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NORTHUMBRIA BACKPACKERS
The web site of the
Northumbrian members of the Backpackers Club
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Cairngorms - The Two Lairigs
31 March - 2 April 2000
(Photos:Paul & Lucy Butler)
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It was a warm spring
day as we walked up the ski road from Loch Morlich, passing a young
skier waiting for the bus, skis in hand. We were shedding layers
as we headed across the moor to the Chalamain Gap, and over the Lairig
Ghru, and made a beeline for the bright green knoll where the Sinclair
hut once stood. Just north of the watershed we stopped for lunch,
looking out over Lurchers Crag and down towards Rothiemurchus.
The sweeping landscape south, including Sgorr an Lochan Uaine (Angels
Peak), the Devil's Point, and Ben Macdui, together with a tantalising
view into Garbh Coire, was awesome. The path swung around the
shoulder of Ben a'Mhain and we camped in a stand of pines just below
Luibeg Bridge.
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Lochan Uaine |
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Next morning we ambled down
to Derry Lodge, past a large herd of deer, and up through the trees of Glen
Derry. As the route turned up towards Loch Etchachan the rain gave
way to snow, and we double checked the bearing to take us to Loch A'an.
The path crossed a steep bank of old snow before descending sharply through
massive boulders to the head of the glen. A sheltered spot behind
a moraine provided a comfortable pitch with great views up to the cliffs.
The snow had blanketed the landscape overnight to a depth of 2 to 3 feet,
making the walk out alongside Loch A'an painfully slow. We picked
our way amongst the boulders before heading diagonally up to the Saddle
and over into Strath Nethy. The walk down to the glen to Bynack Stable
seemed to last forever as the deep snow meant breaking the trail was very
hard work. Negotiating snow filled gullies, steam crossings, and persevering
through deep drifts on hummocky rock strewn terrain put our endurance to
the test. It was 6.30pm by the time we got to the shelter and, after
a quick rest and refuelling, we bashed down the track to the forest around
Glenmore. The last leg was extremely pretty, past little lochans and
stands of pines, all weighted down with snow. The track led down to
Glenmore Lodge and the main road where we finished just as the light was
fading. The dramatic change in conditions made for an interesting
end to our trip, and was a salutary lesson in the hazards of mountain weather.
(Lucy Butler)
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Camp near head of Loch A'an |
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Pools of Dee
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Forest tracks near Glenmore Lodge |
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