Carn Dearg - Carn Sgulain - A' Chailleach route, 7 April 96 (1 of 7)
Heading towards Carn Macoul (right) on a beautiful spring morning - despite a poor forecast!
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Hillwalking journal entry for the day:
Sunday 7/4/96
Carn Dearg - Carn Sgulain - A’ Chailleach
23 km, 1100 m: 8.2 hours
Conditions: Continuous sunshine with little or no breeze
Base: Newtonmore
Map and starting point: OS Sheet 35, GR 692997
<<<<>>>>
The forecast for later in the day was poor and so I got off to an early start, arriving at the car park at the end of the public road up Glen Banchor at about 07:00 hours. It was a beautiful morning but chilly, with partial ice cover on standing water.
I followed the well sign-posted track/path past Glenballoch Farm and towards Dalballoch. In preparation for this holiday I had read up on the birds to be found in the Cairngorm and surrounding hills and had brought my binoculars with me to do a bit of bird spotting along the route. However, I only managed to identify a few grouse and lapwings in the glen.
I lost the path near Dalballoch and without bothering to refer to the map I just headed for the deserted croft and then crossed the Allt Ballach by stepping stones.
I had originally intended to follow the path towards Loch Dubh and to make for the col to the north of Carn Macoul, in order to avoid the steep climb up the potentially snow covered SE ridge of the Carn. However, the ridge was snow free and so I climbed it direct, after a tedious approach through knee deep heather (it would no doubt have been quicker to have attempted to regain the path to the loch which was heading in the right general direction).
Steep in places and I felt slightly fatigued towards the top and began to wonder if the planned route was feasible - especially if the weather conditions deteriorated later in the day as forecast. However, as most of the climbing was over after the first Munro, and as the other 2 were “on the way home”, I decided to keep to the original plan.
I spotted a female ptarmigan and a cluster of golden plovers - initially identified by the hauntingly plaintive call - whilst taking a short rest after cresting Carn Macoul.
Thence slowly over the intermediate top - prominent cornice on the steep east face - to the summit: a vertiginous setting, with the cairn close to the cliff edge.
It had been quite an interesting ascent, contrary to expectations - according to Butterfield the Monadhliath peaks were “unrelentingly tedious”. Carn Dearg, at least, was a hill of some character in my opinion.
The plan was now to stick to the crest of the “ridge” till gaining the summit of the next Munro - 8 km further on - taking bearings from minor bump to minor bump to aid route finding if the visibility suddenly deteriorated. However, I lost concentration shortly after stopping for lunch on Carn Ballach and so resorted to following the tracks in the snow, keeping the final Munro of the day always in sight.
A very tedious last few kilometres and I resorted to listening to my headphone radio for distraction.
I left my rucksack at the col to the west of Carn Sgulain, strolled to the top - and slightly beyond to the second and more prominent cairn to the NE - and then back down again. I then made a bee-line for the A’ Chailleach summit cairn which was clearly in view. There were a surprisingly large number of tracks in the snow on the final climb, conflicting with the SMC’s description of the Monadhliath hills as being “rarely visited”!
A brief stop at the cairn for some photos and to check bearings, and then down to the col to the SW - passing the first of several cross-country skiers en route.
As an exercise I took a bearing for the small bothy 2 km to the SE and followed this without deviation (using Creag an Loin summit as a marker): spot on! Thence to the path by the Allt a’ Chaorainn and a pleasant walk back to the car.
A very rewarding day.
Carn Dearg - Carn Sgulain - A' Chailleach route, 7 April 96 (1 of 7)
Heading towards Carn Macoul (right) on a beautiful spring morning - despite a poor forecast!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hillwalking journal entry for the day:
Sunday 7/4/96
Carn Dearg - Carn Sgulain - A’ Chailleach
23 km, 1100 m: 8.2 hours
Conditions: Continuous sunshine with little or no breeze
Base: Newtonmore
Map and starting point: OS Sheet 35, GR 692997
<<<<>>>>
The forecast for later in the day was poor and so I got off to an early start, arriving at the car park at the end of the public road up Glen Banchor at about 07:00 hours. It was a beautiful morning but chilly, with partial ice cover on standing water.
I followed the well sign-posted track/path past Glenballoch Farm and towards Dalballoch. In preparation for this holiday I had read up on the birds to be found in the Cairngorm and surrounding hills and had brought my binoculars with me to do a bit of bird spotting along the route. However, I only managed to identify a few grouse and lapwings in the glen.
I lost the path near Dalballoch and without bothering to refer to the map I just headed for the deserted croft and then crossed the Allt Ballach by stepping stones.
I had originally intended to follow the path towards Loch Dubh and to make for the col to the north of Carn Macoul, in order to avoid the steep climb up the potentially snow covered SE ridge of the Carn. However, the ridge was snow free and so I climbed it direct, after a tedious approach through knee deep heather (it would no doubt have been quicker to have attempted to regain the path to the loch which was heading in the right general direction).
Steep in places and I felt slightly fatigued towards the top and began to wonder if the planned route was feasible - especially if the weather conditions deteriorated later in the day as forecast. However, as most of the climbing was over after the first Munro, and as the other 2 were “on the way home”, I decided to keep to the original plan.
I spotted a female ptarmigan and a cluster of golden plovers - initially identified by the hauntingly plaintive call - whilst taking a short rest after cresting Carn Macoul.
Thence slowly over the intermediate top - prominent cornice on the steep east face - to the summit: a vertiginous setting, with the cairn close to the cliff edge.
It had been quite an interesting ascent, contrary to expectations - according to Butterfield the Monadhliath peaks were “unrelentingly tedious”. Carn Dearg, at least, was a hill of some character in my opinion.
The plan was now to stick to the crest of the “ridge” till gaining the summit of the next Munro - 8 km further on - taking bearings from minor bump to minor bump to aid route finding if the visibility suddenly deteriorated. However, I lost concentration shortly after stopping for lunch on Carn Ballach and so resorted to following the tracks in the snow, keeping the final Munro of the day always in sight.
A very tedious last few kilometres and I resorted to listening to my headphone radio for distraction.
I left my rucksack at the col to the west of Carn Sgulain, strolled to the top - and slightly beyond to the second and more prominent cairn to the NE - and then back down again. I then made a bee-line for the A’ Chailleach summit cairn which was clearly in view. There were a surprisingly large number of tracks in the snow on the final climb, conflicting with the SMC’s description of the Monadhliath hills as being “rarely visited”!
A brief stop at the cairn for some photos and to check bearings, and then down to the col to the SW - passing the first of several cross-country skiers en route.
As an exercise I took a bearing for the small bothy 2 km to the SE and followed this without deviation (using Creag an Loin summit as a marker): spot on! Thence to the path by the Allt a’ Chaorainn and a pleasant walk back to the car.
A very rewarding day.