Saturday 17 May 2014 - TGO Challenge - Day 9 - By Allt Garbh Buidhe to Braemar

Route: as planned, adding Carn Liath (818 metres) but omitting Morrone in favour of the Morrone Birkwood path into Braemar, as rain would have spoilt the Morrone walk

Distance: 22 km (Cum: 218)

Ascent: 600 metres (Cum: 8350)

Time taken: 6.3 hrs including 1.0 hrs breaks

Weather: a fine start, clouding over for predicted rain that arrived as I entered Braemar

Click on the link below (Day 9) for details of my planned route:

http://www.topwalks.com/tgoc2014.html

Sunshine blessed us after a warm night, the brisk breeze having dissipated as usual in the evening. 

Andy Wright soon passed by. He's a fisherman - an early riser.

After a chat with Mole and Ed, who is another fan of the Pyrenees, I got going around 8 am, along the easy path to Bynack Lodge. There was no need to go all the way there, so I cut across the two little streams that eventually flow into the River Dee, and took to the grassy slopes of Buachaille Breige. It was a very easy climb, which I was happy to extend to take in a 788 metre top as well as 818 metre Carn Liath, which had a good windbreak and fine views over Deeside. I enjoyed these whilst demolishing my last tin of fish and catching up with these postings.

I then missed a trick by taking to my planned route down the Allt Cristie Beag LRT to Inverey. A couple I met on the way down confirmed that a descent via the Carn na Moine ridge would have been rather more scenic, with a lovely Alpine style finish through pine woods. Never mind. 

Many Challengers must have walked down the road from Inverey today. I saw just one, Nicole, who I chatted to briefly before heading into the forest towards the Morrone Birkwood above Braemar. A delightful stroll - it amazes me how many Challengers seem to prefer to walk along the road. Quite sad really. 

It started to drizzle as I approached Thornbank, the cottage that Simon and Kat have kindly lent me for the night. So I dumped my bag there and headed to the nearest tea shop to join Graham Weaver and others. Then Alastair P and Andy Walker strolled past so I joined them and many more in the Fife Arms. JJ and Alan R were both there, preparing themselves for the excitement of an evening at Loch Callater Lodge.

A visit to the outdoor shop resolved a broken spork problem, then the butcher and the Co-op provided supplies for a bit of home cooking at Thornbank while my clothes wash and dry. It was good to have a chat with Sue, who seems to be indoors working while the sun beams from an otherwise empty sky in Timperley. 

Today's pictures show last night's campsite and the view to Deeside from Carn Liath as the cloud came in.

Now it's off to join the party. 

Sent from Braemar