Online Fellwalking Club - The Cairngorm Four Thousanders

The Cairngorm Four Thousanders

Written by Peter Burgess

Wednesday, 02 November 2011

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Path repair

As a child I was lucky enough to inherit a great book from the then Bishop of Cumbria, Thomas Bernard Pearson who was also the Founder and Life President of the Achille Ratti Climbing Club. In the pre-Internet age, the photographs in the book really captured my imagination. Views such as that showing the huge overhanging cornices on Braeriach, the snow-covered castellations of Sail Mhor rising above Coire Mhic Fhearchair and a brooding view of Suilven from Elphin really stirred my imagination. Very soon, I was able to put the book to good use as a reference for a walk on the Five Sisters of Kintail when in the Sixth Form. I have used the book on a few occasions since, but I knew I had to take it with me to Aviemore this summer. Turning through the pages, I considered whether I was fit enough to undertake Ken Wilson's epic day walk taking in the Cairngorm four thousanders and with hindsight I am so glad I did.

Route Map

Coire Cas

Recently, I was staying just north of Aviemore and after a discussion with the Cairngorm Mountain Ranger, I decided to take the first early bus up to Coire Cas. I was already striding up Windy Ridge well before any tourists had arrived for the day and before 9am I was already on the summit of Cairn Gorm. I was lucky. The weather was on the cusp of good and although cloudy on the summit, as I walked west on to Cairn Lochan, brilliant morning sunshine cast wonderful shadows into the corries to the north. The pinnacles lining the corrie of Stobe Coire an t-Sneachda were remarkable; tall tors of weathered stone like gnarled fingers. I walked to the summit of Cairn Lochan and turning south, I crossed the plateau of Cairn Lochan passing Lochan Buidhe, one of Scotland's highest tarns, and then south to Ben Macdui.

The Devils Point

Scarcely anything grows on the summit of Ben Macdui (Macduff's Hill) although there are the boulders and bare rock of this high plateau with many cairns and shelters littering the summit plateau. It was cool enough today, but I can well imagine the ferocious cold in the height of winter. I deviated from the summit descending the Allt Clach nan Taillear to reach the valley floor in the Lharig Ghru. It felt odd that I had descended so far, when I knew that I had the equivalent of a regular mountain day ahead of me after already being on the summit of the UK's second highest mountain. Having crossed the infant River Dee, on a remarkably well engineered bridge, I decided to take some time to refuel. I spent a quiet half hour in the Mountain bothy at Corrour a location of shear isolation but bliss. I changed my shirt in the bothy, ate some food and even spent some time writing in the visitors' book (it nearly made sense!). Two chaps walking north through the Lairig Ghru told me the westerly ascent from the bothy wasn't half as bad as it looked, but another sharp ascent after already covering many miles came as a strange experience.

The River Dee

Before continuing, having mentioned people walking through the Lharig Ghru, tragedy struck three tailors walking over the high pass one New Year's Eve. The three died at stones, no doubt seeking refuge, now known as Clach nan Taillear, or 'stone of the tailors' near to the burn carrying the name and by which I had descended Ben Macdui. It's a salutary reminder of the remoteness and harshness of this mountain wilderness. I zig-zagged my way up Coire Odhar behind the bothy, reaching the summit of Cairn Toul or 'rocky hill of the burn'. This is a fine summit with views down into Glen Dee. Heading west I traced the edge of the corries high above Lochan Uaine pausing breifly at the peak of the little green loch which gives the mountain its name in Gaelic and round to the crags of An Garbh Choire where snow permanently hangs from the shaded and north-facing corrie back-wall. Allegedly, this snow has only melted twice in about the last 120 years!

...Tailor's Stone, named after certain tailors who for a wager attempted to dance, during the hours of a winter day, at the “three Dells” - the Dell of Abernethy, the Dell of Rothiemurchus and Dalmore in Mar. They danced at Abernethy and at Rothiemurchus and had crossed the most exposed miles of the Lairig when a blizzard overtook them in Glen Dee, and they succumbed as they vainly sought shelter behind the stone that is their memorial. Gordon, 1948

View from Braeriach

Walking here really was exhilirating. Unlike Lakeland with its intimacy of landscape and the influence of humanity all around, this route felt like a remote adventure with spectacular crags, hanging corries and deep valleys with a distinct flavour very different from elsewhere on this island. The walking across the high ground was relatively easy and the plateau roundabouts lies at the 4000' contour and felt more Arctic, especially with flecks of snow in the high corries. The infant Dee falls down the cliff of Coire Bhrochain to the right of the route, just after traversing Carn na Criche and after fording the infant tributary running from the source at the Wells of Dee, a gentle rise leads you to the summit of Braeriach perched on the edge of spectacular 750' high cliffs dropping into Coire Brochain. There is no doubt that the summit was a good one and on today's visit confirmed its meaning as the 'grey upper part'. Fortunately however, the cloud that was now making it rather a dull day was missing the summit at 4248' and from my vantage point, the most dramatic view into upper Glen Dee was revealed. It was difficult to keep moving, as I wanted to savour the day, but I was aware that I still had the long march back to Aviemore and beyond. Luckily I still had a tin of sardines in my bag to keep me going - I looked forward to a trackside meal later on!

The Big Walks by Ken Wilson

Still available online to buy, this really is an excellent book with fantastic route descriptions and associated photographs from the pre-digital age. It's an evocative book and my bible for many walks out in the big hills. Try and bag yourself a copy!

Homeward Bound!

From the summit, I started the final long descent of the day. Entering the first valley on the north, I entered Coire Beanaidh west of Sron na Lairige and passed through the fragmented remains of an aircraft along the way. This route remained pathless until I intercepted the Land Rover track heading north from Loch Einich in the glen of that name. As I 'bounced' along through the heather, flocks of grouse sprang up from the purple carpet on a few occasions - I'm not sure who was shocked more, me or the birds! Walking northwards through Rothiemurchus was lovely. The ancient trees, so natural in their layout and form indicate, the absence of any real management and instill wonder when you realise this forest covered the whole of Great Britain at a time just 11000 years ago when trees colonised what is now Britain across the land bridge at the end of the Ice Age. Rothiemurchus is only part of the estimated 1% of this ancient forest that still exists and therefore needs special protection. Emerging on the mountain road at the delightful Lochan Deo, I finally reached Ken Wilson's start point for his documented walk at the small homestead of Whitewell, where there is some parking for cars. I still had to get back to our holiday residence on the north side of Aviemore but with a day's mountain memories filling my head it was a fine homeward saunter. I finally got home non too worse for wear about twelve and a half hours later and with one of thos satisfied feelings that only comes from a great day on the hills. PB

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