Needing a winter fix...
Posted: Thursday, 14 February 2008 |
Since the forecast was good and since I hadnt been in any of my old stomping grounds for a while, I decided to take a couple of days off and head off to my favourite hills 鈥 the Cairngorms. I have been a regular visitor to these hills since 1971 -a place I never tire of and a place that has a special magic for me (as well as countless others). Anyway, the thought of blazing sun and huge snowfields was too much to resist.
I stayed at the Youth Hostel in Braemar - I have known the couple who run the place for many years and I always look forward to meeting up with them again.
Tuesday was a beautiful cold clear day 鈥 the sun shone from a cloudless sky all day and the hills were at their best. From the Linn of Dee car park, I headed up to Derry Lodge then up onto the ridge called Sron Riach 鈥 one of the shoulders of Ben Macdui. From there I cut over to the Lairig Ghru and Glen Dee and cut back round to where I started from. I鈥檒l let the pictures tell the story.
(Speaking of pictures, some of the best photos of the Cairngorms were taken by the late Walter Poucher. His black and white pictures in particular have a special quality about them and they are well worth looking for. Many are in his book 鈥淭he Scottish Peaks鈥 which is still in print, although they were originally published in 鈥 A Camera in the Cairngorms鈥, published about 1947 I think. Poucher was renowned for his use of flowery language: "from this lofty coign of vantage one may espy Cyclopean buttresses" sort of thing...)
Anyway, the pics:
Native pine trees at the Black Bridge, near Linn of Dee
The River Lui, with the snow covered hills in the distance
This hill is Carn a' Mhaim - looks well from here - that's the River Lui again. Carn a'Mhaim means the hill of the pass - the pass in this case is presumably the Lairig Ghru which runs nearby.
A rather fine Scots Pine near Derry Lodge
More native pine trees on the way to the Lairig Ghru
This is an area of pines called Preas nam Meirleach - the Robbers' Copse. It was fenced off several years ago and it is great how the trees have grown back again. The hill in the distance is called Beinn Bhrodain. Brodan was the name of Fingal's dog apparently...
Right, we are heading uphill at last - this is the path up towards Ben Macdhui.
The snowy point in the picture is Stob Coire Sputan Dearg - a very fine place with tremendous cliffs.
Note carefully, although this is February, the snow distribution is more like what you would find in May in a typical year. Although there have been good snowfalls, and the skiers have been very happy, there have been some savage thaws as well.
this hill is Cairn Toul - one of the 4000 footers. Cracker of a view and a cracker of a hill. I love this view of it. Heres a close up:
The big snow filled corrie is Coire an t-Saighdeir - the Corrie of the Soldier - who knows why it was called that?
Lots of this stuff growing about here - Staghorn Moss I believe its called.
From this, the shoulder of Ben Macdhui, I headed across the hill towards the Lairig Ghru, the famous hill pass. The views down into the Lairig Ghru are great:
The River Dee glistens in the afternoon sun
This is Braeriach, another of the 4000ers. There is a huge corrie to be seen in the picture - Coire Bhrochain, the Corrie of the Porridge!
Here is another view back to Braeriach - taken from down in the Lairig Ghru, looking back the way
And this is a view much further on, near the Devils Point, looking back towards Braeriach
And that dark looking peak in the picture above is the Devils Point - Bod an Deamhain in Gaelic (and if you are curious, do a google search for the meaning of the name - I dare you.....)
And that was that - just a stroll back to the car park (well, a long stroll - its about 10 miles) Cracker of a day, and very few people about either - I only met one other person when I was out - a bloke on a mountain bike was headed up the Devils Point (not on the bike - that was just to make the long walk-in a bit easier.... I think....)
Anyway, there's more of this stuff. that was Tuesday's stroll in the hills. Wednesday's walk is coming up soon!
Cheers!
JW (MM)
I stayed at the Youth Hostel in Braemar - I have known the couple who run the place for many years and I always look forward to meeting up with them again.
Tuesday was a beautiful cold clear day 鈥 the sun shone from a cloudless sky all day and the hills were at their best. From the Linn of Dee car park, I headed up to Derry Lodge then up onto the ridge called Sron Riach 鈥 one of the shoulders of Ben Macdui. From there I cut over to the Lairig Ghru and Glen Dee and cut back round to where I started from. I鈥檒l let the pictures tell the story.
(Speaking of pictures, some of the best photos of the Cairngorms were taken by the late Walter Poucher. His black and white pictures in particular have a special quality about them and they are well worth looking for. Many are in his book 鈥淭he Scottish Peaks鈥 which is still in print, although they were originally published in 鈥 A Camera in the Cairngorms鈥, published about 1947 I think. Poucher was renowned for his use of flowery language: "from this lofty coign of vantage one may espy Cyclopean buttresses" sort of thing...)
Anyway, the pics:
Native pine trees at the Black Bridge, near Linn of Dee
The River Lui, with the snow covered hills in the distance
This hill is Carn a' Mhaim - looks well from here - that's the River Lui again. Carn a'Mhaim means the hill of the pass - the pass in this case is presumably the Lairig Ghru which runs nearby.
