Beinn Bhrotain and Monadh Mor 2011 Part 3 ,The return

Beinn Bhrotain and Monadh Mor 2011, Part 3

The return - 21/8/2011

  My other walking buddy Brian had done Beinn Bhrotain in the snow with a YMCA party. They had called a halt due to the weather and the time until dark. I suggested that I would go with him to do Monadh Mor this weekend 21/8/11. The original plan was to go to Bridge of Orchy but the weather did not look too good with the fog down to 400m. So I suggested  I would come with him and re-climb my nemesis, see part one and two.

  Brian picked me up at 6am with my bike and we headed off to Linn of Dee 50 miles away. Brian was low on petrol so he took it easy all the way there keeping to the speed limits.(space here for Grahams comment                ) We pulled into the garage at Braemar to see what time it closed at night and the sign said 4pm. Brian did not think we would make it back in time to get petrol, and the dash was showing 70 miles to go.Nothing we could do and headed off up to Linn of Dee, getting there at around 7.20am. Got the bikes unloaded and kitted up.

                                      Brian ready to go.

We set off up the Landrover track for White bridge, Brian leading the way

  It's around one hours walk to White bridge and we got there in around 40 minutes on the bikes, uphill most of the way.
Brian was waiting on the bridge with the camera ready as I got there.

                                              Picture by Brian Cruickshank Brads44
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/44907198@N00/ more of Brian's photos.

 As I got level with Brian he was doing the midge shuffle, as I had my hat on I did not see the cloud of the little sods till I looked up and the two of us took off on the bikes to get away from them.

   Taking the right fork just after White bridge we headed up the west side of the river Dee. The path is a bit rough and narrow with quite a few drains in it as you make your way along. We were having to dismount the bikes and push them over the drains. We made slower progress along this track.

   About 3km along this track we came to a small burn in a big ditch and decided to dump the bikes there. This burn should be named, "The attack of the killer midges burn". Got the Deet 50 out and sprayed Brian and myself to ward them off. Had to resort to midge nets in the end. We were breakfast to them and they were hungry.
 
  After we dumped the bikes we had a bit to walk to hit the path up Beinn Bhrotain, Brian pointing the way.

 

                         Fresh from Milan fashion show week, Brian with latest in Midge nets.

  Carn Fiaclach beag, ahead with the Devil's Point behind Brian in the distance. Bog trot for a good bit as we climbed following the path, skirting south of Carn Fiaclach we made our way up to Carn Cloich-mhuilinn about a 3km climb up from the river. It gets a bit steeper further up but not quite so boggy.

The boggy path can be seen on the left with the river Dee in the distance. Approaching the top of  Carn Cloich-mhuilinn it's much drier and the heather is much shorter.

 Brian near the summit of Carn Cloich-mhuilinn. Midges not bothering us up here as the wind had picked up.

Carn Cloich-mhuilinn is a Munro top at 942m and quite a steady climb up from the river.
 Reaching the top we stopped for a fly-cup and something to eat.

               Brian on the top of Carn Cloich-mhuilinn.

A bit windy on the top so we ducked down the east side to find a more sheltered spot.

Found a nice rock to sit on and watched Brian doing a juggling act with a pork pie, which did not go his way. Then the great pork pie hunt got under way as Brian searched for the elusive pie. After a bit of searching around under the rocks the pie was retrieved.

                                   

                               Brian hunting for the pie.

   After an inspection of the pie, and a clean it was ditched due to where it had been - good job he had two.  Had been having some trouble myself with dry food on the last couple of walks so had decided to have a change on this one. Took ham rolls which worked out ok and more water , 2ltr's in all. Had taken 1,1/2 ltr on the hill leaving 1/2ltr with the bike for the return. This unusually worked out perfect. It can be difficult to judge what to take with you on the hills.
   Fed and watered we set off down the north west side of Carn Cloich-mhuilinn, you drop down to about 872m and then across a flattish bit - ok I am lying it's uphill, for about 1km then it's steep again with a 200m accent over about 1km and quite steep in bits.

