12 miles, 1000m ascent around cairngorms

22/09/2009 by Paul Carpenter.

Set off again on another little stroll amongst the highest Scotland has to offer and despite the onset of dark clouds and constant winds, the day did’nt turn out too bad, that and the fact it had been over a year since I’d ascended these sort of amounts.

set off about from the usual spot at the ski centre car park and made my way up the ski runs then over the plateau and down into loch Avon - the steep path down to the loch is very slippery or it was the last time I used it in winter when it was covered in ice, but today even a few dry days had made it slightly more passable.

From there went onto Loch Etchachan - I had planned to walk upto Beinn Mheadhoin but changed my mind and continued to Ben Macdui. from there made my way to the equally steep path down into coire an Sneachda, the same path I used to on my last walk.

Eventually got back to the car park 5 hours after leaving, not feeling too bad at that time - not so the next day when the muscle’s around my knee’s just did’nt want to work.

The only bad thing maybe about the cairngorms on a bonny autunm day is the crowds that gather there; upon reaching the last steep path, it did seem like a shopping spree in piccadilly circus with reindeer added in for amusement - winter is best time here for me. When most visitors are just there for the crags and rock climbs, the slopes and hills are left virtually empty and on a clear snog free day, the sights are great.

For any body who also likes walking in scotland, and the rest of the UK I have found this site to be very useful; http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/

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