Having watched the forecast for the hills over the last week, Bruce had rearranged his golf and we were headed for the Cairngorms. The initial thought was Lochnagar, but I apparently looked less than impressed by this suggestion; in my head I was questioning whether I was munro fit. The next suggestion was Càrn a’Mhaim, a longer walk but easier ascent. This turned out to be a fantastic choice! Well done B!
An Early Start: Maximising the Daylight
It was a bit of a shock to my system to get up at work time in the holidays! Our plan was to be on the road by 07:30; my excuse for being 15 minutes (or thereabouts) late was that I was preparing sandwiches and a flask of soup.
We made good time heading out the road; everyone else appeared to still be in bed! A quick pit stop in Braemar saw us good to go as soon as we arrived at the Linn of Dee car park and put our boots on. It was pretty chilly so we didn’t hang about!
Good Tracks, Very Low Cloud
Heading along a very good track, we contemplated the day ahead and debated whether we’d make it out of the cloud. I said no, while Bruce was confident that with the forecast predicting sun and cloud free munros, we’d see an inversion all being well. It’s not like me to be glass half empty, but I wasn’t at all convinced!
The track gently led us out to Derry Lodge, around 3 miles from the car park. We met a few folks heading the opposite direction, some of whom had been camping out at Bob Scott’s Bothy overnight. I can only imagine how chilly that would have been!
One of the highlights of the day to this point was the frozen puddles. Not having been out since the change in season, I’d forgotten how satisfying it is to ‘pop’ the ice on puddles with a walking pole. Definitely one of life’s best free pleasures!
We passed Derry Lodge and some campers as we neared the bothy, continuing on towards the Luibeg Burn. This is where the day got interesting …
Falling on Ice: No Helicopter Required
The path from Derry Lodge can be a bit boggy. There was no issue today though as the bog was largely frozen, at times thick with ice that we had to skirt around, at other points just sufficient to allow us to cross without getting muddy.
Having the option of conquering the Luibeg Burn by stepping stones or walking further up to a bridge, we opted for the latter, the stones appearing to have an icy covering; it was too cold to risk falling in and getting soaked.
The bridge took us safely across the water. However, immediately off the bridge was some very thick ice across the path. I was just contemplating whether I needed my microspikes to navigate my way onto the heather when BANG! Down I went, landing heavily on my right side and bumping my thigh and elbow. Bruce, a little further on, advised me that the ice was short-lived and to get up and onto the heather. I made it off this section unscathed (I thought) and thankfully no mountain rescue team or helicopter was required.
Further up, I stopped for a comfort break and inspected the damage. I was surprised to see blood and some puncture wounds! Thankfully no severed arteries, Bruce managed to clean up the ‘wound’ and dress it from his first aid kit, even if we did conclude that Duck tape might have been more effective for keeping things together.
Bruce Was Right: Sunshine and Cloud Inversion
By this point, the cloud had started to clear a little, the sun starting to break through. We could see that the cloud was still sitting low behind us and hoped that it would stay there for long enough for us to get higher.
We stopped for a selfie just in case …
The climb of the day began, slow and steady, up we went. Again, we met more walkers, including a couple of guys that had stayed at Corrour Bothy last night. Surprisingly it got warmer as we ascended.
The views back were beautiful, the clouds highlighting the surrounding tops and very much reminding us that the decision to head into the Cairngorms was a good one.
Summit Views
The last pull up to the summit was eased by rocky steps. Fortunately these were dry so there was no concern about slipping; had there been, I may well have called it a day. As we approached the summit cairn, another couple vacated to afford us the panoramic views.
We stopped for long enough to enjoy our soup and sandwich lunch. Conditions were absolutely perfect, not a breath of wind, so had it not been for limited daylight we could still have been there now.
Retracing Our Steps
This was a simple out and back route so we retraced our steps back to the Luibeg Burn, Derry Lodge and finally the Linn of Dee.
I was happy to get off the steeper section of path and even more delighted to get back across the Luibeg Bridge unscathed. Bruce was ahead, as usual, and kindly coached me back down through the heather to avoid the ice, reminding me to ‘walk like a penguin’ on the ice itself.
Frozen Hair!
As we dropped down, it got colder again. This was a very surreal experience, the opposite of a typical day in the hills. Bruce donned his gloves as his hands were getting cold, and bizarrely, my hair froze!
Coffee: A Perfect Ending
Back at the car, we thawed out quickly. We’d made it back in daylight, headtorches not required, and best of all we made it to The Bothy in time for coffee.
Job done! Now home and bathed, aside from some bruising I’ll live to see another day, and we’ve got some more great memories for the bank.
Clare, happiest outdoors! 