Cairn Gorm

Wednesday 3rd June 2009

After my over-exertions of the previous couple of days I didn't want to do much walking this day so I merely walked up the sixth highest mountain in Britain. My right leg had been aching so much I’d even contemplated not going for any walk, but I didn’t want to leave the Cairngorm Mountains without at least one more walk into some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Britain. I had originally planned to go up Ben Macdui, the second highest mountain in Britain on this day, but instead I opted for this relatively easy walk. The weather was also a lot cooler than it had been earlier in the week with low cloud and even a bit of rain at the beginning. I started late after a small lie-in going up to the Ryvoan Pass by a wonderful little path that I remembered from last time through the Glenmore Forest Park. This is not the main path, but is a narrow path that twists and turns around the trees above the pass, working with the natural landscape rather than bulldozing through it before descending steeply down to the pass. On the other side of the pass I followed my route of Monday down to the River Nethy where I turned off the main path and walked up the deserted valley of Strath Nethy.

This was a long, varied walk that was boggy at first, but later as the valley narrowed became deliciously rocky. When I eventually reached the end of the valley at ‘The Saddle’ stupendous views were revealed across Loch Avon and towards the cliffs that surround its western end. I came here four years ago on a wet day when I had also originally planned on going up Ben Macdui. One day I will complete this walk to Ben Macdui via Loch Avon, but this time I was defeated not only by the poor weather but by my own body. After lunch I climbed the steep never ending western slopes of ‘The Saddle,’ more than 400 metres all the way up to the summit of Cairn Gorm. The summit has a grand conical cairn, a weather station and a close line of piles of stones that lead all the way up to the summit from the mountain centre far below, but the greatest attraction of the top was the view across the Cairngorm Mountains.
Spurning the despoliation in Coire Cas from the Cairngorm Mountain Centre I headed west down the steep stony slope to the top of the Fiacaill a’ Choire Chais ridge. The view across the northern corries was awesome coupled with the sublime backdrop of Ben Macdui beyond partly covered in snow, and completely covered under cloud. The poor weather of the morning had lifted slightly to let me see this amazing view of the Cairngorm Mountains but Ben Macdui remained resolutely under cloud. Despite the temptation to venture as I had done four years ago onto the wondrous mountain plateau towards Ben Macdui I descended the ridge keeping my eyes on the gorgeous Coire an t-Sneachda to my left and away from the mess of the ski slopes in Coire Cas to my right. Whilst keeping to the top of the ridge all the way down I had a thoroughly delightful walk down with the great views over Loch Morlich always before me.

At the bottom of the ridge I went into the mountain centre to use their facilities before descending the wonderful Allt Mor Trail all the way down to the youth hostel. I really enjoyed this walk as the mountain scenery at the top was simply divine. The approach along Strath Nethy may have been long but it was quiet and clear of the crowds that often plague the top of Cairn Gorm. This was a good little walk, which was just what I needed after rather pushing myself recently. This was a walk in great mountain scenery that I have sadly ignored for four years. Cairn Gorm itself is not a particularly great mountain as it’s too scarred by the ski runs in Coire Cas, but the other northern corries of Cairn Gorm and the eastern corries of Ben Macdui more than make up for it. It’s tragic that it had taken me so long to return to this area, so I hope it will not take me so long to return again.