The actual route, and what happened
The Cairngorms, and the last of the 4000 footers
Monday 25th
We crossed the river and continued south on the track to Beanaidh Bheag, then by Coire Ruadh to scramble onto Braeriach.
This made it all worthwhile, a wonderful clear day, blue sky and the coldest, clearest fresh tasting water shooting up out of the snow (the start of the Dee). Then on to Einich Cairn, the Angel's Peak, Cairn Toul and the Devil's Point. Then a scramble down the snow filled Coire Odhar to Corrour bothy. This was a cold, airless place, and occupied, so we again camped outside.
Tuesday 26th
Up at 5am to be away by 6 for another long, hard day. We crossed the Dee and headed north up the Lairig Ghru. The Allt Clach nan Taillear was snow filled, so we followed the burn on the left of it, and using our ice axes and prayers we scrambled to the top of Ben Macdui - Exhilarating!
Then around the plateau, avoiding the snow filled lochans by Coire an Sneachda (where we saw children jumping on the overhanging snow). We warned their parents, but were told to buzz off (not pleasantly). We then reached the top of Cairngorm.
I turned to Iain and said, "We've done it - all we have to do now is reach Montrose".
We both felt a bit sad that the big adventure seemed over. Then a woman in mules walked up to Iain and said, "Have you just come up the chair lift - I have".
I have never seen Iain so angry. After muttering something about 'the bloody chair lift' I thought he was going to hit her. I calmed him down by saying I thought we ought to be moving on...
We scrambled and slid down Cairngorm (the snow was still lying on this slope) to Loch Avon, intending to cross the Fords of Avon and on to Derry Lodge, but the Avon was in spate, and deep. We realised that we were in trouble again, with a big detour down to Ballater. We carried on along the Avon to the bothy near there, where we crossed the Avon, then south-east to pick up the track by Lochbuilg Lodge, then on to Ballater campsite, just in time for a pub meal.
A horrendous, long day, but we desperately wanted to finish on Thursday.
