Sunday. Braemar.

Carn a Mhaim tackled. Now tackling queue at Hungry Highlander.

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Along Glen Luibeg

A Pythonesque mob of tourist hikers stride past me on the way to the welcoming Derry Lodge

Beside the bridge at Derry Lodge.

One last look back

A herd of deer on the horizon

Almost back to the car. Started walking after 10am, summit at 2pm, car at 6pm.

Carn a' Mhaim

Carn a' Mhaim. Now, off to the car. This message has been sent from an altitude of 1037m.

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Looking along the Luibeg Burn

Snow

Looking back along the track that I walked along.

Looking west to Bod an Deamhain

Another false summit

Brown trouser time for me as my nerves take a beating.

A long way down to the Corrour Bothy.

Knobbly bit

Looking across to the stream I forded yesterday

Track to the summit

Cairn a' Mhaim (1037m/3402ft) [Munro 46]

looking back to the summit.

The way ahead.

The panorama to the south.

Looking back to the north

The path drops away

The way home.

My car's awaaaay down there at the end of the green valley.

My left knee starts giving me jip as I slowly, reassuringly, stomp my way down the path

 

Been there. Done that. Cracking pathwork has been done.

Sunday. The long way back

At 825m north west of Carn a'Mhaim (1037m). I didn't want to tempt fate by planning it in, but checked through the guidebooks on Friday night to remind myself of what to watch for. George n Keith know i'm taking this way back to the car. Glorious weather but windy.

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George and Keith breaking camp

George and Keith heading away from Corrour Bothy, walking up the Lairig, and eventually to Aviemore.

There has been a lot of pathwork done to the bothy.

North up the Lairig Ghru with Braeriach on the far left.

Track up Allt Clach nan Taillear

Track is good at stages

Local wildlife

View of the Lairig and Braeriach from 750m

Saturday. To Corrour Bothy

Linn of Dee to Corrour Bothy. Met George and his hiking buddy, Keith. I managed to hear THE football score. Rangers one by one goal, but at one point, Queen of the South scored 2 goals to bring them equal with the Wegies. Unbelievable.

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Parked the car at the Linn of Dee at about 2pm, walking along in rolled up fleece sleeves, with sun-tan lotion on, and my boonie hat for eye shade. (maplink)

The target is the patch of trees in the distance.

Chewed the fat with Big Kev, who let me know that George and his trail buddy were about half an hour away. Unsurprisingly, in this weather, Kev was in no hurry to leave. he was looking for places where he and his lad could go wild camping. I think he's spoilt for choice.

I reached the White Bridge just after 3pm, and turned north up Glen Dee. I stuck to the west side, as I'd never been fully up that side (having walked part of it when walking off Beinn Bhrotain last summer.

From the west of the glen, the Bod stands guard, blocking the view of the Lairig.

Further up the glen, the Lairig Ghru becomes visible - the main pass through the Cairngorm plateau. indeed, a U-shaped valley.

After the path runs out, I follow the deer track across the sandy shore of the Geusachan Burn. The plan is simply to contour round and come in on the bothy. It's a hard life.

As it is now 6pm - had I been walking that long? - the sun starts to lower in the sky, allowing cracking views of the snow-lined side of Monadh Mór.

South back down Glen Dee - I walked up there. Approximate distances - Linn of Dee to White Bridge = 4.5km, White Bridge to Corrour = 9.5km. (tune in my head)

The bothy eventually becomes visible. (tune in my head)

As the sun starts to move behind the Bod of the Devil, was it worth the walk? In this weather, yes.

A chin-wag with George and Keith. They've been here a while (the path on the east of the valley allowed them to get to the bothy quicker than my saunter).

The bothy with its new toilet block - use it or lose it.

Dying sunlight picks out tomorrow's target - Carn a' Mhaim.

The mug and bowl is great (having arrived earlier that day). The cozy is 20cm wide x 24cm high. It fits a Wayfarer pouch perfectly. The cup kept the tea warm for between 15 and 30 minutes. The bowl holds 16 fluid ounces, and can fill most of the 18fl oz Aquagear filter bottle. Both are gradated with metric and imperial scales.

A group of phase-shifting red deer prance around the bothy.

And I discover an 'ole in the inner of my Akto. Jings.