Stuc a' Chroin and Ben Vorich

Stuc a' Chroin and Ben Vorich

Wednesday 4 September 2013

3 September - Carn an t-Sagairt Mor

The Callater Burn was quiet today which was more than could be said for the track. Two-wheeled transport was popular choice and a sensible one it has to be said. We regularly used bikes when doing the remoter Munros such as Ben Alder, cycling down the estate road to Loch Pattack where we left them. The bikes were Raleigh Stowaways, as used occasionally by Hamish Brown on his continuous Munro trip. Today our mountain bikes remained firmly on the rack; Carn an t-Sagairt Mor can hardly be described as remote.

We seem to have an uncanny knack of arriving at summits in the worst weather of the day. Only the need for sustenance made us hang about, huddled as best we could by the cairn, unsuccessfully trying to obtain a bit of shelter to gulp down couple of mouthfuls of hot tea and some calories.

It was a rather different world as we lazed by the path just above the Lodge; smoke rose from both chimneys; a fellow stravaiger collected his bike, hidden in the heather, and set off down the track; judging by the cacophony, something had disturbed the sheep on the lower slopes of Creag nan Gabhar.

I've seen the heather in better shape at this time of year but a few bees were busy all the same. Time slipped by and all too soon we had to leave. We will, of course, be back.


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2 comments:

Sir Hugh said...

I am enjoying your trip and glad to see that you are making very worthwhile ascents.

From your pics I reckon my views were even more absent on 17th June 2006. I walked the Lochnager, Carn a’ Choire Bhoidheach, Carn an Sagairt Mor round in foul weather with little visibility. I met a guy on the summit of Lochnagar who attached himself to me for the rest of the trip, and he turned out to be an awful bore. I am tolerant and can get on with most people, but this was an exception. I would like to go back to Lochnagar, and always wanted to climb there, but could never enthuse anybody to accompany me.

afootinthehills said...

I never climbed on Lochnagar either Conrad. Eagle Ridge was on my list but there it still sits, unticked.

We had a similar experience of unwanted company many, many years ago on the Fairfield Horseshoe. A poorly clad lad appeared out of the mist at the cairn. He had no food so we supplied him and he tagged along for the rest of the day. It was clear he had no idea where he was so we could never have left him to his fate , but I was pretty young myself then and much less tolerant than now!

Come back and repeat your Lochnagar round when your new surgeon has fixed your knee. I've emailed you a photo by way of encouragement in the unlikely event that it is needed!