Cairn Toul & Braeriach

4.8.00 - The Western Cairngorms Trip, Day 2 - 34km, 1270m - 580 mins

Area 8: The Cairngorm Mountains

< Previous | Walk 29 | Next >
The Devil's Point1004m3294ftM130#72
Cairn Toul1293m4237ftM4#73
Sgor an Lochain Uaine1258m4150ftM5#74
Braeriach1296m4252ftM3#75
Click here or on any picture to switch to slideshow
The Devil

I woke up in my tent and found the clock had stopped again. I guessed the time and got up to greet Midgeville, Glen Dee. The Trangia went out while I was boiling the kettle for tea, so I gave up and had breakfast of crunchy cereal, yesterday's sandwiches and water. I left as soon as possible, when the clock said 8.30 - in fact it was 8.10. I made a skilful (or perhaps just lucky) crossing of the Dee, followed by a long haul up the east bank as far as Corrour Bothy. It was cloudy and I was a bit depressed. My right toe was hurting in my boot - I later found that this could be improved by simple adjustment, but for the moment I was just putting up with it.

Ben Macdui from the Devil

Halfway up the hillside behind the bothy I came across a party of about twenty people doing some sort of work. I didn't ask what, but this was where the helicopter had been carrying the crates to the previous afternoon - they were lying all over the hillside. The ascent was OK, and I reached the Devil's Point in pretty good time. Across the Lairig Ghru Ben Macdui was clear and there was an impressive view down Glen Dee.

Looking down Glen Dee from the Devil

Looking down Glen Dee from the Devil

Sgor an Lochain Uaine from Cairn Toul

Then came Cairn Toul and I was into some mist. It was also very bouldery up there, making for slow going in places. Here I managed to phone Carrie but she was busy making lunch so I said I'd try again later. The mist cleared occasionally, giving views across An Garbh Coire to the cliffs of Braeriach. It was clear on the top of Sgor an Lochain Uaine, where I met a Dutch guy who left ahead of me. He was one of a number of lone walkers I encountered during the day - no parties, interestingly, except the work party.

Braeriach in cloud, from Cairn Toul

Braeriach didn't look too far away, so I decided to go for it. Unfortunately almost the whole trip round was in mist, so there was lots of compass-work, which of course is interesting and rewarding in its own way. I met the Dutch guy again halfway round so we carried on together, with our compasses, to the summit of Braeriach. As we neared the summit he suddenly bent down and picked something up. It was a watch which was still working - rather an amazing find considering there wasn't any path.

Cairn Toul and Sgor an Lochain Uaine from Braeriach

There were two more loners at the summit of Braeriach. After the celebratory Mars Bar I left, alone, and went north-east down to the col, where I managed to phone Carrie again.

Looking south down the Lairig Ghru with Carn a

There was a steep descent into the Lairig Ghru. I lost any trace of a path and went past a few bits of old crashed aircraft - one of the tourist sights of the Lairig Ghru, apparently. Then came the long, long walk back along the path, with the river to cross again near the end. It took 2 hours 40 minutes, my right foot was now very painful and my left knee was also hurting. So what would have been a very pleasant slog - the sun was out by now and all the tops were clear - was not very enjoyable. Nevertheless this walk was quite a feat - I later calculated it to be the longest walk I had ever done in a day.

Braeriach from the Lairig Ghru

Braeriach from the Lairig Ghru

The Devil

I got back to the tent at about six o'clock after nearly ten hours walking and was delighted to find that there was some wind and no midges in sight - wonderful! However, halfway through cooking tea the wind dropped and the midges descended. I finished quickly, jumped into the tent with it, fumigated with a moon tiger and settled down to eat in peace - very nice. As I settled down for the night, though, the midges were still outside…

The campsite in Glen Dee

My plan had been to climb Carn a' Mhaim, Ben Macdui and Derry Cairngorm on the third day, but I had more or less decided, as I hobbled down Glen Dee the previous afternoon, that my right foot and left knee weren't up to any more punishment for the time being. It would have been another mammoth day, including the trip back to Linn of Dee and the drive back to Edinburgh, and I felt in need of some rest instead. I was, however, up very early and I was packed up and off down the track by about 7.15, and back in Edinburgh by 11am. For the record, the mobile phone didn't work even at Linn of Dee, and it was only at Braemar that I managed to get through - where I could of course have used a payphone. I was sorry not to have got up Macdui, but I knew that it was probably easier to do it from the Glen Derry side anyway, and I felt that I had learned some useful lessons on the trip. I realised for one thing, as I made the inevitable comparison with our trip to Glen Shiel the week before, that extended expeditions are much more fun and much less stressful when you're with other people. No doubt I was also missing Alasdair and Isdale's more pedestrian pace!