 

Brian climbing up the south side of Beinn Bhrotain. (Near the top)

                                     

                       Looking back to Carn Cloich-mhuilinn.

  As we got near the top we came on a cairn about 100m south of the top. Did not seem to be any reason for it to be here, if you were up here in the thick mist it would be easy to mistake it for the top.

          Brian at the cairn with the main top to the right in the distance.
   We reached the top at 10.39am, 3hours and 10minutes ish from the car park and had covered a distance of 12.9km to here. Not bad for two 50 year olds. (Brian is usually faster) Sunday service today.
  We had good views all around and could even see the top of Ben Macdui which is usually in the cloud.

Brian right and me left of shot at the trig point on Beinn Bhrotain.
 This was Brian's 176th Munro, I did not count this one as I had climbed it before. I think I have to count it as 142/8 the 8 being the ones I have climbed twice.
  We have a debate about the second round of the Munros. Can you start counting before you finish the 183 or it could be 182 Munros  now - or do you have to do them all and start again? Anyone know?
  Pictures taken we set off for Monadh Mor about 3km north west ish from here. We could see rain in the distance out to the west and wondered if we were about to get wet? There is a big drop down to the bealach between the two hills quite rocky on the Beinn Bhrotain side and steep as well.

 

Brian on the north side of Beinn Bhrorain with  Monadh Mor in the distance. Came on this pointed rock some one had stuck upright here.

 Stopped to take a few photos on bealach of Glen Geuschan and the big Munros in the Lairig Ghru.

   I took this exact same picture 7 years before (see part 2) with 35mm film camera then.

 975m at the bealach and a reasonable climb up to 1069m where it levels out a good bit, and an easy walk to the north top 2km from the bealach .

 

 Brian on the bealach with the climb up to Monadh Mor behind him.
 We reached the 1113m north top at 11.42am and decided to have lunch after taking a few pictures.

  Brian on Monadh Mor north top with The Angels peak and Cairn Toul behind him. The 5th and 4th biggest Munros. Munro 177 for Brian.

  Me on Monadh Mor north summit 1113m.Got a bit colder so I had put my jacket on to sit and eat lunch. As we were eating lunch a chap appeared from the north and walked past up saying hello as he did. This guy must have been a hill runner as he was going at a good speed. What a difference 10 minutes makes in the Cairngorms, the rain came in from the west and with it the low cloud. Got the water proofs out and sheltered behind the cairn till the worst had past. Brian feeling the cold sitting so we made a move for the south top.

         Just don't ask!:- Brian at south top Beinn Bhrotain.
View after the rain came in.

  We headed off in the rough direction of where we had seen the south top, south as it happens around 1km away. In the mist you don't seem to know if you are going up or down if it's not too steep until you turn round to see where you have come from. About half way there Brian got the map and compass out to get a bearing and we walked the bearing till we could see the south top.

                                              Me at the south top in the mist.

  We both decided on a rough direction to take us back to the bealach and headed off in the mist unable to see where we wanted to be. Its just over 1km back to the bealach and as we were getting nearer to what we thought was the bealach Brian was going to get the map and compass out. I asked him to get my gps out of my pack as it has what I call a snail trail. As you walk along it puts down a line on the screen and records it.

   So it showed us just about where we had walked to the first top. As the two lines crossed we were back on our path and I turned  the GPS so the line matched the older line and we followed it. Brian has a GPS but only switches it on to find out where he is on a hill. As we were following the GPS line Brian was sure we were walking round in a circle in the mist. I assured him we were not and would be at the bealach soon.

Sure enough right to the bealach and we dropped down on to it.

 Big up on to Beinn Bhrotain next. We met a chap who had come up from Nottingham making his way to Monadh Mor and could see the hill runner making his way down from the summit of Beinn Bhrotain.

 Boulder field most of the way up to the top. About 1/2 way up we saw the hill runner fly past the chap from Nottingham going up Monadh Mor and then we climbed almost back to the top of Beinn Bhrotain,  turned east heading for the other top of Beinn Bhrotain at 1108m and around 1 km away the mist beginning to lift, down hill for 1/2 off it and an easy climb to the top.

