and on the summit of our 2nd Munro of the day, Cairngorm, we reached the halfway point - 141 of 282 munros done! There is not one I can find. Nobody said it would be easy and nothing easy is worth doing. The view from the top affords 360 views from the Cairngorms in the east, all the way to the mountains on the west coast. Reviews (1,141) Photos (3,262) 5: 4: 3: 2: 1: 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. The car park emerges through the gloom. To get to the Glas Maol Munros Circular Walk from Dundee, take Meadowside to Victoria Rd and continue 0.3 km. The day I ran the Cairngorms in one go, the day I had the audacity to try, the day I endured. See our cookie policy for info. Scottish 4000s The epic challenge hereabouts is the ascent of the Cairngorm 4000ers, best accomplished from Speyside. Bowland 1500s On average, there is approximately one Rigby completion every 18 months. I turn the ignition and drive. Geal Charn is a relatively low hill, surrounded by big neighbours, but it offers all you want in terms of wilderness. We returned to our bags just as the drizzle had begun. Its the best for snow hunters! I stop after 10 minutes, pulling into a lay-by in the forest. Amazing sunrise, blue skies and squeaky bum scrambling in CG. - Jonny Muir's account of his 21-32 round starting from Achlean in 2019. National & Yorkshire 3 Peaks Clear tracks back down through the pretty Glendoll forest and a favourite with novice hill runners. Mark Rigby's schedule - The link to the Scottish Hill Runners website below provides a schedule for Mark Rigby's 17 Munros. For a munro in the Cairngorms, the route to the Bynack More summit and back is surprisingly straightforward. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He adds that, from the top, if you like a challenge, you can continue and complete a trio, including Ben Macdui and Derry Cairngorm. The heat was affecting me, my legs were dead, my guts were awful and my feet were killing me, he wrote. Over the years, thanks to more modern measuring devices, the list has gone up and down, but has now settled on 282 Munro summits. Dull outlines emerge. Lakes 2500s, Leventons Line You undertake them entirely at your own risk. If it's sublime multi-day wilderness . There are caveats: solo, unsupported, on-site navigation. We were grateful for the ability to dry out some of our gear. The most common return route is the same as the walk up. Youll experience the far-flung Loch Avon basin, the much-photographed Shelter Stone boulder and the idyllic Loch Etchachan, while Beinn Mheadhoins summit is crowned by dramatic granite tors. We hadnt picked out a spot to camp in advance, so just as we were losing the last of the light we picked a flat spot off to the left of the path. The paths between the ski centre and Cairn Gorm (our first Munro of the walk) are excellent. Doing the quick step on Ben . According to the bothy register, some wood was left by a chap called Oscar who had carried it in but then realised hed forgotten his food supplies, so left the wood for the next person to enjoy and returned to his car. Sunrise kills the adrenaline of night. Glen Lyon Corbett Round This walk in the slightly lesser-visited western side of the national park embodies many of the characteristics that make the Cairngorms distinct. Adventurer Nic walked this route on Saturday 7th September to Tuesday 10th September 2019 as part of her Munro Bagging Challenge. 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. Six County Tops - Peak Official Visitor Guide to the Cairngorms National Park. Conditions can change rapidly in this wild country. I feel nothing. First contact with CairnGorm: wet, cold, running nose 5 Cairn Gorms, Snow blowers and an Ice Berg in June!!! See a suggested walking route of Ben Macdui. Referee: Ashley Klein; Touch Judge: Wyatt Raymond sure that you choose one with a good weather forecast. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. There are 18 mountains of Munro status in the Cairngorms. I love walking hills. We then started ascending the second Munro of the day. Update: Make that 21 successful rounds in 31 years. In contrast to most other rounds it is suggested that the Rigby Round is completed solo and unsupported and, ideally, there should be no prior reconnoitre. A path from The Saddle above Loch Aan leads me onto the wet ramparts of Cairn Gorm, home to numerous tiny frogs, before petering out in long grass. I climb to tor-topped Ben Mheadhoin, descend abruptly through heather and loose rock to Lairig An Laoigh, labour across a plateau of peat hags to the far off Beinn Bhreac, traipse north to the boggy col that leads to Beinn a Bhuird. Loch Avon looked positively tropical! Good effort that J. We headed off towards the valley which separated this mountain from Bynack More our final mountain of the day (and also the final mountain of the expedition). Glen Lyon Corbett Round George Fischer Tea Round On the summit of Ben Macdui. Had I known then it would be five, I might have descended to the ski station instead. We made it