Tuesday 28th May 2024
After my walk on the day before this past the Falls of Clyde, I set off north to drive all the way into the Highlands and to the Cairngorm Mountains to stay at the Cairngorm Lodge Youth Hostel. The following morning the weather was fantastic with blue skies and bright sunshine, the perfect day for mountain walking, but unfortunately the forecast revealed that it was not to last and it would be raining by afternoon. Undeterred I headed as quickly as possible into the mountains before the weather deteriorated, driving up to the Coire Cas car park where I was able to benefit from starting more than two thousand feet above sea level. The last time I was in the area was three years ago when I climbed Ben Macdui with Abbie Barnes of Spend More Time in the Wild as part of the Abbie Bikes Britain campaign. I had already planned to climb Ben Macdui on that day by a route via Loch Etchachan that I had originally planned on taking in 2005, but I hadn’t been able to resist the opportunity to join Abbie, though I was disappointed to not be ascending that way in excellent weather. Even though I was now finally able to climb Ben Macdui by way of Loch Etchachan I turned the walk around to descend that way instead and get up onto the plateau as soon as possible. Initially I set off on the same route I had taken three years ago, but when I reached a junction I turned left so I wouldn’t be repeating myself.
The weather was great at this point with extensive views towards Loch Morlich, but it wasn’t long before clouds began to cover the skies and put a grey cast over the scenery. The path took me up into Coire an t-Sneachda, which I hadn’t planned on entering so I had no idea how I would get out of it. The Ordnance Survey map reveals a path that climbs the corrie wall, which I have taken before, though all the way back in 2005, or alternatively I could turn left to climb Fiacaill a’ Choire Chais or right to climb onto the ridge on the other side of the corrie. There is a serious scramble at the end of Fiacaill Coire an t-Sneachda up the Fiacaill Buttress and I have harboured a desire to attempt it for almost twenty years and I could not resist the temptation now, so I branched off the path and climbed the boulders that cover the slopes of the ridge until eventually I reached the top. The sunshine overhead had already disappeared by this point while a cold wind was blowing towards me from off the escarpment. When I reached the foot of the buttress I attempted to follow the obvious route up but soon I bailed out thinking that it was too steep so I turned to the right to look for an easier route up. Perhaps I would have continued to climb fifteen or twenty years ago but in my old age I was quick to turn back, which is no bad thing and ensures that I didn’t get into difficulty that I couldn’t get myself out of.
Instead of finding an easier scramble up I found a path that bypasses everything crossing the slopes to the right of the ridge. I was a little disappointed to have so easily bailed out and I wish I had looked better for a route up but I have taken so many bypassing paths over the years I was not really too bothered and eventually, after a steep ascent, I reached the top of the ridge, which was still very satisfying. Now I was exposed to the harsh wind coming over the Cairngorm plateau so I zipped myself up and headed to the top of Coire Lochan, which at 1215 metres is one of the highest peaks in Britain, though it is only classed as a top and not a separate mountain. Turning into the wind I headed towards Ben Macdui across pathless slopes while the sun occasionally broke through the clouds and the weather seemed to improve to provide me with stunning views towards the neighbouring mountains either side of the plateau. At Lochan Buidhe I joined my route of 2021 and followed the cairned path across a stony landscape to the top of Ben Macdui which was clear of clouds, though windy and the clouds above the summit were becoming darker. Mindful of the impending rain I soon made my way along the path towards Loch Etchachan passing the ruin of the Sapper’s Bothy and alongside the crags above Coire Sputan Dearg. The views before me were sensational despite the darkening clouds as I thoroughly enjoyed the descent along a path that I have wanted to take for many years.
I previously passed Loch Etchachan in 2013 and, even though it was almost the same date as on this walk, winter still had an icy grip on the loch almost completely freezing its waters. That visit etched in me an abiding memory of the landscape that had now drawn me back so it was a shame that the weather was so poor and I wasn’t seeing the loch at its best. I continued my descent along the path that leads steeply down to the western end of Loch Avon where there is an awesome surround of crags but I had a problem: Cairn Gorm was in my way. A long line of mountains barred my way back to the car park so I had to climb back up to the Cairngorm plateau again, but first I made my way down the eroded path to the scattered boulders below Shelter Stone Crag, many of which one can actually shelter under. The eponymous boulder has the largest cavity and was identified by a pile of stones on top so I made my way there to have a look inside where I found a bit of debris left behind by previous occupants but I wasn’t about to take the opportunity myself so I made my way down to the river and after safely crossing I turned towards Loch Avon. In 2005 I had been faced with a similar problem and on that occasion I had climbed up to the Cairngorm plateau by a very difficult path beside Allt Coire Domhain that is not shown on Ordnance Survey maps, so this time I decided to take an easier route that climbs into Coire Raibeirt and I found an excellent path that was a joy to take.
As the rain finally began to fall I followed the stream up into the corrie and back onto the Cairngorm plateau where I had a choice of paths to take back down and despite the increasingly bad weather I decided to turn right and climb the tedious slopes of Cairn Gorm to reach the summit of the mountain that lends its name to the range and the National Park. I ignored the weather station near the summit to reach the cairn that marks the top but I didn’t linger and soon I was passing down the cairned and later roped path. I have previously gone out of my way to avoid this tourist route but the Ptarmigan Restaurant and the mountain railway were both closed so I made my way around and once past the ski slopes I had an enjoyable descent down Sròn an Aonaich. This was an epic walk even though I was making up the route as I went along, starting with climbing Fiacaill Coire an t-Sneachda, which I had not planned on doing. After waiting almost twenty years to climb Ben Macdui by way of Loch Etchachan, I actually found that it is better to descend by that route and I’ll be keen to return some time and camp beside this delightful loch. I am glad the weather held off until towards the end and I was able to make the most of an awesome day in the Cairngorm Mountains.
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