The Cairnwell Three

With my recent experience on Sgor Gaoith still weighing heavily it was time to get back onto the hills

Summit of Carn Aosda

My recent 'scare' on Sgor Gaoith was playing on my mind as I opted to hit the Cairnwell round of 3 Munros which, from reading about and my brother Liam's lowdown, was a relatively easy round.

Sitting above The Glenshee Ski Centre this round offers precious little grandeur with The Cairnwell itself topped with ugly buildings and masts. That said, there are some great views to be had and highlights to be found if you look beyond the human impact.

There was no spring in my step and I felt as though I was carrying an extra load as I set off around 7.45am from Glenshee Car Park. Conditions were perfect and within 40 minutes of gentle plodding I was at the summit of Carn Aosda (3008ft). An easier car to cairn route you will not find. Nor an uglier. With extensive scarring to the landscape courtesy of the ski developments, I tried to convince myself that it was this, and not my state of mind, that was dulling my enjoyment today but I was failing. I was carrying Sgor Gaoith with me today and other sad news. On the drive up news was breaking about a walker, Isobel Bytautas, who was killed in the Nevis Range the day before tragically struck by lightning. I tend to have someone in mind as I place a stone on each Cairn I reach, a small personal tribute if you like, as to whoever is in my thoughts at that stage or that day and that particular one was for Isobel.

Dropping into the bealach above Loch Vrotachan the man made aspects of the landscape were diminishing and my mood began to lift a little. Approaching the crags of Creag a'Choire Dhirich I started to falter a little and a completely unfounded nervousness began to creep in where it had no right to be. It passed as quick as it started but it had the equivalent effect of tripping unexpectedly but without quite falling over. It really did piss me off that it tried to make a reappearance!

Storm Clouds Gathering coming off Carn a' Gheoidh

The small group who had set off before me had disappeared (later seen heading for Cairnwell as their 2nd) but I was passed by a couple on their way back from Carn a' Gheoidh and I briefly congratulated them on what must have been an early start (as an aside this was my 1st connecting with a fellow Instagrammer on the hills as we later discovered we followed one another's adventures).

Being the remotest part of the walk I was looking forward to reaching the summit of Carn a' Gheoidh (3198ft) where I had planned a small fuel and pit stop but the sky beyond was dark, foreboding and steadily crawling it's way in my direction casting dark shadows on the hills below. The air was humid and still around me and it had all the portents of a thunder storm in the making. A quick check of the map gave me the spot where I could make a decision to descend or turn and head towards The Cairnwell.

Reaching that junction a swift 30 minutes later the dark clouds had passed South of me by about a mile, the lighter edges briefly shrouding the summit of The Cairnwell before releasing it back into view. Also back into view was the various mechanisms of the ski runs, including one operational chairlift and numerous gravel paths and tracks. This 3rd and final Munro of the day was as uneventful and joyless as they come. I tried to imagine it centuries ago before it was designated as a ski resort and telegraph outpost and concluded it would have been as majestic as any on the map. Trying to do it some justice it was with this thought I reached the summit at 3061ft just under 3 hours after setting off.