The Cairngorms are ‘a little piece of the arctic in Scotland’ according to the SMC Munros Guide and the area contains many of the tallest peaks in the East Highlands. Ben Macdui (1309m), Cairn Gorm (1244m) and Braeriach (1296) are probably three of the better known and the whole area is full of steep corries and high plateaux. Access to the mountains is typically from Aviemore or Braemar.
A Rockhoppers MC trip based at Braemar SYHA. Three of us thought it would be a good idea to climb Lochnagar from the north rather waste time driving round to the Spittal of Glenmuick. So we parked at Invercauld Bridge and headed up Ballochbuie Forest and the Feindellacher Burn before climbing up the broad cairned ridge to Cairn an t-Sagairt Beag. We sheltered under the upper slopes of Cairn Bannoch and put on crampons, but these slopes were the only time that day they were required, despite the cold. Carn a Choire Bhoidheach was taken in on the way to Lochnagar. The return was an interesting trackless climb straight down the steep boulders below Cac Carn Beag's summit, then aiming for the Princes's Stone and picking up the tracks through Ballochbuie Forest.
