Friday 30 May 2014

REMOTE SCRAMBLING ON BRAERIACH

Sgurr Gaoithe & Loch Einich from the start of the scramble on Creag an Loch
Creag an Loch
Sensational views and warm  rock!
The Corrie at the head of Glen Einaich
Looking up to Creag an Loch from the Corrie Dhondail path
Beautiful pools and burns along the route into Coire Dhondail
Even the bike in has reasonable views!
Braeriach is one of the finest hills in The Cairngorms, with many huge corries, remoteness, and vast tracts of high plateau. I never tire of finding alternative routes onto the third highest mountain in Britain. It takes me just over two hours by bike/walk from the house to reach the foot of the wonderful Creag an Loch, a rocky spur which bounds the beautiful and high Corrie Dhondail. The scrambling is quite bouldery at the start but gets better and more solid rock higher up. It's the fine situation rather than the quality of any scrambling here with Loch Einich stretched out behind and the backdrop of Sgurr Gaoithe beyond. The spur reaches the plateau but is still some distance to the actual summit of Braeriach. A route for the connoisseur who isn't interested on bagging the Munro as quickly and efficiently as possible! It's worth noting that if you intend to get onto the plateau by keeping on the fine stalkers path up the corrie then it would definitely be sensible to carry an ice axe just now. There is a huge stretch of steep snow and a big pile of boulders at the corrie floor if you were to take a slide. There is also a massive bergshrund where the snow reaches the wee waterfall just before the plateau. Today was wall to wall sunshine and clear blue skies, hot sun and no wind! Marvellous!

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