Walk of the Month
Walk of the Month
Lochnagar
This region of Scotland referred to as the Mounth is characterised by a high rolling plateau more akin to the Cairngorms. Bounded by the Cairnwell Pass in the west, famous for the Glenshee Ski Centre. If you are a skier, Glenshee offers the most extensive downhill skiing area in Britain, spanning 3 valleys and 4 mountains with 26 tows and lifts. Northwards, flowing streams fill the Dee whilst to the south and east the hills gradually recede until the fertile plains of Aberdeen and Angus are reached.
The high exposed corries of the Mounth are spectacular, the most notable of which must be that of Lochnagar and the cliffs which overshadow the Dubh Loch set in a high glacial trough above Loch Muick.
The most popular ascents of Lochnagar summit, visited by Queen Victoria using ponies in 1848, start at Spittal of Glenmuick where there is a small car-park and visitor centre. However, this route takes a long westwards approach via a 'side door'.
Information
Maps: OS 1:50000 Sheets 43 and 44. Harveys Superwalker 1:25000 Lochnagar.
Grading: A high level and exposed mountain walk with no obvious escape routes.
Time
Take: 7 hours
Ascent:
1550 metres
Distance:
25 km
Walk
Objective: Lochnagar (Cac Carn Beag), 3789ft/1155m
Start:
Coirenalarig, Glen Clunie on the A 93. GR 138832. There are
several parking areas alongside the road most notably at the eastern edge of a
forest plantation about 5km north of the Glenshee Ski Centre and about 8km south
of Braemar
Route
taken
This
is not a natural approach to Lochnagar, but with my brother familiar to these
hills, a new line of approach was suited to him. From the Land Rover we
set off eastwards up the Allt a'Mhaide towards Moine Bhealaich Bhudihe, a col at 680
metres. The weather was fine and warm although somewhat overcast and dull.
1.View east from the col
As we descended from the col towards Lochcallater Lodge via the Land Rover track we had to make sure to turn off north eastwards. Our first navigational objective was the bridging of the Allt a Bhealaich Buidhe about 500 metres from Lochcallater Lodge. With the burn crossed at GR 175842 we bridged the Callatar Burn at the Lodge and took a breather.
2.At
Lochallater Lodge. View south east up the loch.
Behind the lodge is a fine traversing stalkers' path which climbs easily to the col due west of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor. At the col, a line of iron fence posts like those on Brandreth, guides the walker to the summit of the Munro. If, however, you find a gate slightly ajar along the fence line, do what the country code says and close it!
3. If only the rest of the fence was built like the gate!
There are two cairns on the rounded top, but it is the one slightly to the south that is the higher. Although many of the summits in the Mounth are rounded and grassy the surrounding flanks are bridled with corries and many points of interest. In particular, although not blessed with harsh crags, Carn an t-Sagairt Mor is littered with large pieces of wreckage from a Canberra aircraft which crashed here in January 1956. These include pieces of fuselage and sections of wing. As we walked north from the summit we examined the largest piece still intact and wondered about the pilots on board. I presumed that just a few more metres of altitude and the plane would have safely cleared the summit plateau, but as it is the last milliseconds of these men's lives was spent atop this Munro. At least, we thought, the crew's death would've been quick and we contemplated how fragile our existence is on this planet.
4. The planes wing and other pieces of wreckage festoon the summit and northern flanks of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor
Now heading east-north-east we ascended Carn an t-Sagairt Beag heading for The Stuic (1092m) and the fine views across its northern precipices. I was keen to top out on Lochnagar although Paul, who knows the mountain well, wanted to finish his mountain bagging in the area and tick off Carn a Choire Bhoidheach (1110m). This latter mountain is a Munro, but although The Stuic is inferior in height it deserves the title far more to this undulating whale back bump.
Leaving Paul, I ambled along the cliffs of Coire Lochan nan Eun to the large cairn on the 'ghost top' of Cac Carn Mor (1150m). If you were unaware, you might suspect this is the summit of Lochnagar, but navigating 500 metres northwards through the fog I arrived at the 1155 metre summit of Lochnagar (Cac Carn Beag). I would be lieing if I said I wasn't disappointed at the whitewashed view before my eyes. A group of walkers sat in the lea of the summit tor and ate their sandwiches whilst I jumped around the rocks. Fog enveloped the entire summit plateau so I took a time lapsed photo of myself and consulted the viewfinder placed there by the Cairngorm Club of Aberdeen in 1924.
It was frustrating to think that on a clear day you could see Ben Nevis 65 miles away - I felt deflated. As Queen Victoria wrote in 1848,
'On the summit there was thick fog, it was cold,
wet and cheerless and the wind was blowing a hurricane.'
However, mountains have that adept knack of surprising you, even in the most poor conditions. I kept checking the barometer on my watch and just as I was giving up hope of seeing any view at all the sun seemed stronger through the cloud and the north and western flanks of the mountain were exposed for a fleeting view. The other party on the summit became excited and we stood atop the mountain, catching glimpses of The Meikle Pap to the east and the gently cascading flanks to the west. Although this wasn't Cac Carn Beag's most lavish offering, the brief glimpses through the cloud seemed to me more greatly rewarding than if I'd gone up and had the best view ever. To me, seeing any view at all that day was fantastic and really made it all worthwhile. Before departing I made my acquaintances with the summit party, taking their photographs and doing my part for the club by handing out some club cards! One chap, an American from Fort Lauderdale, Florida seemed happy when I said I'd publish his photo on the site so here it is. He made me laugh when I overheard him express his concerns about the weather on this July day, "mighty cold winters you'd be having"!
View north and east from Lochnagar (Cac Carn Beag)
Click for a larger version
Click
for avi.* video on summit. 2.92 mb
Descending again I returned to the main path west, dropping out from the fog at about 1050 metres and approached my brother who had begun to walk east on the path to meet me. A solitary walker was on the path, a woman from Scotland soon to become a teacher of mathematics at Cockermouth school. I confessed that I was rather jealous at her prospects from September, teaching beneath the shadows of the North-Western fells - lucky gal! After parting company my brother and I continued our trek back to the car. We changed our route on return, negating a return over t-Sagairt Mor and instead 'handrailed' around it's southern flank, following a route to the old fence gate, met on ascent.
The long walk out was, despite the descent to Lochcallater Lodge and reascent of Moine Bhealaich Bhuidhe, was a relaxing one. We returned to the car at about 5 o'clock after 7 hours. I had an inner feeling of satisfaction having climbed to the top of Lochnagar which, without doubt, presents itself as a glorious mountain. As Byron once wrote,
'England! Thy beauties are tame and domestic to one who has roved o'er the mountains afar:
Oh for the crags that are wild and majestic!
The steep frowning glories of Lochnagar!'
On that note I shall end - it might just have started a debate!
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