Under the Clouds: Camping & Walking in the Eastern Cairngorms

The green landscape says summer, the brooding, dark, clouded sky says November. July in the Highlands. And much of June this year too. Rise above the trees and the hills are almost colourless, the flat grey light subduing and overwhelming any brightness. Monochrome mountains.

With this in mind here’s an account of a trip from a few days ago with black and white pictures. I’ll do another post with colour ones – the two don’t mix well.

With the forecast for clear tops though the sky remaining overcast I went to the Eastern Cairngorms for the first time in half a dozen years to walk through the splendid pinewoods of Glen Quoich and then climb to the vast plateau-mountains of Ben Avon and Beinn a’Bhuird.

The first night I camped in Glen Quoich, above the trees and in the wind to keep off the midges. Across the glen Coire na Ciche rose to pointed A’Chioch and the South Top of Beinn a’Bhuird. The only sound was the wind in the grasses and the soft trickling of the burn.

On the way up the glen to The Sneck, the narrow neck of land separating Ben Avon and Beinn a’Bhuird, I passed a backpacker resting by a burn and then stood aside for two day walkers hurrying down. They were the only people I saw on the hills. Then it was up onto the vast and always slightly strange Ben Avon plateau with its many isolated rocky tors. There is no other hill like it.

At the summit the wind was strong and cold so after sheltering briefly for a snack behind the rough granite rocks – coarse enough to rub skin off your fingers – I was soon on my way back down to The Sneck and then warming up on the climb to Beinn a’Bhuird, staring out over the great eastern corries back to Ben Avon and across Deeside, where the clouds were thicker and swirling round the tops.

My second camp was high on the mountain near the headwaters of the Alltan na Beinne. Here there was just enough of a breeze to keep the midges away. To the west I could see the tangled mass of the central Cairngorms, the broad dome of Ben Macdui dominating the lower summits. Specks of snow dotted its flanks, very little for this time of year. Maybe this summer it will all go. As I watched the mountains a distant shaft of sunlight cut through the clouds and lingered for a few minutes, the only sign of the sun all day.

Sleep was disturbed by the popping of bits of my air bed, which sounded like an explosion when happening under my head, so I had a very early start the next day. The clouds were lower now, my camp only just below them.

Over Deeside strands of mist drifted across the land, white and ephemeral. Somehow during my descent I managed to stay out of the clouds though patches were often below me. Once back in the trees I admired the old pines and the new growth but kept moving after one brief stop brought the midges out.

Young wildlife in the garden

June and July are busy days in the garden for the local wildlife. First they're feeding their young in nests and dreys and burrows and need to eat plenty, then they're bringing their young to our feeders and trying to get them to feed themselves. The latter seems easy with the squirrels and rabbits - they don't appear until they can feed themselves - but not with some of the birds. Often fledglings will chase any adult of any species roughly the right size mouths wide open  - sometimes with success, we've seen coal tits feeding blue tits and greenfinches feeding siskins - or else sit and look at the food, peck at it tentatively and then stare again.

Young great spotted woodpecker wondering how to get at those peanuts

For the first time this year we've been delighted to have regular visits from young goldfinches and jays along with the usual siskins, chaffinches, greenfinches, blue tits, great tits, coal tits, robins and blackbirds. Missing this year are pheasants, which often nest in the garden. In fact there hasn't been an adult pheasant in the garden for many weeks and there are few in the fields and woods. There have been masses of rabbits but a few weeks ago there was a sudden bout of myxamatosis and after a few days of seeing ill ones there were none for a day or so before number started to build up again.

Young goldfinches

Young blue tits

Back in May several nursing squirrels were regular visitors so it wasn't a surprise when young squirrels started to appear. What is unusual is their choice of food and where they feed. We put out peanuts and mixed seed in different feeders and until this year the squirrels always went for the peanuts and generally fed hanging upside down. This years youngsters prefer the seeds and to either sit in the trays or feed on the ground - the birds scatter much seed. The older squirrels still choose the peanuts.

Lured to a Favourite Place

Some places pull me towards them even when I’m planning on going elsewhere. Glen Feshie is one. I end up camping there half a dozen times most years, often on trips where I’ve definitely been going to go somewhere different. But the beauty of the glen just draws me in, sets my feet on that familiar path leading me deep into the forest beside the rushing river.

Another place I can’t seem to escape is the curving edge of the Cairngorm Plateau where, amidst a complex tangle of boulders and slabs, the waters of the Feith Buidhe and the Garbh Uisge Beag speed up and begin their splendid tumble down into the corrie far below. Last summer I wandered here yet again, drawn by the desire to once more look down on Loch Avon, stare at the great crags of Stag Rocks, Hell’s Lum and Carn Etchachan, and walk the granite slabs beside the tumbling streams and the summer snowfields.

I’d set off with the intention of visiting Loch Avon and then climbing up onto the long stony summit of Beinn Mheadhoin, where I’d never camped before. But when I reached the start of the descent from Coire Domhain to the head of the loch I felt a reluctance to go on that was almost physical. In my mind I began to justify changing my plans – ‘it’ll be midgey down there’, ‘it’ll be hot on the climb up to Beinn Mheadoin’, ‘I’ll have to carry water to camp’ – but I knew that none of these were the real reasons for my hesitation. Rather it was the closeness of the Feith Buidhe and the Garbh Uisge Beag. Just round the top of Hell’s Lum and I’d be there, in that magic place. I stopped and waited, poised on the first steepening of the path that led down. The feeling grew stronger that what I really, really wanted to do was turn away and head for the familiar. Resisting seemed useless. I looked up not down and set off round the edge of the Plateau. Immediately I felt relaxed. This was right.

