20 days since my last Munro and this time my only excuse had been the lack of time off work. St Andrew's day was to see an opportunity for a short trip out to Inverey and the chance to attempt Carn Bhac. This would involve a lengthy trek out to Glen Ey, considered one of the loneliest glens in Scotland, but only an hour and a half drive from home.
My destination today was the tiny outpost of Inverey, on the turn off from Braemar to Linn of Dee. This remote community was the last place in eastern Scotland where Gaelic was spoken, in the 1930s; it is split by the Ey burn; the east side (Meikle Inverey) was Protestant whilst the west (Little Inverey) was Catholic.
I left the car parked up in Inverey and started along the route at about quarter to nine (sticking to the Catholic side of the Ey burn)...immediately thanking my good sense in wearing thermal baselayers and a fleece buff for a change...it was bloody freezing!!! I rarely wear gloves, certainly this past year, and usually only when height is gained and I am exposed on a summit ridge. Today was decidedly different though...the temperature when I left the car said -4.5 and I was already feeling the chilling effects on my fingers. I don't have the best circulation anyway, but today my fingers were turning so numb it was hurting...and that was less than 1k from the car park!!! With gloves pulled on and buff to protect face from the worst of the chill I carried on out to my first stop on the route...the Colonel's bed. This is an overhanging rock and gorge, partly collapsed, which in the 17th Century was used by a colonel, outlawed for the murder of a Laird, as his refuge, where he was brought food each day by his lover; It is only a short detour off the route and is well worth a visit...but step carefully, especially when the path is frozen over.
After taking a few snapshots of the gorge I headed back onto the frozen track and eventually back onto the Glen Ey footpath. A further 2k along the route and I was standing by the ruins of Auchellie farm. There is an alternative route from here that heads off up the back of the ruins and takes you up to Carn nan Seileach, eventually leading to the bealach between Carn Bhac and Carn Creagach. Unfortunately this route would avoid the beautifully lonely walk into Glen Ey, and if you are going to head to Carn Bhac then there is no way you would want to miss out on a walk into desolation. With the chilled crisp air cutting through me I continued on my merry lonely way, cutting close to the burn once more, then heading south-east for a kilometre and a half. After another bridge crossing I headed south-west along the path for almost a further three kilometres, crossing the Ey burn at least twice more, getting further and further away from any signs (or sounds) of civilisation. The burn was starting to freeze over as the temperature continued to drop...the hills around were bathed in sunshine but there was no heat to be found this low down in the shelter of the glen. I arrived at the ruins of Altanour lodge to find that the snow on the ground was starting to get thicker underfoot. The view into Glen Ey was stunning from here, all of the tops were thickly smeared in frozen whiteness, from An Socach directly south of me, to Beinn Lutharn Mhor to the south-west. A stunningly white vista surrounded me and I had to find the best way onto Carn Bhac. The route I had read about spoke of heading for the bealach between Carn Bhac and Carn Creagach...but I had a different plan in my mind. A kilometre along from Altanour lodge the path technically stops and you have to head off up slope in a north-west direction to make the bealach...or you can continue to follow the stream to the Allt nan clach geala a further kilometre along and ascend the slopes from there. The stream was frozen in places lower down and surprisingly there was a narrow track following the line of the stream, most unexpected but gratefully followed none the less. The snow was getting thicker underfoot and I stopped long enough to put on gaiters and stretch out my walking poles in preparation for the slog up the snowy slopes. The going was tough at the start, most probably down to my lack of fitness in the past few months, but I soon got into a decent stride as I made my way through the snowy gorse covered slopes. The views on the way up were stunning, with everything for miles around covered in snow, An Socach, Beinn Lutharn Mhor, Carn an Righ, Glas Tulaichean, Carn a' Gheoidh, Carn Aosda and The Cairnwell. Carn Bhac may not be the most exciting Munro I have ever attempted but the snowy vista all around me was more than making up for any short comings in my target. As I gained height I could start to make out a blizzard blowing in from the west, as I made the summit plateau it was already apparent that Carn an Fhidheir and An Sgarsoch were nowhere to be seen. Summit cairn located, Jelly McBaby out for a pose, and a cracking view into the main body of the Cairngorms. I was able to pick out the Lairig Ghru and Ben Macdui and Braeriach standing guard either side of her.
A quick bite of sandwich and refuel with some juice and I left the summit plateau behind, just as the blizzard blowing in from the west was reaching the extremities of the Munro. I headed off towards the bealach between Carn Bhac and Carn Creagach, looking to completing the route in a circular fashion by dropping off the top of Carn nan Saileach, rather than reversing my outward route via Glen Ey. The traverse down the slopes was slow going as the snow had gathered thicker on this side of the hill and I kept dropping in holes to my thigh, I was clearly crossing peat bogs beneath the snowy covering. Taking great care not to drop through to the bogs beneath, I picked my way down the slopes and started to cross the bealach, cutting to the north-east to pick my way around the slopes of Carn Creagach, rather than head across the top of her. The going felt very slow and cumbersome at the time (though given my total route time it really couldn't have been), sapping the strength from my calves as I plodded through some squelchy patches and half frozen rivulets of water coming down the side of the Corbett. The views into the Lairig Ghru and the Beinn Bhuird range were increasingly stunning as the sun dropped and the clouds gathered around them to give off an ethereal effect...plenty to see in the distance to maintain my interest on the way off. Thankfully the blizzard that I had feared was going to overtake and swallow me up diverted in the changing wind, instead heading into Glen Ey and out of my reach. I reached the bealach between Carn Creagach and Carn nan Saileach and continued to follow the path along the crest of the hill before me. Not too long afterwards, heading quickly down hill, I spotted the ruins of Auchellie below me...not too far left to go now. Once back at the path below I reversed my initial route, passed the Colonel's Bed, and returned once more to the car park, arriving back at around quarter past two (5.5 hrs after departure). The car was frozen over and required a scrape prior to leaving on the short trip back to Aberdeen...until next time...197 in the bag...85 remain.
