This is a circuit of the 16 Munros which encircle Glen Etive, just south of Glen Coe. The consequences of my decision a decision that several round veterans and those familiar with the Cairngorms had warned me against were about to unravel. We then crossed the river before joining a rock strewn path heading uphill. With little descent between summits, this walk presents the perfect opportunity to conquer 4 Scottish Munros in under 8 hours. The mountain stands on the border of the Moray and Aberdeenshire council areas. We use cookies on our website, by using the site your are consenting to them. Price: 55pp. Two Rounds in 16 days - Jonathan Whilock's report on his clockwise round in Lakes 24 We reached the summit of Beinn Bhreac with views shrouded in the clag once more. The spirit of this wild landscape appears to have cast its own magic spell by inspiring a tradition of true adventure running. Will I be okay? Clockwise or anti clockwise. Ascend Brariach via the Chlamain Gap from the Sugar Bowl car park, head round to Cairn Toul and then Corrour Bothy. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Mark Rigby first ran a round which takes in the 18 Cairngorm Munros, starting and finishing at Loch Morlich Youth Hostel. What emerged in the following days was a profound satisfaction, not from what had been done, but how it had been done. We ate peanut butter on crackers and debated the route ahead. Bob Baxter Traverse Getting up on the Cairngorm plateau is a goal for many but for anyone doing this Munro, its just the start! says Wilderness Scotlands Chantal. The descent was far from straight forward, we were nearly 5.5km away from the car park (as the crow files and we all know you cant walk as the crow flies!) From here you can access both Munros easily. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. My left knee seems about to buckle. The Rigby Round is the connoisseurs round. Loch Avon looked positively tropical! It has heavily developed for ski-ing and by the funicular railway to the Ptarmigan restaurant, detracting greatly from its wildness and the experience of climbing it on foot. Photo: Shutterstock. Prepare for a whistle stop tour up and over the 14 central Cairngorms Munros! We passed some path laying tools but nobody was working that day. I think there might be a 24-hour McDonalds in Perth. I walk back to my car, a halting, stiff-legged half-mile. Walks in the Cairngorms place you in a vast landscape of magnificent corries, rough, rolling plateaus, exquisitely beautiful glens, and in amongst the majority of Britain's highest mountains. I start at 1.30am. The most common return route is the same as the walk up. You can manage your cookies via browser settings. Dales Top Ten From the Sugar Bowl car park, day one is a 15km warm-up via Chalamain Gap and the Lairig Ghru, which means all the action comes on day two: four Munros The Devils Point, Cairn Toul, The Angels Peak (Sgor an Lochain Uaine) and Braeriach and some truly arduous yet spectacular hillwalking. A walker who has climbed all 282 Munros is entitled to be called a Munroist, or a Compleater. cairngormhills.co.uk I stop after 10 minutes, pulling into a lay-by in the forest. : Similarly, if you wish to submit any new (or old) routes for inclusion see the. There is a path here, winding down to Loch Etchachan. George Fischer Tea Round To start this walk, you can park just north of Glenshee Ski Centre on the A83. When Graham Nash completed the round last month with John Ryan, he had one of those run forever moments as he descended Cairn Gorm as if you want movement to never cease. Appropriate insurance cover is recommended. Yet it still gives the incredible feelings of space and wildness associated with the Cairngorms, says James. Braeriach would be the last of the top 10 highest Munros on our list of 282, so this summit felt special. For scramblers, the Fiacaill Coire an t-Sneachda ridge provides a popular Grade 1 scramble. We joined a path for a while and then we did a bit of tough off piste walking through lumpy bumpy heather before hitting a more established track in the direction of Linn of Dee. He used long Nordic skis with 3 pin bindings and . Sunday stroll on Moruisg. I have just read your story of your travels atop the Munros! Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Strangely, although it is not the highest of the Cairngorm mountains, it is the one that has given its name to the range. Data from openweathermap.org[Note all times are GMT - add an hour for BST.]. Last modified October 18, 2017, Loch Mullardoch Circuit (12 Munros in a day), Glenfinnan to Inverie to compleat the round, Lucky Loch Lochy escapes the thunderstorms, Lurg Mhor and Bidein aChoire Sheasgaich from Craig, Beinn Liath Mhor and Sgor Ruadh from Torridon, Bidean Nam Bian and friends from Glen Etive, A round of the Tarf Munros from Blair Atholl, Character Building on Beinn Dearg (Ullapool), My Brothers, My Sisters, and My Granddad Monty, Pain and discomfort on the Northern Mullardochs, Tough walk in the Fannichs with two superstars, The Clachet Traverse Four Munros (Black Mount), Glen Tilt Three (Bein a Ghlo) plus the Corbett, Meall aChoire Leith and Meall Corranaich, Loch Ericht to Glen Tromie and Glen Garry, Fort William to Loch Treig and Loch Leven, Copyright Colin Lamont 2016. You get excellent views to all of the surrounding hills, especially over to the hills west of the Lairig Ghru, says Garry at Hillgoers. Fitness: Beginner Walk - Great for those starting out albeit a tad longer distance overall than some of the other beginner walks. Just long, hard, rough miles. Harvey Howgill Tops, Saddleworth10 Trigs Dehydration? From the summit trig pillar we then decided to take a shortcut on the original descent plan which actually worked out perfectly because a faint path appeared part of the way down, saving us valuable time. I run although that is not the right word any longer back to Beinn a Bhuird, up a ramp of crumbling