UKC

I realise this doesn't belong in the winter climbing forum, strictly speaking, but it isn't quite expedition either....

I want to try a winter round of all the Cairngorm Munroes (18). My route will follow the fell running round, easy to find online, and I will hopefully be doing it with a friend (though may do a few recce trips solo).

Obviously for something line this I will want the minimum thick snow. I do not have snowshoes or touring skis, crampons and a walking axe/poles will be the way forward I think.

I hope to stay in bothies and at the shelter stone but we will carry a light tent and bivvy bags.

Has anyone here done a winter round of the Cairngorm Munroes before? Any tips?

Robert

In reply to Roberttaylor:


MUNROS! No E please! ;oP

Iain Munro

In reply to Roberttaylor:

Not sure Mark Rigby's round has been done in winter? It would be quite an undertaking! I'm also guessing depending on conditions skis would help. Have a look at..
http://www.shr.uk.com

In reply to Padraig:

Oh and it's Munros!

In reply to Roberttaylor: It was skiied in one push last winter, i cannot recall names or the time it took. Maybe 28 hours. Good luck for your attempt.

In reply to Padraig:

As a 24-hour round on foot it would be monumental, but don't think that's what's being proposed here. On which note, the only constructive advice I can offer the OP right now is that it could still be pretty serious as a backpacking trip!

In reply to bobert:

Was that not just the 8 tops you are refering to. The entire 18 in 28 hours would be a bit of an acheivement!!


youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Vg81KgcZc&

In reply to Slugain Howff: Bloody ell! Yes that's it. The 4000's then. 28 hours doesn't seem that impressive now
Apologies OP. I can put you in touch with a lad on the FRA who attempted the Rigby recently running it. He may have good advice for route choice.

In reply to bobert:

Hmmm, did he post anything about that on their forums (I'm not a daily visitor)? If not, I'd also be interested to make contact because I'm thinking of trying it next summer.

In reply to petestack: Yes it's IanDP. He attempted with Nicky Spinks. I'll have look for their thread and post back here.

In reply to Roberttaylor:


Well someone might have done a winter round of all the Munros if that counts?



http://www.moran-mountain.co.uk/moran-mountaineering/about.html

In reply to petestack: There's a queue! Routewise the main debate is what to do after Ben Avon: an out and back looks like the right route, with Benn a Chaorainn on the way back, rather than the drop North into the valley.

To the OP. In Winter it could be an epic. I've run in the Cairngorms mid winter with still air and perfect snow for running studs. But like many on here, I'm sure, I've spent hours travelling almost no distance in really manky conditions. The Rigby round route covers some rarely trodden and pretty featureless terrain, so your Nav. is going to need to be spot on. Off the top of my head, it's about 70 milesish, so in anything less than perfect weather, you're going to be out for a looong time!

Finally, 48 hours for the 4000s? Surely not!

In reply to dmhigg: Sorry, 28 hours. Still a long time.

In reply to dmhigg: I think the ethos of the Rigby is that it should not be overly reccied isn't it, quite a pure onsight round ethic. Quite tempted at some point.

In reply to dmhigg:

And plenty of room for us both!

In reply to IainRUK:

Yep, that's the Rigby ethos (solo too), and why I'll likely be going alone when I'd otherwise be suggesting a joint attempt to my mate Jon. But don't think this really affects the OP's winter backpacking proposal the same way?

In reply to IainRUK: Certainly an antidote to the huge numbers that seem to circumnavigate Snowdonia these days. (Irony alert, smiley face, etc.)

In reply to Roberttaylor: Just had a wee look at the map.Leg 1 to Corrour Bothy, 29 miles, 3500m. Leg 2 to Hutchison Hut, 10 miles, 1500m. Leg 3 to Faindouran Lodge (bothy), 17 miles, 1500m. Leg 4 back to Cairngorm, 8 miles, 1100m. All very approximate. Two(prohibitively?)big Winter days in there.

In reply to Roberttaylor: Firstly, I want to do try the Rigby round in the summer. I hope to do more hill running (Cairngorm and McDui, The 4000ers and the Big Six are what I want to do in the Cairngorms as preparation for the Rigby).