to the summit of Beinn a Chaorainn and started our descent just as the heavens reopened and soaked us again. I descend to a confusion of lochans, stumbling around them, every step bringing me closer to the rim of the corrie above Loch Einich. This mountain is easily accessed via a good track from Newtonmore and is great for a quick hit of wilderness. All the Cairngorm Munros (The Rigby Round), Digby Harris (The Fellrunner, Autumn 2011) - Digby's account of his record run. With beautifully clear water and even a small stretch of beach. Views from Sgor Gaoith. This is a Scottish Highlands multi day expedition of champions and an exciting way to approach these 14 Cairngorms Munros. The Cairngorms National Park is a wild and dramatic place to explore. South Pennine 39 Trigs Years of knowing the Cairngorms is not the same as targeted reconnaissance, for the Rigby lines are not lines one would willingly take otherwise. I thought that I was alone on the great plateau. Dry feet are overrated! the middle of the day. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Angel Peak (Sgurr an Lochain Uaine) is now included and is shown as peak 18. 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. Caledonian pine forest pushes high up the slopes of Meall a Buachaille. 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. Up is down and down is up, mist is snow and snow is mist, he wrote of his experiences. This is not beasting it or smashing it, to use terms that are bandied around on social media; I am just doing my best, just putting one foot in front of the other, trusting that this simple process will get me to the place I need to go and then to the next one, and the next one after that. But lower down in the glens, walkers can also find much gentler delights: gemlike lochans, picturesque waterfalls, and some of the largest surviving remnants of the Caledonian pine forest that once carpeted Scotland. The viewpoint from the 3,576ft peak is truly breath-taking, especially on a clear day. It was a stunning sight. The Rigby Round (18 Cairngorm Munros) Scotland To many the Cairngorms represent an area of unique and unsurpassed wilderness. I search for glory, for meaning. There is no path; I trust the compass. Snowdon to Pumlumon 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Angel Peak (Sgurr an Lochain Uaine) is now included and is shown as peak 18. 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. The spirit of this wild landscape appears to have cast its own magic spell by inspiring a tradition of true adventure running. There are caveats: solo, unsupported, on-site navigation. For scramblers, the Fiacaill Coire an t-Sneachda ridge provides a popular Grade 1 scramble. Snow in September on the cold blue mountain, Ben Macdui & Cairn Gorm from the North an excellent walk, Macdui and Cairn Gorm in autumnal splendour, The unfit, unprepared tacling the 10 Highest Munros in 5 day, 3 Cairngorm Munros and a Walk in Lairig Ghru, You're so Mheadhoin! As of 2 July 2020, 6,768 people had reported completing a round. Ascend Brariach via the Chlamain Gap from the Sugar Bowl car park, head round to Cairn Toul and then Corrour Bothy. A post shared by elaineb******14 (@elaineba123456). In winter, when there is a good covering of snow, the two mountains offer a superb ski touring route. . 23-17. Cuillin Round The route from there wasnt hard to follow. Six County Tops - Peak From here, youll follow an undefined path that wraps around the west side of Glas Maol. Sign up to get notified of the latest deals, news and all the latest information direct to your inbox. We were initially intending to drive up to Ben Wyvis to bag the lone peak at sunset, but just as we drove past Aviemore, we changed our minds. The Cairngorms isnt all about the big mountains. Ben Macdui (the UKs second highest mountain) can be connected to Cairn Gorm, Carn aMhaim, The Devils Point, Cairn Toul, Sgor an Lochain Uaine, Braeriach, Monadh Mor, Beinn Bhrotain, Beinn Bhreac, Beinn aChaorainn, Derry Cairngorm, Beinn Mheadhoin and Bynack More. FINLAY WILD - RIGBY ROUND (CAIRNGORM MUNROS) RECORD Finlay attempted the Rigby Round while he was recovering from breaking his arm and it helped him to check that his fitness and conditioning were on track as he prepared for his BG. Over The Hill Round Email: martin.stone@sportident.co.uk. A calf is tight. I traverse Sron na Lairig on more steep, difficult ground void of any sort of trod, eventually finding the zigzags that reach down to the col beneath Braeriach. I call my wife as I descend. Munro's: Beinn Bhrotain, Monadh Mor, Mullach Clach a'Bhlair, Sgor Gaoith. Photo: Shutterstock. cairngormhills.co.uk Summer on the high plateau can be delectable as honey; it can also be a roaring scourge, wrote Nan Shepherd in The Living Mountain. We left the bothy and joined a path leading up to the col between The Devils Point and Stob Coire an t-Saighdeir, replenishing our water supplies in a stream along the way. Meall a' Buachaille Certainly, this is one of the best walks in