stone, darkly and quietly suffering. Those wishing to attempt the Rigby Round should, therefore: Start and finish at the Norwegian Stone, Glenmore, Visit the 18 Munros of the Cairngorms, including Sgr an LochainUaine, in any direction, Aspire to do the round with minimum reconnaissance of the route, Aspire to do the round solo and unsupported. It covers the area between A9 is west, Grantown in north, Bowland 1500s If you can improve on the accuracy of this resource, spot any errors in grid references, names, heights, spelling or punctuation, or find a link which does not work please email Tony Wimbush. There will be other days to wander and think and be in these mountains, but that day is not today. The rain properly set in and we were relieved wed called it a day as we snuggled down for the night with our packs, contents and crucially ourselves, nice and dry. This is an informal challenge without registrations or time limits. Often the ground was saturated and slushy, other times it was gravelly, other times heathery and other times bouldery strewn. Remotely positioned in the heart of the Cairngorms, it is a hulk of a mountain unforgiving, hard-won and positively brutal in winter. South Wales Traverse, Tan Hill to Kirkstone Pass Inn I move on, shuffling, cursing. This full-day adventure is bound to get the adrenaline pumping with the added bonus of incredible panoramas from the summits. Getting to the Glas Maol Munros Circular Walk Trailhead. The path to Bynack also passes the picturesque Lochan Uaine green loch where legend has it the fairies wash their clothes. The Official Visitor Guide to the Cairngorms National Park. For me, the glory was long since over. There are public transport options to get back in summer, but they arent great you could instead consider linking the Lairig Ghru with the Lairig Laoigh, another beautiful pass through the mountains, to make a deservedly classic 2 3 backpacking loop. Dont be surprised to come across herds of red deer up here, and if you are lucky you may even catch a glimpse of the Golden Eagles that make the remote Monadhliath their home, he adds. Ballater in east and the Angus Glens in south. We passed a series of disused ski buildings and lifts to reach the summit of Cairn Gorm at sunset. Eels v Storm. Share your report for the chance to win gear every month. A Munro is defined as a Scottish mountain with a summit of at least 3,000ft (914.4m). Sunrise kills the adrenaline of night. There are few true wilderness areas in the UK and the Cairngorms is one of Bob Baxter Traverse Over the years, thanks to more modern measuring devices, the list has gone up and down, but has now settled on 282 Munro summits. Years of knowing the Cairngorms is not the same as targeted reconnaissance, for the Rigby lines are not lines one would willingly take otherwise. It has heavily developed for ski-ing and by the funicular railway to the Ptarmigan restaurant, detracting greatly from its wildness and the experience of climbing it on foot. Across the loch, some two miles away, I see the shapes of gigantic letters spelled out in the rocks. The Cairngorms National Park is a wild and dramatic place to explore. I imagine them sitting at our kitchen table, spooning pasta into open mouths, chewing loudly. All the Cairngorm Munros (The Rigby Round), Digby Harris (The Fellrunner, Autumn 2011) - Digby's account of his record run. The rightmost column shows how many summits were included in their report, which may help you to find the most relevant reports. This turned out to be the highest camp spot of the whole challenge at 1,100m. I think of Jonathan Whilock who ran the round twice in 16 days because he thought it would be quicker reversing the direction. Eventually, we continued on a track that led on to the foot of the next Munro. No hyperbole. This cone-shaped peak affords spectacular views over Glen Callater to the north and east but its most defining feature is the super steep and craggy north face. Update: Make that 21 successful rounds in 31 years. The Northern Corries are one of the most visible spectacles in the Cairngorms, a great wall of glacier-carved, amphitheatre-like crags looking out over Strathspey, and the roads snaking up towards the skiing infrastructure make this one of the most popular jumping-off points for walkers looking to get into the big mountains. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Photo: Shutterstock. Catch Him Derry! Why not share your experience on facebook to encourage and inspire other runners to have a go! I lost my spork and threw a bit of a tantrum, but I found it soon after. I run on, into the eerie starkness of the Moine Mhor, a vast expanse of bog described as the ultimate in desolate wilderness. Use the schedules in conjunction with OS Explorer Map 403, Cairn Gorm and Aviemore (1:25 000). The viewpoint from the 3,576ft peak is truly breath-taking, especially on a clear day. South Wales Traverse. I appreciate this was while ago I have just started bagging the big fellas and it is so inspirational to hear such stories. A Cairngorm Circular - to Braemar and back, My Sisters first and 2nd Munro Ben MacDhui and Cairngorm, From Golden Autumnal Afternoons to White Wintry Blasts, Camping High & Icy Winter Milestones - Andrew Squared. and remoteness, especially if the walker keeps away from the high summits around I thought that I was alone on the great plateau. them. If Carlsberg did sunny days for a mountain walk. Cairn Gorm (success!) I descend, some 500 vertical metres, to Corrour bothy and the busy cradle of the Lairig Ghru, one of the two channels that carve great slits through the semi-tundra plateau of the Cairngorms. Next Munro the Angus Glens in south we continued on a track that on! High summits around i thought that i was alone on the Great plateau remoteness, especially if the walker away. To hear such stories 3,000ft ( 914.4m ) this turned out to be called a,! 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