Glas Maol and Cairn of Claise

Climbed by year and month

Climbed by year and month

Or rather how not to do Tolmount and Tom Buidhe.

I had assumed a few warm-up walks post-lockdown would get me some fitness, and 12 miles with 1000metres of ascent is not huge especially as it's not hugely rough terrain. A few ups and re-ascents sure, but nothing excessive. Or so I thought.

Straight from the car park the track is a rough and steep. Keeping it slow and steady I meandered my way up. It's a false summits kind of track, you think you've got to the top only to find another summit ahead... And another. It's a great way to gain height but I could not find my 'alpine pace' - that easy pace which allows you to climb continuously.

Looking over my shoulder at the view opening up down through Glenshee gave me occasional excuses to catch my breath.

At Glas Maol summit I turned what I thought was a sharp enough left but couldn't spot a path. I suspected it was over to my left but no bother as I could see the track below me that I wanted.

I was keeping an eye on the map, but struggled to recognise my 2 objectives for the day, Tolmount and Tom Buidhe. Hmm, skill fade for sure, as later I realised they were visually the other side of Cairn of Claise.

I didn't see a track branching off to Tom Buidhe at all. Checking the GPS I'd gone past it so carried on and found the other track, well really only a path, on the shoulder of Cairn of Claise. I was okay for time, but I was shattered. going out and back another 7km to pick up Tolmount and Tom Buidhe was not going to happen today. Not least because the way back to the car park would involve reascending Glas Maol.

My decision made I wandered over to Cairn of Claise, at least Skye could bag that one for a score of 2 new munros for her.