Sorry for misspelling Munros Schoolboy error.

To clarify, I would not be trying to do it in a day or even two days in winter. I would carry food and equipment for three days, anything longer and I would bail.

I will not try this if the weather does not look promising, my nav is fairly good but avoiding a whiteout is just sensible. Obviously I would try and avoid swimming through powder as far as possible.

Robert

In reply to Roberttaylor: One of the rounds in 3 days is a huge undertaking, even in summer. It's basically 8 hrs a day carrying a heavy pack..Even 12 hrs a day.

I've done 2/3rds of the Paddy Buckley over 2 days in training, 6-8 hrs a day of running, and it was hard going. Never mind walking with packs. Just see how you go, but even over 4 days even in summer, any of these rounds as a back pack is a big undertaking.

In reply to Roberttaylor:
I often do a mid-winter route of -

Sugar Bowl up to Coire an -t-Sneachda, Goat Track, up and over and down Coire Domhainn, up to Loch Etchachan, over the bealach and down Tailor's Burn to the Corrour, then return to the SB via the Braeriach four Munros.

I am no slouch, but it fills two days easily, and is bloody hard work in anything other than perfect conditions. Depends how many days you are happy to be out I suppose.

You also have to consider alterations to planned routes due to avalanche risk.

Tall order if you ask me, but good luck mate, you're much fitter than me, so go for it!

In reply to JohnnyW: Cheers, good advice. I'm not too proud to back off if conditions are bad/it is going to be a mare. Will post results on here.

In reply to Roberttaylor: I reckon it's a six day trip if you're going any time soon. If you're only going for three days I would put together a more manageable bothy based trip which you know you'll finish. 4000s + Mheadhoinn and Derry cairngorm would be nice, camping at Hutchison and Corrour. Whatever you do, have a good one, and tell us how you got on.

In reply to JohnnyW: Guess you mean 2 long days on foot, its 'just' a long day on skis

To the OP - surely the only sensible way to this in winter is on nordic skis? - see Adam Watson's "Cairngorm 6" in a day done as far back as 1962 for inspiration

In reply to Doug: youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Vg81KgcZc&

In reply to Roberttaylor: Here is the thread on the FRA relating to IanDP's attempt in 2009 http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showthread.php?7724-Rigby-Round-attempt-Cair... Even if you're not doing it in one continuous push still worth a read.

Like IainRUK i had a desire to do it ( i did a Bob Graham in 2009) just because of the ethics of the original round - on sight and solo. My Bob Graham was far from this approach but i keep bottling it. The thought of being out there alone and shattered pulls me back to the familiar. However you do it whether it be over a few days camping in winter please report back with photos. Good luck.

In reply to Roberttaylor:

I'd get some skis, you'd have much more fun I think.

In reply to dmhigg: I will wait till the recent powder has consolidated/melted/blown away. I won't go if conditions are too slow....I will happily do something shorter if this is the case. Good training and good for a recce.

In reply to Roberttaylor:

About June, then?

In reply to petestack: Well, at least grown more walkable. Saw folk skiing there on midsummers day last year.

Does anyone know of this roube being done before, in winter, in one push, not on skis?

In reply to Roberttaylor:

http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showthread.php?13639-winter-rigby

In reply to Roberttaylor: email steve perry who posts on here - he did a continual round of all the munros in the winnter of 2007 by foot

In reply to jjmacewan:

That's quite an achievement, as well as the kind of thing John Fleetwood is renowned for. But still (not surprisingly) sounds like he had to work hard for it!

In reply to petestack: Extraordinary. And I was going to vote for Mark Cavendish....

In reply to jjmacewan:


Blimey, check his photos - beautiful!

In reply to Roberttaylor: I was in Faindourain bothy a few nights ago and John Fleetwood (mentioned earlier) had posted in the bothy book (dated 14th Dec 2010) that he was in the midst of running a winter round of the Cairngorms. It looks like it's been done this winter.

In reply to Steve Perry:

Which is *why* John Fleetwood was mentioned earlier (see link in jjmacewan's post above).

In reply to Roberttaylor: Awesome! Cheers for the link.