                                                 Beinn Bhrotain south top 1108m.

    We arrived at the south top at 1.21pm took a few pictures and headed down to the path along the Dee 3km ahead, The descent was steep in places with slippy wet grass, Brian stumbled a few times on the way down.

                                     
                             Brian making his way down to the river.

   We got down to the river around 2.15pm and started heading for the bikes about a 3km walk ahead. Had a stop for a fly cup and something to eat just after we got on to the main path along side the river. Brian did some calculation about distance and time back to the car and reckoned we could make it in time for the petrol station.

  
Changed gear about here and sped up walking back to bikes. When we got to the bikes no midges due to the wind, magic. Sorted out kit and bikes with Brian setting off  first to get back to car a bit earlier that me and put the bike rack on to save time.
  I followed not long after but as the track is rough and narrow with a lot of drains we made slow progress to the White bridge. As I was about 1/2 km from the bridge I saw Brian crossing it and made an effort to speed up. Last drain 50m from the bridge jumped off and pushed the bike across it. On to the bike going a bit faster now passing the horses and on to the bridge where I stopped for a minute to take a drink of water.

  Right - car park as fast as I can 4.23km to go. The Landrover track is not too smooth in some places but I just went as fast as I could in 15th gear going at around 25km on the flatter bits and hitting 32km on the down hills, only jumping off once to go up a small hill. It had taken 40 minutes in the morning to get to White bridge on the bikes but we had done the same distance in 13 minutes on the way back. When I got to the car park Brian had his bike on the rack and was sorting out his kit. "You must have been moving" I got from Brian as I arrived at the car - tired. "I think we can make the petrol station if we get a move on" said Brian, as it was 3.30pm.

  We quickly loaded up my bike and I got into the car with my boots and water proof trousers still on so Brian could set off. Planning to get changed on the way.
  Why is there always a very slow driver when you're trying to get somewhere before it closes? Sure enough captain slow was out for a Sunday run and on this narrow twisty road not much chance of passing, by good luck when we got to Inverey the guy pulled off to the side and indicated for us to pass. Great, just as we were getting near Braemar a bus on the road was taking up most of it, so we had to follow it and it was not going fast. Got in to Braemar and hundreds of people and cars all over the place, what next? - a BMW driver thinking he could fit in the 3 feet between the bus and a wall. Don't think he knew where reverse gear in his car was. The bus squeezed into a space between two cars with us tucked in behind it to let (I don't know where reverse is) past. 2 mph through the village with 1/2 the people on the road , would we make it to the garage on time? When we got to the junction on the main road the bus turned south letting us head swiftly to the petrol station which was still open, Phew!! Brian put in petrol and went to pay. When he came out he told me that the garage was open till 5pm and they had not taken down the old sign. Lol.(Did not have to rush then!!)
     Next stop Inver hotel for a pint. Into the hotel as the bar door was shut and could not find anyone to serve so we left only to be intercepted in the car park by the publican so back into the bar and got our pints. She told us about her son and some others climbing and biking  the 283 Munros in 49 days around 1600 miles, to raise money for DecAid honouring 10 years in Afghanistan.   

See   www.decaid.co.uk  for more info.

And I got a good cold pint of Guinness this time, then home.

No major calamities this time round these 2 hills.
Did not fall in the river or have to walk in the dark.

The end. (Bet you're glad this is over.)

P.S. If you don't climb the mountain you can't see the view.( On a clear day)

Dino60

Back by popular demand from my 2 - no 3 fans!!!

Beinn Bhrotain and Monadh Mor 2004 Part 2

Where were we again, Oh I in a pickle as usual.

 From part 1

  Did I get across no problem? Wouldn't you like to know?

 Well, stepped barefoot into the water which was very cold, beside the last boulder with walking poles to aide.

 Took one step forward.