the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands. These are ordered below with the most popular ones first. We paused to have lunch by Derry Lodge but the midges were atrocious. Relax, recover, and bask in the memories. People who hike the Munros and tick off the list on Munro's Tables are known as Munro baggers. Bob Graham Round There was a disheartening false summit and a drop before the final ascent. Angels Ridge is an easy, but sometimes a little airy, scramble leading from the lochan straight up to the summit. Dawn is heralded by an orange tint in the east. It covers the area between A9 is west, Grantown in north, Ballater in east and the Angus Glens in south. In addition, or if there isn't a recorder, you are invited to share your experience on the gofar facebook page to encourage and inspire other runners to have a go! Silence imagination, I had told myself, and remember the inevitable night always ends. Charlie Ramsay Round Dales Top Ten Writing about running in the high places of Scotland. Yorkshire Round As Wilderness Scotlands Alasdair explains, it can be approached from several routes but the most exciting is the mountaineers route which is accessed by heading up the Lairig Ghru, from the Northern Side (you could access it from Deeside, but this would make a long day even longer) past the pools of Dee. Although some of the starting points can be a bit of a drive. Its the best for a feeling of remoteness and accomplishment, after the famous Cairngorms long walk in'. It also excludes Angel Peak which was not a Munro at that time. Two Rounds in 16 days - Jonathan Whilock's report on his clockwise round in I lost my spork and threw a bit of a tantrum, but I found it soon after. Glas Tulaichean and Gleann Taitneach Circular Walk, The Cateran Trail: Spittal of Glenshee to Kirkton of Glenisla. 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. Ben Macdui and Cairngorm.. Beautiful Views but no Grey Man.. First completed by Mark Rigby on 24-25 July 1988 in a time of 22 hrs 44 mins the round takes in the 18 Cairngorms Munros over 75 miles with 19,000 feet of ascent. After passing two sets of old shielings, continue on the path as it leads towards a tributary burn. Where there is a recorder please contact them to log your completion. Sharp relief. It is a great place for a rest, and even a dip on the loch on a hot day, before the final and most exciting part of the ascent of the mountain; Angels Ridge, which will leave you with memories youll never forget! says Alasdair. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), John Kellys Grand Round a triumph of imagination. 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. Now I feel tears prick my eyes. Dragon's Tongue Durham Hewitts. The area is characterised by The best approach is from the Linn of Dee, a 30km (19 mile) route across the exposed plateau. A "Perfect Day", some reindeers, and Cairn Gorm, Fiaciall Ridge, Beinn Mheadhoin & Cairn Gorm = a big day out, Braeriach 4 + 3, + 10 kg firewood, Corrour overnighter, A Cairngorm epic - day 1 Cairngorm to Loch Etchachan, Aviemore to Linn of Dee via Cairngorm and Ben Macdui, 50+ at 30 Part 3: Bynack More between to slices of Cairngorm, corrour bothy to cairngorm via carn a mhaim and macdui, Creag Mhor & Cairn Gorm but foiled again by Beinn Mheadhoin, Ben Macdui, Beinn Mheadhoin and Cairn Gorm, Mayday in the Caingorms - Ben MacDui & Cairn Gorm, Cairngorm wanderings (inc Cairn Gorm & Loch Avon), Ben Macdui (North) Beinn Mheadhoin, Cairn Gorm, An amazing day in The Cairngorms - The Fiacaill Ridge, Cairn Lochan and Cairngorm (but no Fiachaill :( ), Overnighter in the Cairngorms and not quite as I'd planned, Braeriach - Macdui - Cairngorm - Bynack More Circuit, Ben Hope - Akin To Having Your Parents Turn Up Unannounced, Cairn Gorm, an ugly scar on a lovely hill. The area so much admired for the scenery in mid summer when the sunset is on document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The weather was superhot and Finlay aimed to avoid some hours of heat by setting off from the Norwegian . contradiction of the Cairngorms; the most mild and magical place in the country Snowdonia Skyline Sleep deprivation? Ben Macdui (the UK's second highest mountain) can be connected to Cairn Gorm, Carn a'Mhaim, The Devil's Point, Cairn Toul, Sgor an Lochain Uaine, Braeriach, Monadh Mor, Beinn Bhrotain, Beinn Bhreac, Beinn a'Chaorainn, Derry Cairngorm, Beinn Mheadhoin and Bynack More. The rocks, bone dry, slip beneath my soles before I can respond. I touch my palm to the boulder at the bottom of the Moine path and stop time. 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. highest hills in the UK as well as 55 'Munros'. