UKC

I'm going to be in Braemar over Christmas/New Year with friends and I was wondering about doing the Lairig Ghru, leaving a car at each end.

Is it a sensible single day objective and would it be more type 1 fun than type 2 fun? I'm expecting to start and finish in the dark but I don't really want an epic, just a good long hard day's walk. What are the start and finish sections like to navigate in the dark? Any particular direction it should be attempted in?

In reply to SuperstarDJ:

Obviously it is very weather dependent. An epic is perfectly feasible.

I have done it in very poor conditions indeed, and it is just that, a 'hard day's walk', but you must take into consideration the avalanche risk off the steep sides, and especially the wind direction. If it is blowing straight down the glen, to walk the whole way into it is torture, so plan it with the wind on your back, S-N or N-S accordingly.

The nav is very straightforward due to the nature of the terrain, but keeping to the path will be difficult under snow. I once went through the snow and ice into the nascent Dee, and was thankful for a fire at the Corrour to get warm and dry, as it could have been serious. Also be careful if you plan to come from the Sugarbowl and through the Chalameain Gap, as it is at best challenging in deep snow, and at worst, an avalanche trap.

All of this carries the usual caveats of how comfortable one is the dark/winter conditions of course, but it is a great and fulfilling winter outing.

In reply to JohnnyW:

Thanks - that's really useful. I'll definitely keep it on the agenda and see how things are looking when I get there.

David

In reply to JohnnyW:

Good Advice.

Would just like to add a reminder on the dangers of river immersion in winter.

The only time I have seen a body bag on the hills was in winter (Dec81 ?) in the LG.
The victim had got wet and died despite his team having sleeping bags and tents.

Modern clothing will help but it may be a critical and difficult decision whether to use a tent for shelter or try to get warm and drier by keeping moving.

In reply to SuperstarDJ:

It's also a long way round by car, over roads that are normally the first to be blocked by snow ( A939 Cockbridge to Tomintoul ), so if you were walking to Aviemore you may not be able to get back to Braemar very easily ( the alternative route to the A939 is even longer ).

The bridge at Derry Lodge is down ( and unlikley to be fixed until Spring ) but I believe there is a tree across the river. There's a bridge over the Luibeg Burn which you might need to use at that time of year, but is a slight diversion from the main path.

Gorgeous part of the country, but also can be very brutal - give it the respect it deserves, and be prepared to call off and leave for another time.

In reply to steelbru:

Oh, useful info there - is that the one of the Derry Burn branch of the river?

Agree with what everyone else has said, otherwise - in good conditions it's a long, remote, relatively straightforward path bash, in bad conditions you might have trouble getting out of the car park (or into it, for that matter...)

In reply to Ramblin dave:

The tree is across the Derry Burn about 200 metres upstream from the site of the washed-out bridge at Derry Lodge. The root disc on the east bank has to be clambered over, but branches have been cut through the canopy to make a clear passage through to the west bank. Once on the west bank it is best to head at right angles to the burn until you reach the path in about 50 metres. Following the river bank directly back downstream involves crossing boggy ground and a water-filled ditch.
The bridge over the Luibeg is a slight detour but not outrageous. The August floods moved some of the boulders in the normal ford, which can be difficult to cross now.

In reply to OMR:

Sorry, I'm being dense here. Don't know the area well, but will be up there in a couple of months...

So am I right in thinking that the washed out bridge is the one at 041935 (approx), and that all the other river crossings within about 500m of there, including the things that look like bridges on the OS 1:50,000, are actually fords? (Except the tree.) What do you mean by the bridge over Luibeg?

Thanks!

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Sorry, could have been clearer. There are currently no bridges in the area of Derry Lodge. Some older maps have bridges marked at 042933 and 038934 but these are long gone. The nearest proper bridge to Derry Lodge is over 2kn to the north at 040958.
When I talk about the bridge over Luibeg I'm referring to the bridge at 014943. There is a ford about half a k south on the line of the path, at 015938, but this is the one I'm referring to that can be problematic since the August flood. The detour to use the bridge is not a major addition to your route.
I think that covers your queries, but give me a shout if you're unclear about anything.

In reply to OMR:

Ah, so the bridge over Luibeg burn is useful if the ford is impassable rather than as an alternative to the Derry Lodge bridge, the options for the latter being tree or nothing. That makes sense.

Thanks!

In reply to Ramblin dave:

Good local info from OMR who appears to know the Cairngorms inside out.

Looks like a recce could be very useful on the South side, these river crossings can be a route breaker at any time of year.

On the North side some research to check the bridges there could be useful.
There are 3 obvious routes to take to Aviemore/Loch Morlich/Glenmore.
All more frequented than around Derry Lodge so possibly fixed but definitely worth checking.

Its a long way to retrace your steps.

Those long Cairngorm valleys are magic.

In reply to Rick Graham:

The sort of situation where buffalo clothing might help.

In reply to Rick Graham:

At the risk of seeming to confirm your allegations of omniscience, which are somewhat unfounded, I'm not aware of any problems with any of the bridges on the northern side of the Cairngorms. One of the local guides, Tim Hall, provided a lot of good early info on the state of bridges and tracks after the floods and he made no mention of any trouble on the Aviemore side. A quick phone call to Glenmore Lodge would probably be the best way to confirm the situation that side.