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.
Two day expedition to visit and re-visit a number of summits from previous rounds and also visit some now Deleted Munro Tops. Parked at Whitewell and rode MTB through Gleann Einich, at first over steep rolling terminal moraines and then the flatter valley floor to Loch Einich. After just over an hour's quite taxing riding, I secured the bike at the loch head and climber steeply to reach the ascent track across the face of the eastern slopes above the Allt Coire Dhondail. Reaching a small hanging corrie, the track then ascends left across the eastern face of Coire Odhar, rapidly depositing me below the steep SW slopes of Braeriach. Several tents were spotted Loch nan Cnapan and I headed towards the Loch across easy ground at first and then many small knolls. Passed the tents and although tempting to stop here, I had much ground to cover and plenty of daylight before I could stop. A slight rise to the SW brought the wide estate track underfoot and I headed south for the long leg towards Mullach Clach a Bhlair and its two deleted Tops. Below the Munro summit, I continued eats and then north-east to eventually reach the first goal of the trip, the eastern 974M point of Diollaid Coire Eindart (NOT 974m point ring contour north of the Munro marked on some maps). A strong feeling of isolation out here with many miles of Cairngorm Plateau in all directions. Then, back along the track towards Mullach and its 1019m summit. That point then marks the route SSW, then SW to Druim nam Bo 918m. The cairn is NOT the actual summit of the deleted Top, which is to the West and obviously the higher point. Once bagged, it was back up the slopes of the Munro and thence retrace my steps N and then NE, descending across two streams and then at the third, which I'd spotted on the outbound leg, some reasonable ground an overnight pitch presented itself. A short search located a breezy little spot with pleasant views and access to water. Food was taken at 23.00, as the skies gradually lost the final daylight. After a decent night's sleep, I was up at 05.00 and away by 06.45, north along the track of the evening before. At its end, I located the high, shallow bealach at 876m and then on to Tom Dubh (918m) aka Stob Lochan nan Cnapan, a distant Top of Monadh Mhor. Slight difficulty locating the GR of the actual highest point but satsified I'd been on it previously and also now, I dropped over easy slopes to the Allt Luineag. Straight up the slopes of the ring contour feature, across the summit (974m) and then down again to cross a substantial watercourse. Here follows a short pull to another deleted Top, Leth Creag, 985m. Good break taken here with the temperatures rising to the mid-20c by mid-morning. I noted a bypass track on the east slopes of the earlier crossed 974m summit, and re-crossed the watercourse to pick it up, follow it along a contour and then drop down to a river below the SW slopes of Braeriach. After taking on more water, I headed directly up the slopes to reach the spectacular ridge edge above Garbh Choire Mhor. Then, up and over Carn ca Criche (1265m) and the summit 'desert' of Braerich came into view, with the Munro summit laying at the end of the plateau. I followed the main track until striking off NW to reach the deleted Top of Stob Coire an Lochan 1235m and took a well earned break. This was the final deleted Top I had come to collect and the rest of the day was spent descending and riding out. I commenced that with a short walk to the Einich Cairn, 1237m, a quick look at the Wells of Dee and then a steep descent back to the rim of Coire Odhar. Here I picked up the route of ascent and headed into the Coire head slopes, and then down the stalkers track and a short bog trot (dried out by drought) back to the bike. At this point I'd been out for 24 hours and on the go for 17 of those. A slightly shorter but much hotter ride out brought me back to Whitewell at around 15.00, with temperatures in the high 20s centigrade.