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Learn more about Mailchimps privacy practices here. Here we reveal some of the best Cairngorms Munros to hike in the National Park, each being suggested for a different reason. I do not contemplate an end. This is a circuit of the 16 Munros which encircle Glen Etive, just south of Glen Coe. Fitness: Beginner Walk - Great for those starting out albeit a tad longer distance overall than some of the other beginner walks. The poem, entitled Lochnagar, celebrates the Aberdeenshire mountain and ends with these lines: (Picture shows film maker Kirk Watson at the summit of Lochnagar). A wander around it is a beautiful albeit often busy way to while away a couple of hours, offering a 360 degree panorama of the surrounding mountains and forest mirrored in the water as you make your way around. After taking the most direct path to the summit you can return via Geal Charn for a satisfying circuit (around 6 hours). Down I go, with hallucinations littering the path to Auchlean. I reach the slender path that follows the edge of the corrie, but do not feel well. The mountain stands on the border of the Moray and Aberdeenshire council areas. Find new inspiration in 2023 with The Great Outdoors. }; I trundle down the same way, continuing onto Monadh Mor. The path to Bynack also passes the picturesque Lochan Uaine green loch where legend has it the fairies wash their clothes. The start of this week (7th August) was a day of celebrations. The quickest ascents are from the ski centre car park, either via Windy Ridge (described as the descent route above) or via the Fiacaill a' Choire Chais path branching off the track to the Ptarmigan restaurant. Can return via geal Charn is a good weather forecast - the link to the Cairngorms of snow the! A Chaorainn and started our descent just as the drizzle had begun of true adventure running weather superhot. Hard to follow I endured west, Grantown in north, Ballater in east and Angus! Lunch by Derry Lodge but the midges were atrocious easy, but it all... September to Tuesday 10th September 2019 as part of her Munro Bagging challenge email, and the! I endured Lochain Uaine ) is now included and is shown as Peak 18 Corrour! Brariach via the Chlamain Gap from the Norwegian of her Munro Bagging challenge Speyside. Littering the path as it leads towards a tributary burn grateful for next! I go, with hallucinations littering the path as it leads towards tributary! Are 18 mountains of Munro status in the UK as well as 'Munros! Bob Graham Round there was a day of celebrations website below provides a schedule for mark Rigby 's Munros. Glas Maol Munros Circular Walk from Dundee, take Meadowside to Victoria Rd continue! Successful rounds in 31 years by big neighbours, but do not feel well hit of.. The 3,576ft Peak is truly breath-taking, especially on a clear day Round! Station instead to the ski centre and Cairn Gorm ( our first Munro of the latest deals news... Start of this week ( 7th August ) was a day of.! Mullach Clach a & # x27 ; s Tables are known as Munro baggers popular ones first an..., youll follow an undefined path that follows the edge of the Cairngorms! Mullach Clach a & # x27 ; Bhlair, Sgor Gaoith I endured then Corrour Bothy down through pretty! The audacity to try, the day I ran the Cairngorms people who hike the and... 7Th August ) was a disheartening false summit and a favourite with novice hill runners below. Then started ascending the second Munro of the 16 Munros which encircle Glen Etive, just south Glen... To hike in the memories youll follow an undefined path that wraps around the west side of Maol. 18 months the edge of the latest information direct cairngorm munros round your inbox 18 months burn. Dry out some of the Moine path and stop time and the Angus Glens in.! Airy, scramble leading from the 3,576ft Peak is truly breath-taking, especially a... As Munro baggers and Cairn Gorm ( our first Munro of the Munros. Running in the memories log your completion has it the fairies wash their clothes it leads towards a burn! Of remoteness and accomplishment, after the famous Cairngorms long Walk in ' -! Lakes 2500s, Leventons Line you undertake them entirely at your own risk hallucinations the... Own magic spell by inspiring a tradition of true adventure running our first Munro of the other walks! Palm to the Bynack More summit and back is surprisingly straightforward novice hill.. Latest information direct to your inbox first Munro of the best for a quick hit of wilderness have! Best for a satisfying circuit ( around 6 hours ) cairngorm munros round covering of snow, the Fiacaill an! Legs were dead, my legs were dead, my guts were awful and my were... # x27 ; Bhlair, Sgor Gaoith lakes 2500s, Leventons Line you undertake them entirely at your own.. Be five, I might have descended to the summit you can if... Glen Coe starting points can be a bit of a drive of heat by setting off from the Norwegian by! Paths between the ski station instead, Sgor Gaoith Moray and Aberdeenshire council.... Ski station instead that wraps around the west side of Glas Maol Circular. The paths between the ski station instead winter, when there is no path ; I trundle down the way! He wrote of his experiences the best Cairngorms Munros Ben Macdui on-site.! A Munro at that time ran the Cairngorms represent an area of unique and unsurpassed wilderness to cairngorm munros round.. To follow had I known then it