Day 8: Glenmore Lodge to Hutchinson Memorial Hut
I decided to go for an early start because the weather was supposed to worsen by the evening.
Walking up from the campsite to the ski lodge was quite easy along the road, despite climing a few hundred metres. Possibly, I could have used a footpath but I wasn't sure where they led. Just before I reached the lodge, I saw a guy, possibly 60, on roller skates and using ski poles to go uphill (presumably from Glenmore) - it looked like he was simulating the cross-country skiing. He didn't return my "good morning" though.
After getting a Starbucks and a huge chocolate brownie, I follwed a rocky path up to the top of the funicular railway.
From there it was a realatively easy, but steep, path to the summit of Cairn Gorm. Descending from there to the southwest was a bit awkward (steep and lots of rocks) and then going alongside a clifftops, the path ascended again to the southwest. I met some day hikers here who took a path which ascended further up but I decided to go on a lower path, south towards Ben Macdui.
I was a bit surprised to find some quite large snow patches on the way up. However, they weren't very deep or on steep ground and some people had already crossed, so there wasn't much risk. I just got out my walking pole for stability.
After passing a false summit, I eventually reached Ben Macdui.
Going down from there to the east was initially quite easy, although there was a steeper snow patch. There were some Ptarmigans (a type of grouse) seen on the way down. They make a very distinctive type of burping sound.
The harder bit was going down past Loch Etchachan because of the steepness, the rockiness and my tiredness, although the views here were quite impressive. After quite a while, I eventually reached the Hutchinson Hut.
While refilling on water outside the hut, I met a couple of other experienced challengers coming down; Lee Wells and Tony Bowe. They were headed to somewhere nearer Derry Lodge. Unfortunately, the Hutchinson Hut was full (a group of six non-challengers) so I volunteered to camp outside. They were quite a friendly and experienced crew from near Frankfurt in Germany. They told me of their horror story where their backpacking gear was lost by KLNM at the airport for two days, which they spent waiting in Braemar. Sadly, this meant that they were unable to reach Ben Macdui, due to the bad weather; it was quite heavy rain and moderate wind all through the evening, night and morning.
Walking up from the campsite to the ski lodge was quite easy along the road, despite climing a few hundred metres. Possibly, I could have used a footpath but I wasn't sure where they led. Just before I reached the lodge, I saw a guy, possibly 60, on roller skates and using ski poles to go uphill (presumably from Glenmore) - it looked like he was simulating the cross-country skiing. He didn't return my "good morning" though.
 |
| Road up to Cairngorm Ski Centre and the guy on roller skates |
After getting a Starbucks and a huge chocolate brownie, I follwed a rocky path up to the top of the funicular railway.
 |
| List of ski routes open at the top of the funicular. Oddly there were a few open - possibly grass ski? |
From there it was a realatively easy, but steep, path to the summit of Cairn Gorm. Descending from there to the southwest was a bit awkward (steep and lots of rocks) and then going alongside a clifftops, the path ascended again to the southwest. I met some day hikers here who took a path which ascended further up but I decided to go on a lower path, south towards Ben Macdui.
 |
| Selfie at summit of Cairn Gorm |
I was a bit surprised to find some quite large snow patches on the way up. However, they weren't very deep or on steep ground and some people had already crossed, so there wasn't much risk. I just got out my walking pole for stability.
 |
| 100m of snow to walk across on the path to Ben Macdui |
After passing a false summit, I eventually reached Ben Macdui.
 |
| Summit of Ben Macdui (2nd highest in UK) |
 |
| Selfie at summit of Ben Macdui |
Going down from there to the east was initially quite easy, although there was a steeper snow patch. There were some Ptarmigans (a type of grouse) seen on the way down. They make a very distinctive type of burping sound.
 |
| Ptarmigans near summit of Ben Macdui |
The harder bit was going down past Loch Etchachan because of the steepness, the rockiness and my tiredness, although the views here were quite impressive. After quite a while, I eventually reached the Hutchinson Hut.
 |
| Loch Etchachan |
 |
| Descending to the Hutchinson Hut (just about visible) |
While refilling on water outside the hut, I met a couple of other experienced challengers coming down; Lee Wells and Tony Bowe. They were headed to somewhere nearer Derry Lodge. Unfortunately, the Hutchinson Hut was full (a group of six non-challengers) so I volunteered to camp outside. They were quite a friendly and experienced crew from near Frankfurt in Germany. They told me of their horror story where their backpacking gear was lost by KLNM at the airport for two days, which they spent waiting in Braemar. Sadly, this meant that they were unable to reach Ben Macdui, due to the bad weather; it was quite heavy rain and moderate wind all through the evening, night and morning.
Comments
Post a Comment