The trip, 4th day:
Daily summary:
Distance: 13.06 km
Total elevation: 776.6 m
Maps (Ordnance Survey):
Distance: 13.06 km
Total elevation: 776.6 m
Maps (Ordnance Survey):
During the night and dawn the bad weather rampaged outside while we slept peacefully in the shelter of the bothy. I leisurely cooked muesli with hot chocolate, packed away my staff then aimed to walk the hike I planned for the very first day but in reverse. Along the hilltops towards west then across woods and fields to spend the following night in the tent at the edge of Aviemore. Yesterday evening I climbed about quarter way up today's first peak, Meall a' Bhuachaille to make a call. That time I left my gear in the bothy and I felt I was flying uphill, but today I progressed at my usual, cautious pace with lots of stops.
On my way I sporadically heard clucking of the red grouse I seem to have got used to.
Ryovan bothy was getting further away.
Ryovan Pass
The path I broke into the snow yesterday was nowhere to be found any more due to the fresh layer of snow. In theory there was supposed to be a path leading up to the 810 m high peak but I didn't see the point of looking for it in such a deep snow. It actually broke through the snow higher up but mostly it just marked the deepest snow nearby.
Hikers towards the East.
Cairn Gorm ski pistes.
I followed the clear white lane almost at the centre - a creek - up until a rocky outcrop, tracing the shallowest snow around.
The hikers starting about 45 minutes later than me got to the top 5 minutes earlier. Their secret: they used skis, so while I mostly sunk knee deep at every step they glided on the surface.
Abernethy - Cold country, frozen lakes.
Two days earlier I was walking around the rocky gully of Allt a' Gharbh-choire, this time it's seen from afar.
Human sized icicles.
Cairn Gorm is filling the horizon from end to end.
Still uphill.
Rest.
After 45 minutes I got to the less steeper section ... the 622 metre high neighbouring hilltop Creag nan Gall on the left of the image is getting smaller.
The sneaky skiers already took me over.
Creag nan Gall on the other side of the pass.
Here I came across the made path for the first time.
My sleeping spot from 2 days ago Coire an Sneachda in beautiful sunshire.
A new hiker, it's almost a real congestion.
Uphill, the skiers almost turned to tiny dots in the distance.
A closer view of the lower section of Cairn Gorm ski pistes.
river
There's the goal!
Snowy rocks in the distant Lairig Ghru.
A real invasion was arriving from the pass.
The wind had an effect on all senses.
The view from 910 metres: the frozen Loch Morlich in the middle of Rothiemurchus.
The view from 910 metres: Cairn Gorm mountain.
The view from 910 metres: Abernethy.
On the 910 metres high summit of Meall a' Bhuachaille. Skis got transformed into snowboards and they were already sliding downhill to get back before their afternoon shift ... this is Scotland!
Clear summit of Cairn Gorm. After a brief bite and shooting of some photos I was already on my way, there were too many people up here and weigh too strong of a wind.
Towards Creagan Gorm. Descent to 624 metres then ascent to 732.
Creagan Gorm mountain.
Down in the saddle standing by the creek bed.
Fortunately I wasn't the first one to walk here, so it was much easier going.
Still busy Meall a' Bhuachaille ... already behind me.
The made path appeared quite often around here.
Second peak: Creagan Gorm, 732 m
The view: Cairn Gorm.
The view towards Aviemore.
Coire an Sneachda
The previous mountain: Meall a' Bhuachaille...
...and its peak.
There were patches of deep snow up here too.
Northern entrance of Lairig Ghru.
Frozen pond on the ridge.
Characteristic winter vegetation.
Deep snow formed along the ridge but fortunately I walked above it and not below.
Previous peaks.
Cairn on a smaller peak.
View towards the north: frozen lake.
Up ahead Caiggowrie, the last summit with a hiker, wind turbines in the background.
Distant mountains.
Path leading nowhere.
Aviemore at the feet of mountains.
Coire an Sneachda in sunshine.
Lairig Ghru
Cairn Gorm
Craiggowrie's 687 metres high summit.
Descending.
Structure without a roof, an other with a snow topped one.
Descent to the line of the forest for the next 40 minutes.
In the creek bed.
The creek already crossed.
The usual knee-deep snow makes you tired even downhill.
At this altitude the snow was melting so I found shelter in the forest.
For a while I didn't know exactly which track I was on, so I descended to the Milton Burn at the bottom of the valley following a beeline. This was a deserted area for my liking.
Milton Burn
Hopping from rock to rock I crossed the river and started walking on the steep uphill to get to the track on this side. Getting lost would have been difficult, going uphill was all I needed to stick to.
On the track at this side of the valley.
The other side of the valley.
According to the map I was to walk on a kilometre long section of a track but instead it was the usual pathless knee-deep snow.
From this spot the lastly climbed white summit became visible above the line of the trees once again.
Before dusk Cairn Gorm and Lairig Ghru came into view as well.
The modest lights of the ski centre.
I crossed a pine forest for the next km or so in relative darkness scaring off a couple of deer then the same distance before I reached my camping spot about 500 metres from Dell Farm.
Splendid, sheltered and snow-free was my pitch and I even had to take off my coat at night as I got too warm after a while in 0 degrees.
