Saturday up we get, it's a bit misty here in Arbroath, hoping it will clear as we head on our days trek. We leave home about 8am.
Today we have to travel 50 miles to GlenShee Centre up the Cairnwell Pass where we will park the car, before heading off to do 4 Munros Carn an Tuirc, Cairn of Claise, Glas Maol, Creag Leacach. It's quite overcast all the way but not too cold.
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After getting our gear on we walk approx 2km down the road to where path starts, this will shorten the road walk at the end of the day. The road is quite quiet at the moment but it's still early 9.50am.
Our walk begins with a grassy path which crosses an attractive old stone bridge over the burn, this was once part of the old military road from Perth to Braemar.
We follow this path up the glen of Allt a Garbh-choire, the path soon becomes boggy and a bit hard to follow, but as we carry on we come across some sheilings (these were small houses or huts once common in the hills and mountains of Scotland).
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From the sheilings we leave the glen and continue towards the dome of Carn an Tuirc. Straight away we are climbing and with this chest cough I wonder if I will make it, I need to stop a few times. This will be good practice as on Everest trek there could be days we don't feel too well. Taking photos is a good reason for stopping.
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The climb is mainly through grass and heather but as we get nearer the summit, we plod through an area of loose stone. This kind of terrain is not my favourite, it can be ankle breakers.
After a while we reach the top, the summit cairn sits on the flat plateau at 1019 metres.
After a couple of photos and a check on the map we head of towards Cairn of Claise, we walk on a track that is wide and feels we are walking in a field rather than a mountain.
As we continue uphill on a very gradual slope we reach a drystone wall, marking the old county boundary.
Its not long before we reach the summit of Cairn of Claise, marking our second munro of the day.
The cairn at 1064 metres is a separate Munro to Carn an Tuirc, somewhat surprising given the flat terrain between. It is 12.00 so we decide to have our lunch as it has been a while since breakfast.
After our lunch we then head southwest along the broad ridge. It's getting warmer as the sun tries to break through, but it is having a tough time. There is quite a bit of snow lying on the sides where the sun has not reached.
But there is lots of signs of Spring.
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We walk along the track and cross the old Monega Road track and ascend directly to the large cairn and triangulation pillar on top of Glas Maol. At 1068 metres, this is the highest of the day's Munros.
The sky is still hazy which dulls the great views that are there.
We leave this summit and follow the old county boundary that heads west for a short distance before curving southwards over Bathach Beagum.
Still time to chill in the snow.
Its another easy walk along grass and track until terrain and our walk change. From here our walk acquires more character, there is a more defined ridge that heads over Cul Riabhach....
...and then ascends to the very stony summit of Creag Leacach, the lowest but finest of the four Munros at 987 metres.
After taking our picture we then continue along the stony ridge to the southwest top (943 metres)
where we stop for a hot chocolate and biscuit bar and look at the descent that we need to make, it's a long way down.
We thought the stony areas earlier was bad, until now. We then ziz zag down, its a bit easier doing it this way, but we need support of sticks to take pressure off.
We see lots of mountain hare's going down, they are changing from their winter coats.
The road we need to get to is in the distance down below.
As we walk the sun manages to break out and it gets really warm, though the afternoon is wearing on.
Further down we cross the stream and then turn left down the glen.
Keeping some height above the stream and were able to pick up a path which comes down the Leachann Dubh. We then followed this path which has a footbridge over the Allt a'Choire Sheiridh and lead us back to the A93.
Yes it was a long way down.
But at last we have reached the road. I had sore feet, the socks I had worn were not compatible to my Zamberlan boots, I now know not to wear those again.
It is about two kilometres uphill of 12% gradient to return to the Glenshee car park, though there are sections of the old 'Devil's Elbow' road and the military road which can be walked to keep further from the busy tarmac, we kept near the road.
We arrived back at the car at 4.15, tired but we had had a good day.
Hope you have enjoyed reading about our day. :)
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