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Munros and tops galore!
A wonderful day out in wild and open country. Following a
day working in Aberdeen, and a visit in the evening to
friends in Banchory, I drove up to the Glen Muick car park,
and slept in the back of the Espace. As a result, I was up
and ready to start nice and early.
I left the car at 7.15am, and cycled along the west shore
of Lock Muick as far as Glas Allt Shiel, where I "parked"
the bike in the woods at 8am. It was a fine morning, and I
set off up the good stalkers path, slanting up the hillside
beyond the end of Lock Muick, crossing the Stulan burn as it
lept down the hillside form the White Mounth in a series of
cascades. Soon the Dubh Loch came into view and the path
became rather boggy. Still, the views across to the dark
cliffs of Creag and Dubh-loch, below which some climbers
were camped, made up for the soggy ground underfoot. Once
again the path started to climb, alongside a superb
waterfall and waterslide, leading into the remote upper
glen, once again drier underfoot, but the path petering out
in the tussocky grass.
From here I climbed steadily towards Carn an t-Sagairt
Beag, disturbing a herd of deer just before reaching the
summit at 10.30am. It looked like a 10 minute walk to take
in the extra Munro of Carn a' Choire Bhoidheach (the White
Mounth), but I knew I had a lot of ground to cover, so it
was left for another day (31 Aug 2004, actually). After a
short stop for a rest, a sandwich and a view from the rocky
flat top, I set of SW towards the first Munro of the day,
Carn an t-Sagairt Mor. A short dip to the col at 960m, then
a short ascent took less than 30 minutes. I was intrigued by
something reflective on the hillside, which turned out to be
the remains of a crashed aircraft, just to the north of the
summit. At around 11am, I walked through the curiously split
cairn of my 141st Munro.
The hard work was now over (although it had been pretty
easy going so far), and a top-baggers paradise lay ahead! If
any area has been over-generously endowed with tops in
Munro's tables, this has to be it. First stop was on the
attractively named Fafernie at 11.40, no more than a gentle
walk across the moor from Carn an t-Sagairt Mor, and looking
across to Tolmount at the head of Glen Clova. From Fafernie,
a delightful 10 minute stroll, with certainly less than 5m
of descent and 15 m of ascent, led to the foot of the small
summit cone of Cairn Bannoch. A quick stop to celebrate my
"half way" Munro (142), then on over easy ground to Cairn of
Gowal (12.20). The next top, Creag of Gowal, meant a short
descent to this gentle swelling of the ridge, before
backtracking across a slightly boggy col to Creag an
Dubh-loch at 13.05. Time for lunch a little beyond the
cairn, overlooking the Dubh Loch far below. Caught a glimpse
of the morning's climbers making a more direct ascent than I
had. It seemed strange to find a renowned rock wall in such
gentle surroundings. Good views across to the White Mounth
and Lochnagar.
After lunch, another eay step led to the rocky top of the
3rd Munro of the day, Broad Cairn. From Broad Cairn, a
strong path led down to a col at 700m with a stalkers hut.
The sun came out, so it was time for shorts. Then a steep
descent down towards the head of Loch Muick, with excellent
views across to the Lochnagar massive. Continued around the
head of the loch, to find my bike still hidden in thewoods.
Nice to get the weigth off my feet, and I was soon trundlng
back into the (now busy) car park at 15.35.
And so home to Selkirk!
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