27 to 29 October 1995 - Cairngorm Capers

Notes (context): This was an era of frequent backpacking weekends, starting from the Rising Sun near Albert Square, on Friday afternoons. We always went in my company car as close as possible to (or before) my finishing time of 5:30. We routinely stopped for a meal at the Black Bull in Moffat, if not the Little Chef nearby. A late arrival at the Faskally campsite (that was as far as I could drive without getting too tired), and early Saturday morning departure, meant we usually didn't pay as we arrived after the office closed, and left before it reopened. Faskally offered Saturday morning access to many different areas, for an overnight backpack before an evening return to Manchester by midnight on Sunday, duly refreshed for work on Monday morning!

I had more energy in those days...

27 to 29 October 1995 - Cairngorm Capers 

Friday 27/10/95 (Diarist: Martin W [MW])

I (MW) arrive at Leeds station at 3:10 for the 3:24 train to Manchester and find enormous queues at the ticket office. A tense 10 minutes waiting for a ticket. Train late anyway. Arrive in Manchester and take tram to St Peter's Square, dash to the Rising Sun and find Dave has not arrived (4:45). He missed his bus and another bus driver ignored him.

Anyway, we meet, get away, and there is not too bad traffic on the motorway. We pick up John (JM) from Carlisle at about the planned time. Martin B (MB) forgets to turn left at Moffat and we miss the Black Bull. He also seems unable to turn left at the next services, and we miss a Little Chef. With an 8 mile warning sign he finally manages to turn left at the next exit. This puts his reaction time at about 6 minutes. The services are found by a complicated route and seem rather new, empty and cold. The food is by general consensus less than mediocre. 

Reach Pitlochry (Faskally) at 10:25. It's a calm, clear, cold night. John sneaks off for a beer without inviting any of us to join him. The rest of us have tea in MB's VE25. It's a nice tent but I fail to see what is 'VE' or '25' about it. It's a yellow North Face dome type tent with two bell ends.

Saturday 28/10/95 (Diarist: still Martin W)

Slow start after a good kip - we even have to pay the campsite fee. Drive to Braemar and stop for tea and scones - breakfast was not on the menu and none of us really seemed to need it. The café is run by an ex army chap wearing his regimental sweatshirt. English, and chatty. Leave car in busy car park at Linn of Dee and walk up track to Derry Lodge.

It is a brilliant day - clear and sunny. Plan A was to camp at Derry Lodge and do three munros tomorrow as a day walk. However, it is only 12:35 and instead we adopt Plan B, which is to backpack over Derry Cairngorm. We start up the shoulder, Coire Craobh an Oir towards Carn Crom, where a good path leads north.

Looking back from Coire Craobh an Oir

Still a splendid day with fine views to the south and of Glen Derry. The bouldery minor summit (1040 metres) obscures Derry Cairngorm which, when it comes into view, looks just the same - so there is a feeling of climbing the same bouldery conical bump twice.

Martin W

Dave

On Derry Cairngorm

There is a cold wind and clouds are gathering from the west. Good views still to be had from the top, where there is another party of five or six people.

Bouldery descent north; snow in the gaps. MB takes a shortcut over the 1108 metre top. The rest go via the col at 1053 metres to gain a path to Little Loch Etchachan. We camp on the south side between the little and big lakes at about 930 metres.

Simulating wind to test the new tent

Calm, zero wind. Clear starry night. MB eats Vesta chow mein for supper. Ugh, how could he?

[MB - delicious, especially the crispy noodles.]

Sunday 29/10/95 (Diarist: Martin B)

A clear night with good views if cool. Very cosy in the tent and a good lie in, except for a brief escape for me at sunrise - brilliant red sky - soon enveloped in cloud, so no photo.

Eventually we stumbled off to Little Loch Etchachan, after being disturbed by a flock of geese, and complaints from JM about a noisy campsite. (The rest of us didn't notice.)

Striking camp

We chatted briefly with Stephen and Jilly Reid, from Keswick, who had tested their new tent outside the nearby bothy (the Hutchison Memorial Hut) but had adjourned to the bothy for warmth!

On we went past the hut, which is in excellent condition. The recently started visitors book referred to lots of 'death by midges' in August, and more serious incidences of adder bites in the same period, requiring helicopter evacuations. 

We contoured on easy ground to the top of the Lairig before ascending directly up Beinn à Chaorainn. A pleasant if cloudy day;  cool on top. Dry. Stroll on to Beinn Bhreac, meeting two unnamed people, across a boggy flat area (bog was dryish - JM recalls it being wetter).

Descend obtusely to a deer fence above Derry Lodge. Climb / crawl, then stumble through forest amongst the deer (more inside than outside!) and mount another high fence before strolling out to the Linn of Dee by about 3:30. 

[Over the two days we walked about 32km and ascended nearly 1500 metres. Here's my guess as to the route.]

Long journey back due to major traffic jam on M90 roadworks (1 hour plus). This time we managed to stop at the Black Bull, and got back to Manchester after 11 pm, so MW and JM stayed at South Drive and were deposited at Piccadilly station at 7:00 am on Monday morning.

Sue and I went up these hills again recently on two separate day walks. Reports are here and here.