 Part 2

 Into the current and my feet were swept from under me, as I hurtled into the fast flowing freezing cold river my lightning reactions made me spin round and I landed in the river on my hand and knees. All those years going to Judo getting thrown to the mats paid off.  As I comprehended my situation, (up a creek without a paddle) I saw one of my new walking poles float off down the Dee.

  My brain must have stopped working about here due to the freezing cold water.            

 Brain must have changed to automatic survival mode as I got myself picked up and walking against the current of the Dee, by the way I would not recommend river crossings barefoot.

    Now walking against the freezing cold current of the Dee I found I had to fight with myself to go sideways to the bank- as survival brain mode wanted to fight the current and walk straight up the Dee. Freezing cold water up to your knees does funny things to your ability to think. Step by step I got closer to the bank till eventually after what seemed like an age in the freezing water I got to the bank.

This actually happened I am not making this up!! Don't think you could make this up.

       I climbed onto the bank, soaking wet and freezing.  Now sitting on the bank, blood started flowing back into my legs as they warmed back up.  This is one of the most painful things I have ever experienced - it was so bad I was actually crying and screaming a bit too, well more than a bit. This went on for a couple of minutes till my legs heated up and I recovered. Stripped off wet clothes. Now in birthday suit sitting on bank, with big problem now.  What was I going to wear?  As my clothes were soaking wet.    Brainwave into rucksack which had remained dry and out of the water, for waterproof trousers, still covered in mud from walking along Glen Geusachan.  Not the most comfortable thing to wear with no drawers! Nylon will chaff a bit and watch out for those zips.

 But needs must...  Had a fleece in my rucksack which was still dry so put that on and my jacket that was in my rucksack was still dry. My rucksack had been out of the water altogether on my back so that was one consolation.

  Well at least I was on the other side of the river.  Dark in about an hour with about 6km to get back to the White Bridge and the Landrover track with three miles more to go from there to the car park.  Time to get my arse in gear.  Set off along the East bank of the Dee as fast as I could.  A chap walking along the path had passed me sitting on the bank after I had got dressed again and I set off after him.  He had taken the train to Aviemore from Blair Atholl and was walking the Lairig Ghru and down Glen Tilt back to Blair Atholl over 2 days.  

   I walked behind him trying to catch up. Took me a while. Walking along the narrow path on the east side of the river I came to a fairly large waterfall in the Dee and thought to my self, s**t if  I had gone into the river on my back the current would have carried me down and over the waterfall and onto who knows where. Right glad I am not a cat they only get 9 lives.

  I think I saw this scene in a Tarzan movie once many years ago, (going over a water fall).

            Caught up to the chap and I walked along with him as far as the White Bridge where he turned West over the bridge to pitch his tent for the night and I stopped for something to eat.  Dark in five minutes, no torch - 3 miles to go...  what to do?  (Thinking again - I know dangerous!)  Brainwave.  Don't have many of them!  Mobile phone lights up when buttons are pushed.

            Pretty dark now I set off for the car park at the Linn Of Dee about 1 hours walk in the daylight.  I had pushed myself to get to the Landrover track before dark as I knew it would be uniform compared to the track along the side of the Dee. 

 

 Day time view. This is the track now it was not anything like as good in 2004.

My View at 9pm

    Well knackerd now fumbled my way along the Landrover track in the dark, nearest street light 10miles away and not a lot of stars out. Could hear the deer barking as I walked along. When it's this dark all the ground looks the same. Had to feel the road under my boots really to know I was still on the track. Kept pushing mobile phone buttons so it would light up and pointing it at the ground to see the track, a candle would have been 100 times brighter I think. Feet sore in my boots I stumbled along the track slowly. Started thinking about snakes as White bridge is well known for them and what if I stood on one in the gloom. Brain runs wild when you're in a pickle like this, imaging the worst possible scenarios.

  

Picture by Chimpaction, Graham Scott.

 Graham and Brian had come on this bad boy could be a gril, not far up past White bridge on the track to Glen Geldie  this year 2011 and he/she was not a happy bunny.

