UKC

We are planning 3 days in the cairgorm with overnight bothy use/camping. The route we have planned takes us from Braeriach to Ben Macdui. I cannot see an obvious way. How steep are the Western Slopes of Ben Macdui (I have never been there before). Would a slog up with packs on be a viable option (if unpleasant)?

If anyone can offer any advice on out planned route then it would be appreciated.

Is is as follows:

Inverey - Carn Cloich Mhuilinn - Beinn Bhrotain - Carn Toul - Carn na Criche - Wild camp by Garbh Choire Bothy - Braeriach - Ben Macdui - Creagan a Choire Etchacahn Overnight at John Hutchinson hut then a third day including more munros back to Inverey

Thanks in advance

In reply to bowls:

I second Iain's comments about not descending to the bothy. A couple of years ago we camped close to the Pools of Dee on the plateau just south of Braeriach; several camping spots, fresh running water, solitude, lovely!

In reply to bowls: Agree with comments. Garbh Choire Refuge (not bothy) is in a very poor state just now and not even very attractive to use for cooking in if you're camping beside it. Better to keep your height; that's a lon g way down just to climb back up again in the morning. Western slopes of MacDui are probably best tackled up the March Burn or, easier but longer,if you're down into Glen Dee, up the path to the col between Carn a Mhaim and MabDui.

In reply to IainMunro:

Ian and Peter, many thanks for your replies, just to give a little context, we do one of these "jaunts" every year, but never the Cairngorm before this year. The main reason for descending to the bothy on the first night is that the weather at present doesn't look too promising, so we need to descend to at least a relative sheltered area. If the weather does turn out to be good of course we will camp high up. As for the descent to the bothy, the plan was to pick out one of the spurs further around and walk/scramble down to the coire. From experience in terrible weather, having some sort of shelter whilst wild camping can help out!

Just out of interest, for 3 days from our starting location could you suggest a better itiniery?

Thanks

In reply to bowls:

Just re-read my post "can you suggest a better itinery"

that wasn't meant to be flipant! Do any of you have much experience of the Sgor Gaolith area. It looks interesting, but may be tricky to incorporate into a 3 dayer from inverey with 15 miles and 5000ft being our benchmark?

Thanks

In reply to bowls:

Relative sheltered area is a good description of Garbh Choire bothy: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1397156

If you want to visit Sgor Gaoith it's good to take in Monadh Mor and, if you want to complete the munros on the Moine Mor, a longer wander takes Mullach Clach a Bhlair as well.

There's good sheltered camping by Lochain nan Cnapan in most weather.

That would leave Braeriach, Cairn Toul and Bod an Deamhain and a night at Corrour. If you had the legs then Ben Macdui followed by Derry Cairngorm would get you back to Inverey but it would be a shame to miss out Carn a Mhaim. You could do this on the way to Macdui from Corrour.

In reply to Craig Mc:

Craig, in your experience is Sgor Gaoith worth the visit?

Looks like a long climb back from there?

In reply to bowls:


Don't have a map to hand but thinking off the top of my head I wonder if you reversed the route and tweaked it a bit you could save a bit of double backing and height loss.

Day 1: Linn of Dee- Derry Cairngorm - Ben Macdui - Carn a Mhaim - Corrour
Day 2: Braeriach - Angel's Peak - Cairn Toul - Loch nan Stuirteag (or leave tent at Corrour and return there?)
Day 3: Monadh Mor - Beinn Bhrotain - Linn of Dee (could add Sgor Gaoith to this although the plateau over to Carn Ban Mor is not actually as easy underfoot as the map would suggest)

Hope you get good weather for it!

Iain

In reply to bowls: I'm sure it's physically possible but I don't think I'd want to do most of that side of Macdui with a big pack on. The exception I can think of is one I've only descended (with a big pack on). You might think it doesn't suit your circuit ideally but it's a definite go-er. From Lairig Ghru about halfway between Corrour and Garbh Choire, head due east up a quite steep but fairly short climb to the col between Macdui and Can a'Mhaim. From there take the obvious blunt spur just right of the Allt Clach nan Taillear onto Macdui. There's a rough path at times, it's a bit steep and stony, but I'd bet it won't be half as bad as the rest of the west side of Macdui.