After taking a few snapshots of the gorge I headed back onto the frozen track and eventually back onto the Glen Ey footpath. A further 2k along the route and I was standing by the ruins of Auchellie farm. There is an alternative route from here that heads off up the back of the ruins and takes you up to Carn nan Seileach, eventually leading to the bealach between Carn Bhac and Carn Creagach. Unfortunately this route would avoid the beautifully lonely walk into Glen Ey, and if you are going to head to Carn Bhac then there is no way you would want to miss out on a walk into desolation. With the chilled crisp air cutting through me I continued on my merry lonely way, cutting close to the burn once more, then heading south-east for a kilometre and a half. After another bridge crossing I headed south-west along the path for almost a further three kilometres, crossing the Ey burn at least twice more, getting further and further away from any signs (or sounds) of civilisation. The burn was starting to freeze over as the temperature continued to drop...the hills around were bathed in sunshine but there was no heat to be found this low down in the shelter of the glen. I arrived at the ruins of Altanour lodge to find that the snow on the ground was starting to get thicker underfoot. The view into Glen Ey was stunning from here, all of the tops were thickly smeared in frozen whiteness, from An Socach directly south of me, to Beinn Lutharn Mhor to the south-west. A stunningly white vista surrounded me and I had to find the best way onto Carn Bhac. The route I had read about spoke of heading for the bealach between Carn Bhac and Carn Creagach...but I had a different plan in my mind. A kilometre along from Altanour lodge the path technically stops and you have to head off up slope in a north-west direction to make the bealach...or you can continue to follow the stream to the Allt nan clach geala a further kilometre along and ascend the slopes from there. The stream was frozen in places lower down and surprisingly there was a narrow track following the line of the stream, most unexpected but gratefully followed none the less. The snow was getting thicker underfoot and I stopped long enough to put on gaiters and stretch out my walking poles in preparation for the slog up the snowy slopes. The going was tough at the start, most probably down to my lack of fitness in the past few months, but I soon got into a decent stride as I made my way through the snowy gorse covered slopes. The views on the way up were stunning, with everything for miles around covered in snow, An Socach, Beinn Lutharn Mhor, Carn an Righ, Glas Tulaichean, Carn a' Gheoidh, Carn Aosda and The Cairnwell. Carn Bhac may not be the most exciting Munro I have ever attempted but the snowy vista all around me was more than making up for any short comings in my target. As I gained height I could start to make out a blizzard blowing in from the west, as I made the summit plateau it was already apparent that Carn an Fhidheir and An Sgarsoch were nowhere to be seen. Summit cairn located, Jelly McBaby out for a pose, and a cracking view into the main body of the Cairngorms. I was able to pick out the Lairig Ghru and Ben Macdui and Braeriach standing guard either side of her.
A quick bite of sandwich and refuel with some juice and I left the summit plateau behind, just as the blizzard blowing in from the west was reaching the extremities of the Munro. I headed off towards the bealach between Carn Bhac and Carn Creagach, looking to completing the route in a circular fashion by dropping off the top of Carn nan Saileach, rather than reversing my outward route via Glen Ey. The traverse down the slopes was slow going as the snow had gathered thicker on this side of the hill and I kept dropping in holes to my thigh, I was clearly crossing peat bogs beneath the snowy covering. Taking great care not to drop through to the bogs beneath, I picked my way down the slopes and started to cross the bealach, cutting to the north-east to pick my way around the slopes of Carn Creagach, rather than head across the top of her. The going felt very slow and cumbersome at the time (though given my total route time it really couldn't have been), sapping the strength from my calves as I plodded through some squelchy patches and half frozen rivulets of water coming down the side of the Corbett. The views into the Lairig Ghru and the Beinn Bhuird range were increasingly stunning as the sun dropped and the clouds gathered around them to give off an ethereal effect...plenty to see in the distance to maintain my interest on the way off. Thankfully the blizzard that I had feared was going to overtake and swallow me up diverted in the changing wind, instead heading into Glen Ey and out of my reach. I reached the bealach between Carn Creagach and Carn nan Saileach and continued to follow the path along the crest of the hill before me. Not too long afterwards, heading quickly down hill, I spotted the ruins of Auchellie below me...not too far left to go now. Once back at the path below I reversed my initial route, passed the Colonel's Bed, and returned once more to the car park, arriving back at around quarter past two (5.5 hrs after departure). The car was frozen over and required a scrape prior to leaving on the short trip back to Aberdeen...until next time...197 in the bag...85 remain.
Apologies for the recent lack of pictures in my blog...the link to upload them from my laptop appears to not be working properly just now (or blogspot have changed their settings and not made me aware!!!). Hopefully I will be able to remedy this in the near future and get back to providing a full service :-)
ReplyDelete