   Had to stop for a seat on a rock which I had just fallen over for a while till I gathered myself in the now pitch black of night. Started wondering if the mountain rescue had been called as I was well overdue home now and no phone signal here.

                                         

                                                Landrover track in the phone light.

This white dot is about the amount of light I had from my phone. This is a picture of the Landrover track at night. 3 miles of this lay ahead of me.

This is the same view in the daylight

  Made my way along the track not realising there were big drops off to the river side of the track as I could not see them. But I could hear the river as it got close.

                                                     Me 7 years later on one of the bridges.

 A few bridges to cross on the track as I went along and then I saw a car's headlights going over the bridge at the Linn Of Dee, wondered if this was the mountain rescue out looking for me. Not far to the car now, I reached the woods which were even darker. I knew there was a  pole gate across the track soon and worried about falling over it in the near pitch dark. Mobile phone still working good job I had charged the battery the night before. I fumbled through the forest till I banged into the gate - at least I knew where I was.

Very tired, I got on the tarred  road with a small hill up to the car park, it seemed like I was going up another mountain 200m till the car park an eternity really. Could see some lights in the car park and a short cut through the trees to where the car was parked. Have you ever tried finding your keys with the light from a mobile phone? Somehow found the keys and opened car. The passenger light came on and seemed as bright as the sun to me after the gloom I had walked in. I had left a change of clothes in the car so got them on. 11pm now and still no phone signal to phone home, it had taken me 2 hours to do the 3 miles in the dark.

 Got the car started and turned on the head lights, blinded did you say - took a few minutes for my eyes to adjust. Set off for Invereye a few miles down the road where I knew the phone would work, phoned home. Only 1/1/4 hour drive home now. Think I got home around 12.30 am, hardly able to get out of the car and crawled to bed.

I worked out later I had walked around 22 miles that day, no wonder I was (  ?   ) well you can put that word in yourselves. Oh somehow the pain wasn't too bad on this day maybe I had things to take my mind of it ????

The end

Ps I have been on walks where nothing has happened to me but you don't want to hear about them do you?

Hill walking is fun. Lol. Well I am still doing it 7 years later but for some reason I am very wary of river crossings.

Dino60.

 

Beinn Bhrotain and Monadh Mor 2004 Part 1

Beinn Bhrotain and Monadh Mor 2004 Part 1

 Just to clear things up I made a big mistake in the Glensheil 7 walk.

 It was not a white pudding Graham had but a King rib at the chip shop. Lol

 In 2004/ 2005 I was signed off work for a year waiting to see a doctor at the hospital about pain I was having in my hand. Trying to decide if I'll tell you about that or the walk, hmm-ok walk then. I was on Tramadol painkillers which were opium based. The pain was so intense that I had to take 5 of these a day + paracetamol and ibuprofen as well. The maximum for Tramadol is 3 a day. This was every day. if I missed a day of painkillers it took 5 days to get back to where I was with pain management. I did lose a lot of weight because they stop your appetite, that was the only bonus. I had to go and lie down quite a lot to chill.

 Tramadol do make you extremely happy when you first start taking them but after 6 months or so they're more likely to make you suicidal. Anyway I took up hill walking and Munro bagging again something I had done when I was at school in the hill walking club of Aberdeen Grammer School. Decided to start at 0 because the only hill I could remember being up was Lochnagar. At this time I would have been 43/44 years old had not been up a big hill since I was 14'ish. In 2004 I managed to bag 24 Cairngorm Munros and Ben Hope in Sutherland the most northerly Munro on my way back from Orkney.

I could bore you with the full list but I won't.

   So anyway my first year back hill walking which I tried to do once a month, I found this gave great pain relief slogging up the mountains and took away the monotony of my days stuck at home with everyone else out. Diesel was also much cheaper then. I would go to the Cairngorms as they were the nearest Munros to where I live. 

   Before I went on this particular walk I had gone to an evening class for hill navigation at the local school, as at this time a GPS was something quite expensive and I don't think many people had them. Not like now where gps is on most new phones and you have walking map GPS's, where the OS map scrolls along with a pointer showing you exactly where you are on a on-screen map. 