In reply to bowls: Sgurr Gaoith is definitely worth the visit, it's one of the best. You may decide it's a ridge too far on this trip... Between Braeriach and SG I don't think the height loss is too bad but the ground above the head of gleann Einich is quite boggy and complex, so it's harder work linking the two than it may appear to be on the map.

In reply to bowls: There have been other good suggestions already. But in your shoes here's what I might be inclined to do:

Day 1: Beinn Bhrotain - camp on the knobbly ground between Braeriach and Sgor Gaoith - leave tent pitched and nip up SG that evening.

Day 2: Braeriach, then back round the corrie to Sgor an Lochan Uaine & Cairn Toul. Stash bags somewhere for a quick nip up The Devil's Dong. Either camp at Corrour (busy if it's a weekend but in its favour it's a great spot and there is a sit down toilet if you care). Alternatively give yourself a leg up on day 3 and climb onto the Ben Macdui - Carn a' Mhaim col as mentioned in a previous post and camp there (plenty of good ground, probably not ideal if it's foul weather).

Day 3: quick run up Can a' Mhaim, then Taillear spur onto Ben Macdui - Derry Cairngorm - home for tea

In reply to bowls:
IainMunro's plan seems sound to me. 2nd day, stash the big packs at about 946976, out and back to Brairiach and drop easily along the Clais Luineag. Camp at the bealach or, for more shelter, by Loch nan Stuirteag. An excellent round. (I camped at 946927.)

Re Macdui: I did it with a camping pack. (But probably a little further south than you would be doing.) A real pig, but doable. This photo, looking over Carn a Mhaim gives an idea of the going. http://i1094.photobucket.com/albums/i445/SimonPPPP/DSC01638.jpg . It is steeper lower down.

In reply to SimonParkes: I've climbed from somewhere near the pools of Dee up to the MacDui plateau & it was fine BUT it was in winter with good névé all the way (we'd just skied from the Garbh Choire bothy, & went on the ski from the summit Ben MacDui down to Derry Lodge). And judging from some time spent on similar terrain a little further north in the Larig Ghrue when mapping vegetation, in summer I'd look for an easier option, even if a few miles further in distance

In reply to bowls:
Easiest way from Braeriach to Macdui is probably to go E along the main path to the wide saddle before Sron na Lairige, drop off E down an open bowl to the stream and path in the Lairig Ghru about 1 km S of the Pools of Dee, then slant rightwards uphill to Allt a Choire Mhor and Macdui. I've only done this on ski (probably much the same route as Doug in previous post) but I think it's one of the least steep and least bouldery bits of the W side of Macdui.

In reply to bowls:

FWIW, here's an itinerary I did (one June, many years ago) to link 20 CG(ish) Munros over 5 days.

d1 - Linn o'Dee - Geldie Lodge - camp - Sgarsoch - Fhidhleir & back

d2 - Bhrotain - Monadh M - camp by Allt Luineag - Clach a' Bhlair - Sg Gaoith & back

d3 - Braeriach - Sg an L U - C T - D's Pt - down to Corrour - C a'Mhaim - Macdui - down to Hutchie Hut (camp by L Etchachan would have been ideal but weather was looking very iffy)

d4 - D C G & back - Mheadhoin - C G - Bynack M - Faindouran

d5 - B Avon - B a'Bhuird - Chaorainn - Bhreac - Linn o'Dee

Top and tail that lot for a decent 3 day trek.

In reply to bowls:

We walked up Macdui the other day via Allt Clach nan Taillear, and if you are used to the sort of thing your say then it is fine with a big pack. Else you would be down in Avimore with everyone else eating scones, wouldn't you?

In reply to bowls:

Thanks for all your input, especially those who advised not descending from angels peak and the back up to Braeriach. It became pretty obvious when we were up there.

For the record this is what we did.

Started Linn of Dee, went up Beinn Bhrotain via a pathless routes on the south eastern shoulder, then on to Monadh Mor. We then descending and ascending most of the way to the Angels Peak before dumping our packs. Did an out an back to Carn Toul, before following the rim round to Braeriach before descending to the Garbh Choire refuge and camping beside it. - A long day, the weather turned on the second day and one of our party wasn't well so we descending to Corrour and got some rest before nipping up Devils point in the evening. The 3rd day we dumped the packs and Did Macdui following the rough path which comes off the main path to the north or corrour before walking out to Linn of Dee

Again thanks for all of your advice