an ascent of Carn Aosda. Meanwhile Kate chose a lovely walk into Monamenach (where Steve had been on Thursday) from Spittal of Glenshee. This took her, Fiona, Shireen, Emma and up to a Glen overlooking Shee Water. Fiona turned back and the rest of us heather bashed up to the ridge, enjoying a warm drink in the sun around Glack of Glengairney and heading straight into the biting wind on the way off the summit. The day was completed with a brief sunbathe on a bridge on the walk out. Lovely weekend everyone – thank you!
Rhi W