Viewranger

                 Cool phone with OS maping, this one keeps working without a phone signal.

  I can't quite remember  how I was picking the order of the Munros I would climb at the time maybe by the height, these were 2 of the biggest at 1157m and 1113m. I think I was hoping to get the top 10 highest at the time although it did not work out that way. Best laid plans of mice and men as the saying goes. Ok I'm writing this from memory so it might get a bit sketchy in places, but I have found the OS map I planned the walk on, so that will help and had a walk along to the White bridge the other day to jog my memory as well.

  The walk

   It was a nice day and I would have got the weather from the BBC tv forecast at this time so would not have been that accurate for the mountains. I reckon it would have been April 2004 as I recall it was dark at 9pm. This time will come into play later in the story. I got up early to get to the Linn Of Dee for around 7am ish. I can remember looking for a torch in the morning before I left but could not find one. Thinking (again) I would not need one I just left without it ( big mistake there) all will become clear later. Its 50 miles to the Linn Of Dee and the car park, £2 to park now think it was cheaper then. Got to the car park around 7am as planned and kitted up, had just got my first set of walking poles not long before this and had them with me to use.

   Had my Nokia brick mobile phone and a 35mm film camera with me. I have a few pictures of the original walk. Some you will see will be from my recent walk and some from Chimpaction my walking buddy, as he has been up this hill recently.
  From the Linn of Dee to the White bridge where you bear north is 3 miles and takes around 1 hour to get to along the Landrover track. It seemed like a long way at the time as I was walking and several people passed me on bikes.

At the gate where you leave the tarred road there is a sign with distances and a warning of what you are about to enter - a vast wilderness.

Take heed of the warning.

 Nose stuck in map trying out my new navigation skills  as I walk along the Landrover track looking for items marked on the map I made my way to the White bridge.

 By the way its not white.  I think it could have been made by someone called White or an earlier bridge was white, sure someone will know.

 Reaching the far side of the bridge I took the path to the north up Glen Dee alongside the river Dee.

    This is what they call the Chest of Dee.  Following the path north alongside the river Dee it's about 1.8miles till I came to where I would start climbing  Beinn Bhrotain. Using my new navigation skills I took a bearing from the OS map and would walk on a compass line to the top. Big sod of a hill in front of me. A few bikes lying in the heather.  There are one or 2 small tops as you climb and my first target was Carn Fiachlach Beag walking on a bearing of  307 degrees from NN 997 897 ish.

 About my compass I am a blin bugger who has to wear glasses to see far I am going and to read. So I found that the compass I had with the numbers inside the dial was hard to see. So I went on the hunt for one with big numbers on the outside of the dial. Not easy to find I found out.

 A trip to Aberdeen and Craigdon sports to see if they had fit I was wanting. Well the woman in the shop was about as much help as a brick wall in a thoroughfare. I look at all the ones hanging up but they all had the numbers on the inside, so I tackled little Miss helpful and explained what I wanted. " No we don't have any thing like that just the ones on the wall". Had another look (rambling a bit here but bear with me). Nothing on the wall, picked up a first aid kit and went to pay and in the glass case under the counter was a compass with the numbers on the outside. And I thought I was blind! Right under helpful's nose all the time. Pointed it out to her and she retrieved it from the case covered in dust, I don't know how long it had been there. Not cheap but she came away with a discount card, so I got 10% off. Something like £32 for this compass. Forgave helpful after I got the 10% off card which I still have today.

  Set off up Beinn Bhrotain on my bearing  just over 3 miles to the top from the river in an up direction, first stop Carn Fiaclach  Beag where I turned towards the west  for Carn Fiaclach. Met a chap here who had a GPS and compared coordinates with where I thought I was and his GPS, must have been wealthy, bang on with old map and compass I was chuffed with myself you could say. Headed for Carn Cloich-mhuilinn and the going getting steeper this is a Munro top according to my Munro map so I bagged it. Yep just cause it was on a list. Sad what?

