Beinn Mheadhoin and Ben Macdui via Loch A'an

Climbed by year and month

Climbed by year and month

Following beside the Allt Coire Raibeirt down to Loch A'an, the rough and rocky path already pretty steep, steepened further. Sitting on a rock step water running down my leg as I lowered myself down to the next ledge I hoped it was going to be worth it. I saw no-one about. I hadn't since two guys came up the track from the ski centre on a glorified quad-bike passing me at the Sheiling Station. I'd seen ant like dots climbing the path to Stob Coire an t'Sneachda, but they wouldn't see me if I slipped. Or hear me. Don't slip I thought, it wouldn't be good.

I arrived at the ski centre car park just before 8am. A few campervans had stayed overnight, the blinds still up. Getting ready I spied a guy with a gorgeous looking Husky type dog about to pass by. So I jumped out the van to say hello. It turned out to be Jack from a mutual Scottish hillwalking Facebook group. The dog, Kyro, only a year old was soo lovely and friendly and bouncy. I was already missing Jessie as I couldn't bring her on this walk. Busying myself getting ready, I soon set off walking. Keeping the route simple I headed up through the buildings, funicular on the left shops and café on the right. The track into Coire Cas is a bit grim, what with the ski mess, but it gets the job done. I was soon turning off just after the sharp left elbow on into the coire. Stone pitched in places the path quickly makes for Fiacaill a'Choire Chais and the 1141 top.

Making good time I left the top and went straight over the other side, soon picking up the easy path down into Coire Raibeirt. As it dropped towards Loch A'an it got steeper, and steeper. The steps down larger, and the noise of the Allt next to me louder. I think only a couple of years ago I'd be quite intimidated by this path. Now I just took it block by scrambly block. I could see the tors on Beinn Mheadhoin across the loch. It was going to be 'interesting' getting to the summit. Below me I discovered a couple, one carrying a tripod, crossing the river to the path heading across to the head of the loch. Reaching their crossing point, I discovered there was multiple easy options so I was able to rock hop across with dry feet. This path cuts off a bit of a corner, gently dropping down across the face of the slopes it was rough as a rough thing. No striding out was possible. Shelter Stone Crag across the coire was impressive. The howf boulder stood out clearly, confirmed by a wee cairn on top. I didn't fancy sleeping under that. Ever.

Eventually I dropped to the beach where three lads had camped overnight. Their walk-in hadn't been pleasant in the rain of the previous evening. They looked forward to a better day today, and were heading for Ben Macdui via Coire Domhain... More on that later. I crossed the river at the head of Loch A'an with dry feet by way of a few stepping stones, a gravel bank, and more stepping stones. An easy path the other side climbed through moraines, joined alongside the Allt nan Stacan Dubha, until it reached Loch Etchachan. The latter being another place well known to me, like Loch A'an, yet had never visited. Before I reached the loch-side I left my path to cut off a corner. Heading for Beinn Mheadhoin I aimed at the top on the end of the south west ridge. Patches of loose gravel scree and grass tussocks made for surprisingly easy climbing. Approaching the wee top I picked up the main path. Once on the ridge the Barns came back into view. The Barns are shapely granite tors, the furthest has the honour of being the summit. A scramble is needed to claim the munro. It looked fierce-some. End on, it presented a blank wall at least 3 or 4 persons height. Apparently the way up is on the far side.

Across the plateau I made good time, a respite from climbing is as good as a rest or something. As I approached the summit tor I heard voices of a couple just leaving. I'd have to climb it 'on-site' as it were. Around the back was a fairly steep ramp, aided perhaps by a gully. The granite dry and very grippy, I clambered up the first bit. Then there was a slightly exposed shuffle over to a ledge above the first rampy bit. With a bit of a scramble up an easy step onto the summit of the tor, and the munro. I looked out, and looked down to two more people arriving. They looked impressively small. I quietly congratulated myself for having made it thus far. Getting down unscathed was a different matter, of course. I took photos as best I could in the hoolie that was battering me about, and spent long enough on the top to ensure the GPS recorded I really had made it. I could see across Loch A'an to Cairngorm itself, Bynack More, and many more to the south I could not yet name. Then I reversed my route down just fine without drama.

Elated by the success so far I headed back across the plateau towards Loch Etchachan. Still way above the Loch, on the loose path down I checked out its surroundings. There were plenty of grassy areas with some looking flat enough for a wildcamp, at some point. At the bottom I crossed the prosaically named Coire Etchachan Burn at the outfall of Little Loch Etchachan.

It seemed a long 3km trudge from Loch Etchachan to the summit of Ben Macdui. However along the way I did spot a tiny very soft snow patch still hanging on. Two lots of mountain bikers came down with varying degrees of skill. One lad just managing to avoid going over the bars dropping off a rock. And I met the 3 lads from Loch A'an. They looked tired, but in good spirits. They were going to head for the forest somewhere in Glen Derry because of the wind. I told them about the Hutchison Hut, they'd never heard of it. So I explained about Mountain Bothies. They were very surprised, and very happy they might have somewhere with a roof for the night! Just below the summit stands the remains of the Sapper's Bothy, now just tumbledown stone walls, roofless but still with fireplace. It was home to the army surveyors of Captain Thomas Colby who undertook the first Trigonometric Survey in the 1800s, who needed to be on the hill when conditions were favourable to see the other hills. For some reason Ben Macdui is slightly special in my mind. I don't really know why, can only guess it might be from a navigation course at Glenmore Lodge. We had crossed the plateau, probably for my first time and was where I fell over just below the summit which resulted in a squashed disk in my back. Still, despite that it must have left a positive impression on me.

I left Ben Macdui heading north'ish, to pass between Lochan Buidhe and the source of the March Burn which falls into the Lairig Gru. I noticed a stag off to my right who then proceeded to stalk me. I got out my walking pole, and sped up a bit, especially when I dropped out of his site behind a hummock. Not so long later I saw him cross the path about 300metres behind me. Interesting behaviour, perhaps he saw me as a threat?! Anyway, I carried on roughly north, climbed up and over the south west shoulder of Cairn Lochan, to descend the easy path down the ridge to pass in front of the Northern Corries and back to the car park.