Ben Macdui & Cairngorm

A bit of time out on a Busman's Holiday.....

Summit Cairn of Ben Macdui

Having agreed with my employer to take a 10 day stint working in Aviemore I knew opportunities to take on any summits would be few and far between so I was gutted when my first chance saw me beaten back by bad weather just above Coire an Lochain, a notorious avalanche spot also known as 'The Great Slab'. Still snow clad in places and throwing up spume and clag as if a great beast was stirring far below.

At 4294ft, Ben Macdui is the 2nd highest summit in the UK. Although this accolade still did not merit the naming rights to the entire region, Ben Macdui does have the legend of the Grey Man. A beast who haunts the hills of this mountain, The Grey Man folklore has been heightened by some very credible accounts and is well worth further reading

The following day, the forecast was better but I had a far smaller window so set out to do my first two 4000ft + peaks in as close to 5 hours as I could.

A proper 'oh shit' moment on Ben Macdui

Setting off from the Ski Centre, I made great time on decent paths and passed the point I stopped the day before around 30 minutes quicker. I can usually tell how my body will react to a days walking in the first hour and today I was feeling very good.

At an elevation of around 1100 metres the mist started to roll in across Miadan Creag an Leth-choin - a large flat expanse in which I found myself temporarily alone (having overtaken and then left behind various walking groups behind me). Despite the mist, visibility was relatively decent and I had one of those half magical, half intimidating moments when the sheer scale of your surroundings becomes apparent. It leaves you in awe and feeling very vulnerable in equal measure but for me the 'awe' inspires and motivates and the 'vunerable' reminds you to stay alert, use your wits and to navigate properly (a lesson I would forget in the next hour of this walk).

The majestic gulf of Lairig Ghru was lost to me in the mist emanating from it's chasm but glimpses did appear from time to time from this most famous of Mountain Passes through the Cairngorms.

A glimpse of Lairig Ghru

Before long I was crossing a tundra like expanse and I must have been enjoying myself at this point as I hummed the Super Mario theme tune (original version of course) as I hopped across the boulder field. A slight climb followed by a drop brings you to the base of the last pull to the summit. The mist really was setting in now but the compass and a series of Cairns guided me to the summit.

Poor visibility on Ben Macdui

I was alone. It was misty. In fact, more than misty it was thick clag. It was magical.

I have often wrote slightly tongue in cheek, with a smattering of disappointment, of my view-less summits but on this occasion I was rather pleased. I hope I will see many mighty views from many mighty summits over many days to come but only one mountain has the Legend of The Grey Man and I would hardly have felt this resonate on a glorious sunny day. On a day like today it was easy to feel how this legend came to be.

With this thought in mind, feeling in great shape and my first 4k summit under my belt I went quite literally skipping off down the return path feeling rather pleased with myself...... except it wasn't a path.

Silly me - I had simply taken what could only loosely be described as a path but then realised it wasn't as clearly defined as the ascending one and I couldn't see any of the helpful Cairns along the route. I had passed at least one set of footprints but that really does count for nothing so I decided, without stopping, to cut across the hillside towards the proper path.

Instead of the expected path I found a thick bank of snow which I definitely hadn't encountered on the way up

My 'oh shit' moment.

I had made not one but about 3 mistakes inside 25 minutes. I knew I couldn't afford too many more and I was fairly certain the snow was only clinging to cliff edges at this time of year, or marginally better in unforgiving depressions.

The irony, the embarrassing part and the 'hurrah' part are all the same thing in this case because I undertook a Navigation Course with Mountaineering Scotland only the weekend before. Kicking myself for being an idiot I employed as much as I could remember and in 25 minutes was, quite literally, back on track. And yes, I did panic a little bit and even at the time of writing (3 weeks later), it is an unnerving thought. At this point I must add a small plug for Mountaineering Scotland - I won't give a full advertorial here but please do check out their web page and the awesome and varied work they do.

Looking back at my Suunto Movescount, I came perilously close to the S.W. slopes at one point then traversed slightly back into the vast and featureless area of the North East side before plotting my way back.

Cairngorm (where I didn't get lost)

The slopes above Feith Buidhe, although still snow covered in places, seemed gentle by comparison to the ominous surrounding landscape but it's not an area I would like to experience in a white winter where the terrain must seem featureless at times but where multiple dangers would hide.

Running above the Central Gully the views are stunning and the drop dizzying. The lack of depth means the images I snapped don't capture the sheer height at this point but it was stunning.

Looking across to the ridge of Fiacaill Coire an t-Sneachda

From the top of Central Gulley, with Loch Morlich nestled in Glenmore Forrest far below

Following the path was now pretty straightforward and visibility was excellent as I reached the final small ascent to the summit. Having previously had boundless energy I found myself seriously struggling with this last stretch. The sun had now come out and I had been pretty much flat out (with a detour) for just under 4 hours.

Cairngorm stands at 4081 feet placing it 6th highest of the 282 Munros. Despite propping up 5th to 2nd on this list it has the distinction of giving it's name to The Cairngorms National Park, covering a range of almost 1800 square miles and containing 54 Munros.

I was more relieved than elated to reach the top but took the time to take in my surroundings and have a bite to eat. I took a quick snap of 2 men and their dog (with their camera I hasten to add) and they returned the favour (with mine of course).

An overweight middle aged bloke at the top of a mountain

I took the 'tourist route' off this summit back towards the Ski Centre. A very well made and easily defined path to the summit of one of the UK's highest mountains. It was a bit of an anti climax and betrayed nothing of the landscape, beauty and dangers that lay beyond. I did pass a herd of Cairngorms Deer which was a real treat. I had bumped into them the previous miserable day and fed them apple - I'd like to think they remembered that as they came far nearer on this occasion or maybe the sunshine just made everybody more sociable.

Any more apples? Reindeer on the Cairngorm

This anti climax and the vulgarity of man made mountains passed for a fleeting moment into a bit of Munro Snobbery but only for a moment. By the time I hit the base I had passed numerous families and leisure visitors who were on their way up and why shouldn't they have the chance to experience that view, that feeling of being 'on top of the world' and in a relatively safe and manageable way? I wouldn't want every Munro to have a well made and defined 'Tourist Path' but I certainly don't grudge a few.

Besides, there are dozens (if not more) summits I am not yet equipped to do and won't yet venture on to them just yet so I have no right to complain about the provision of a tourist path.

In fact, is anybody ever 100% equipped to take on a Mountain of Scotland or do they all carry an element of risk no matter what?