      Mike Scott on the slopes of Beinn Bhrotain picture, by Chimpaction Graham Scott ( they are brothers.)

  Set off on a bearing of 313 degrees to the top, 2 tops marked on the map 1108 and a trig point at 1157 would have gone to both.

                                                    Picture by Chimpaction, Graham Scott.

 There were a few folk around the top on this day as it was a reasonable day. Next 301 degrees for the bealach between Beinn Bhrotain and Monadh Mor, big drop down to the bealach and quite steep. 975m on the bealach and a great view of the big Cairngorms to the north. Ok how many have checked to see if I got my bearings right?

                             Picture taken from the bealach, Cairn Toul centre of shot.

   On the bealach looking back at the descent.  Up I went to the top of Monadh Mor at 1113m going to the two tops on here.

   No self timer in those days so settled for a pic of my rucksack. Not often you see the Caringorms with no clag on them. Now this is where the troubles started. Normal problems resume from here. I had planned to stay up high and take in The Devil's point but being a bit green had not realised how big a walk this was. Only a couple of inches on the map so to speak. (Wrong) by the way I still misjudge distances now. But just in millimetres. Lol. 

  Ok it was in to the afternoon by now and must have decided to drop down to Glen Geusachan, a steep descent of around 540m in about 1.5km gone metric for a while. Checked the map to avoid the crags on the descent to  Glen Geusachan. A very steep down into the boggiest place on the planet, mud up to your crotch as you follow the sort of path along the south side of the burn.

  Was tired by this time but plodded on with the bright idea of crossing the Dee at the bridge beside Corrour bothy. Walking along I could see a chap on the Devil's Point above me and thought lucky sod not down here into mud.

                                                   The Devil's Point from  Glen Geusachan.

  When I reached the end of Glen Geusachan the burn was very wide and I did not fancy crossing it. Plan B. Carry on round Beinn Bhrotian down Glen Dee and back onto the path I started from. Time was getting on and I knew it would be dark at 9pm. No way would I make the car park by then and remember no torch. S**t.

   I had got out of Glen Geusachan and was heading down Glen Dee.

Looking up Glen Dee by Chimpaction, Graham Scott.

  Now I was on a good path heading to the White bridge at a good pace or at least I thought it was a good pace. It was well into the evening and only had a couple hours of light left. So the bold me decided I would be quicker on the path on the other side of the river Dee.

  Studied the river as I walked along and found a bit where there were boulders 3/4 of the way across the river. Perfect I'll cross here. Took off my boots and socks and tied my boots to rucksack, rolled up trouser legs. Bare foot I set off across the boulders till I reached the point where the boulders stopped and about 10 foot of flowing river left.

   Did I get across no problem? Wouldn't you like to know?

  Well stepped barefoot into the water which was very very cold, beside the last boulder with walking poles to aid me.

 Took one step forward and.

Now about that boring list I decided to bung it in for you.

Ben Nevis	2004		1344
Ben Macdui	2004		1309
Cairn Gorm	2004		1244
Beinn a 'Bhuird North top	2004		1197
Ben Avon	2004		1171
Beinn Bhrotain	2004		1157
Lochnagar	2004		1155
Monadh Mor	2004		1113
Carn a 'Corie Boidheach	2004		1110
Glas Maol	2004		1068
Cairn of Claise	2004		1064
Carn an t-Sagairt Mor	2004		1047
Carn an Tuirc	2004		1019
Cairn bannoch	2004		1012
Broad Cairn	2004		998
Creag Leacach	2004		987
Carn a'Gheoidh	2004		975
Tolmount	2004		958
Tom Buidhe	2004		957
Driesh	2004		947
Carn Bhac	2004		946
Mount Keen	2004		939
The cairnwell	2004		933
Mayar	2004		928
Ben Hope	2004		927

It would not be until 2011 I would climb more Munros in a single year.

You will have to wait for part 2 to find out how I got on.

Coming soon - Part2.  For my 3 fans!!!

To see more of Chimpactions photos go here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chimpaction/

Or my photos go here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dino60/

Dino60