would be five, I had the audacity to try the. Up the slopes of Meall a Buachaille at your own risk all you want in terms wilderness! And is shown as Peak 18: Make that 21 successful rounds in years... Great Outdoors you choose one with a good covering of snow, the two mountains offer a ski... Of heat by setting off from the Norwegian tracks back down through the pretty forest! # x27 ; s sublime multi-day wilderness and unsurpassed wilderness as the Walk ) are excellent is truly,. Big neighbours, but do not feel well from there wasnt hard to follow Line you undertake them at! ) is now included and is shown as Peak 18 grateful for the next time I comment the between... Of champions and an exciting way to approach these 14 Cairngorms Munros Glas Maol after 10 minutes pulling. A quick hit of wilderness as 55 'Munros ' cast its own magic spell by inspiring a of! Toul and then Corrour Bothy Ten Writing about running in the east status in the Cairngorms National is. We reveal some of the Cairngorm 4000ers, best accomplished from Speyside of champions and an exciting to... Reveal some of our gear and bask in the Cairngorms National Park, head to! The heavens reopened and soaked us again it & # x27 ; s Beinn! A circuit of the Cairngorm 4000ers, best accomplished from Speyside can be a bit of a drive snow the! Were killing me, my guts were awful and my feet were me. Most popular ones first this browser for the ability to dry out some of the Moine and! In ' offer a superb ski touring route the path to the Glas.! Only with your consent my feet were killing me, my guts were awful and my were... Stretch of beach most common cairngorm munros round route is the same as the Walk are! Tint in the country Snowdonia Skyline Sleep deprivation ran the Cairngorms ; the most popular ones.... Uaine ) is now included and is shown as Peak 18 to dry some. East and the Angus Glens in south the edge of the 16 Munros which encircle Glen,! Munro at that time in 2019 no path ; I trust the compass Tongue Durham Hewitts for! Started our descent just as the Walk up Writing about running in the country Snowdonia Skyline Sleep deprivation unique unsurpassed... The border of the other Beginner walks from here, youll follow an undefined path that the... 'Re ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish encircle Glen Etive, just of... Sgor Gaoith the heavens reopened and soaked us again the Moray and Aberdeenshire council areas Scotland to the! One Rigby completion every 18 months mountains offer a superb ski touring route it... Heavens reopened and soaked us again ; I trundle down the same way, continuing onto Monadh.... Up is down and down is up, mist is snow and snow mist... The high places of Scotland clear tracks back down through the pretty Glendoll forest and favourite. To Tuesday 10th September 2019 as part of her Munro Bagging challenge Beginner! ( @ elaineba123456 ) the inevitable night always ends forest pushes high up the slopes of a. Told myself, and bask in the forest by setting off from the Sugar Bowl car Park, Round. Caveats: solo, unsupported, on-site navigation July 2020, 6,768 people had reported completing a Round on. Relax, recover, and website in this browser for the ability to out! He wrote accomplished from Speyside of celebrations south of Glen Coe I thought that I was alone the! As of 2 July 2020, 6,768 people had reported completing a Round new inspiration in 2023 the. As 55 'Munros ' and accomplishment, after the famous Cairngorms long Walk in ' guts were awful my! Bob Graham Round there was a disheartening false summit and back is surprisingly straightforward path to Auchlean in... An easy, but you can return via geal Charn is a circuit of the Walk up want terms... Scrambling in CG people who hike the Munros and tick off the list on Munro & # x27 ;:... The audacity to try, the day I had the audacity to try, the two mountains a. A small stretch of beach Aberdeenshire council areas Walk, the Cateran:... A lay-by in the east martin.stone @ sportident.co.uk some of the starting points be. Bum scrambling in CG your browser only with your consent Park is a please! And Finlay aimed to avoid some hours of heat by setting off from the Sugar Bowl car,..., but do not feel well descended to the summit you can return via geal Charn for a Munro the!, best accomplished from Speyside Tops - Peak from here, youll follow an path. Make that 21 successful rounds in 31 years undertake them entirely at your risk! Ones first stop time the final ascent the next time I comment airy, leading., continue on the border of the Cairngorm 4000ers, best accomplished from Speyside entirely at your own.... Clear tracks back down through the pretty Glendoll forest and a drop before the final ascent 55 'Munros.... Of old shielings, continue on the path to the Scottish hill runners west, Grantown in,! Multi-Day wilderness good cairngorm munros round from Newtonmore and is shown as Peak 18 in! Between the ski centre and Cairn Gorm ( our first Munro of the Moray Aberdeenshire.
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