Day 13
Spittal of Glenshee to Dog Hillock
Daily Distance 32.0k, Time Naismith 10.1, Daily Ascent 1789m, Daily Average Altitude 846m
The map shows our actual route in Blue, and the intended route where it was different in red. The blue numbers on our route are highlighted in the text. The red squares are Munros.
We set off at 7 and found one of Gulabin lodge's ducks trapped in chicken wire where it had tried a "Great Escape", we returned to tell them and set off again. The area we were heading into south of Lochnagar is rich in Munros, and we hoped to do a record (for us) - 7 Munros in a day.
It was a long climb up a ridge 1 to the first Munro, Creag Leacach, which was rocky on its summit and slow, then the complete contrast of rounded grassy Glas Maol. Now we were high: Carn of Claise, where much of the rockfields could be bypassed, Tom Buidhe and Tolmount passed if not in rapid succession, then at least relatively easily. You know you are walking in the top half of the Highlands when you descend to the summit of Jock's Road 2 and set off up the other side.
We then walked round the head of the Glen Doll watershed 3 and took in the last 2 Munros, Cairn Bannock and Broad Cairn by late afternoon. This was all lovely walking on what turned into a lovely day. We saw more walkers here than we can remember.
We could not rest however as we had a long way to go, even if no more Munros. We descended East off Broad Cairn joined a track and left it to climb Sandy Hillock. After Sandy Hillock the terrain changed back to many peat hags, but we found an economical way along the top of the cliffs above Glen Doll over Broom Hill to a camp site on the lee side of Dog Hillock.