A rather fine Scots Pine near Derry Lodge
More native pine trees on the way to the Lairig Ghru
This is an area of pines called Preas nam Meirleach - the Robbers' Copse. It was fenced off several years ago and it is great how the trees have grown back again. The hill in the distance is called Beinn Bhrodain. Brodan was the name of Fingal's dog apparently...
Right, we are heading uphill at last - this is the path up towards Ben Macdhui.
The snowy point in the picture is Stob Coire Sputan Dearg - a very fine place with tremendous cliffs.
Note carefully, although this is February, the snow distribution is more like what you would find in May in a typical year. Although there have been good snowfalls, and the skiers have been very happy, there have been some savage thaws as well.
this hill is Cairn Toul - one of the 4000 footers. Cracker of a view and a cracker of a hill. I love this view of it. Heres a close up:
The big snow filled corrie is Coire an t-Saighdeir - the Corrie of the Soldier - who knows why it was called that?
Lots of this stuff growing about here - Staghorn Moss I believe its called.
From this, the shoulder of Ben Macdhui, I headed across the hill towards the Lairig Ghru, the famous hill pass. The views down into the Lairig Ghru are great:
The River Dee glistens in the afternoon sun
This is Braeriach, another of the 4000ers. There is a huge corrie to be seen in the picture - Coire Bhrochain, the Corrie of the Porridge!
Here is another view back to Braeriach - taken from down in the Lairig Ghru, looking back the way
And this is a view much further on, near the Devils Point, looking back towards Braeriach
And that dark looking peak in the picture above is the Devils Point - Bod an Deamhain in Gaelic (and if you are curious, do a google search for the meaning of the name - I dare you.....)
And that was that - just a stroll back to the car park (well, a long stroll - its about 10 miles) Cracker of a day, and very few people about either - I only met one other person when I was out - a bloke on a mountain bike was headed up the Devils Point (not on the bike - that was just to make the long walk-in a bit easier.... I think....)
Anyway, there's more of this stuff. that was Tuesday's stroll in the hills. Wednesday's walk is coming up soon!
Cheers!
JW (MM)
Comments
aaaagghhhh!! i'm jealous!
carol from the usual place
...and I'm Flying Cat Carol - pleased to meet you! I love the zebra stripey ones and the last one is hot dark chocolate with whipped cream...mmmmmmmm.
Flying Cat from Rock On MM!
Beautiful pics, MM, as ever. The air's so clear, isn't it? I googled, by the way. That's a very odd shape for a....no, never mind!
Iz from NE Wales
MM, thanks for another grand blog. I worked as a dishwasher at the big hotel in Braemar in the summer of 1959 - a very nice one, too - and on days off the Linn of Dee was a good place to visit with a nice girl and a wee picnic.
Barney from Swithiod down memory lane
MM there is a better word for the anatomical appendage named in Google. In Swedish it is down-to-earth "Kuk" and that is not so far from what most of you would use in everyday English. Call a spade a spade. Will this get past draconian Carol?
Barney from Swithiod a breast of the times
Too many kuks spoil the broth...el...so sorry MM, don't what came over me...
Flying Cat from shovelling frantically
barney--who do you call "draconian carol"?? i have answerd to "the old dragon" so?????
carol from over here
Carol, this is purely an expression of my respect for the way in which you regulate the unruly and challenge the unmanageable (i.e. the tendency of IB to favour cyberspace rather than IB for comments sent).By the way, scientists tell us that 94% of the universe is composed of "dark material". IBloggers can make a good guess at where that comes from.... FC, your comment is in rather bad taste, quoi?
Barney from Swithiod in a playfool mood
Goodness gracious Carol, who would dare to call you such a thing??? I'm all agog!
Flying Cat from ailurophile
Barney, work is continuing to ensure that as few comments as possible spring from the launch pad into cyberspace despite the spam filter's endeavours to do otherwise.
Carol from IBHQ
barney: youve got the wrong carol!!! i must change my name to avoid further confusion
carol from the one is france
A Carol is a Carol is not a Carol... my apologies to both Carols. But you can see its a bit difficult sorting one from t'other without any further clues.
Barney from Swithiod dragon not rat
One year for Christmas, everyone called Carol gathered together for a photo. There was a roomful of Carols and Caroles singing Christmas carols. Confusing...
Carol from IBHQ
Now listen...Carol from IBHQ always signs off as such, in a proper manner as befits her position, whereas Carol (or carol) from France/NZ/Tws' weather girl/over here/the usual place etc is all over the place...is that quite clear?
Flying Cat from The Sunroom of Eternity
Clear as mud, FC, clear as mud, and thank you for explaining things. Er... why Tws weather girl?? Personalised weather forecasts, or just a change from the Weathermen?
Barney from Swithiod speechless
barney: tws called me "his weather girl as now and again i give comments on the crazy weather we have here in the south of france! clear enough??
carol(tws's weather girl) from where its a dreich,damp day
It doesn't do to make things too clear. I like to leave a little wriggle room for imaginative twiddling...
Flying Cat from the obfuscatory
Exploring the hills and coasts of Mull and Iona and occasionally elsewhere, with a close eye on the geology
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