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