Soon the Feith Buidhe appeared not far below, a gentle slow stream here. I crossed on boulders and ventured down towards the Garbh Uisge Beag. This is big jumbled country, a maze of grassy ledges, little crags, dark pools, and trickling rivulets – a mountain labyrinth. Although I’ve camped here many times it’s never been in the same spot – indeed I probably couldn’t identify most of them. On this occasion I found a good site on a patch of rough grass with just enough soil to hold pegs – many apparently good sites are actually too stony for tent or tarp though fine for a bivy. It being summer I wasn’t risking the last though. Not because of rain but because of midges. There was a breeze but I knew that if it eased the midges would appear, even up here at nearly 1,000 metres. 

As always my camp here was glorious. Big snow patches dominated the view, harshly bright in the sunshine and then cool and glowing under the moon. The night was warm and the moonlight enough for wandering around without need of a headlamp. I felt at home, relaxed, glad to be here. It had been the right decision. 

Dawn came suddenly with the rising sun making the tent unbearably hot. I cooled off by clambering over the slabs and venturing a little way into the dark passages between the rocks and the snow, which in places was well over head high. Then I sat in the sun and just looked, revelling in the land. The strong desire that had brought me here held me back from leaving. I was only out for one night though so eventually I tore myself away and headed up onto the Plateau and back to the tame side of Cairn Gorm. I’ll be back this autumn. And this winter. 

This piece first appeared in the October 2016 edition of The Great Outdoors

Book Review: A Mountain Before Breakfast by Alan Rowan

Moonwalker, Alan Rowan’s first book, introduced us to the idea of Munro-bagging at night, not accidentally but intentionally and repeatedly. A stirring and exciting book it added a new dimension to hillwalking. Now Alan Rowan has done it again with his new book on a round of the Corbetts. Entertaining, frenetic, and humorous, A Mountain Before Breakfast is a whirlwind of experiences and shows an incredible lust for life and for the hills. As with Moonwalker long drives are an integral part of the adventure and again, as a reluctant driver, I found them more frightening than any of the hill epics, especially when something goes wrong, as it often does.

In the hills themselves the author experiences everything Scottish conditions can throw at you – storms, rain, ice, snow, mist, heatwaves, sunstroke (in December!), wildlife, ticks, midges, bogs, glissades, getting lost. It’s all here, a mix of thrilling, hilarious, and sometimes downright weird  adventures that often jumps from one to the other with barely time to take a breath. Whilst the Corbetts take pride of place – and if you follow the journeys on a map you’ll learn a great deal about them – there are excursions to other hills. Munros of course but also Vesuvius and the mountains of Snowdonia.

Whilst the overall tone of the book is positive and life-affirming there are two stories that show the other side of hill walking. On Tryfan the author slips, tears his ankle ligaments and has to be rescued. Then comes a real tragedy, the death of a close friend in the hills. The effect this has on the author and his friends is powerfully described in the most moving passages of the book. The way the book slides into the stories of the accident and the tragedy and then moves back into uplifting tales without it feeling jarring or inappropriate shows Alan Rowan’s skill and sensitivity as a writer. This must have been a difficult section to write. He does it perfectly.

Overall this is a wonderful book that I really enjoyed. Many mountains, many breakfasts, many magic nights (and days) on the hill. Alan Rowan describes it all well and his words will bring back many memories for hillwalkers and hopefully inspire others to take up this tremendous pursuit, though probably in daylight. 

This review first appeared in the June 2017 issue of The Great Outdoors.

Into The Storm: A Wet Cairngorms Trip

Above Loch Avon

The forecast wasn't good but it wasn't bad either. Strong winds looked to be the worst aspect. With a friend visiting an overnight camp beckoned. High up seemed inadvisable but we did want somewhere with a feel of wildness and mountain grandeur. The basin at the head of Loch Avon below the great cliffs of Carn Etchachan, Shelter Stone Crag, Hell's Lum and Stag Rocks with the waterfalls of the Feith Buidhe and the Garbh Uisge Mor crashing down between them seemed suitable so we clinbed to the Cairngorm Plateau and then dropped down Coire Raibert to Loch Avon. There was a cold wind but it wasn't that strong and a cloudy sky but without rain.

First view of Loch Avon

Once past the head of the loch we found a dry pitch in the partial shelter of some boulders. The Shelter Stone lay not far above. In a big storm this is a welcome refuge but it is dark and damp inside and generally I prefer to camp. The evening was cold and breezy with occasional glimpses of blue sky and brief shafts of late sunshine. I wandered up to the Shelter Stone and gazed down at our little camp.

Camp below the Shelter Stone Crag

Looking down on our camp

The wind was chilly however and we were soon making hot food and drinks in our tents. The temperature was 10C, rather cool for late June.

The rain began at 4.30 a.m.. Or so Graham told me. I was fast asleep, waking two hours later to look out at grey wet air, falling rain and Graham's wet tent. We were camped in the cloud. The temperature was 6C.

Rain and mist the only view

The rain was to keep up all day and into the evening, one of the wettest days in a wet month. Coming from the north-east the rain was cold too, driven by a strengthening wind. Clad in waterproofs, fleece jackets, hats and gloves we climbed the stony path up into Coire Domhain, admiring the waterfalls and the rushing stream. All else was lost in the mist.

Blasted by the wind we traversed Stob Coire an t-Sneachda, the only peak of the trip, and then went north to the Fiacaill a'Choire Chais. The air was bitter now and the icy rain stung our faces. The cold wet weather continued throughout our descent. As did the mist, all the way to the Coire Cas car park. We saw no-one on the hills all day, which is really unusual for this accessible area even in stormy weather.  Damp and chilled we drove down out of the mist, the car heater on full, and were soon esconsed in a cafe with hot food and coffee, steaming gently and staring out at the rain bouncing off the pavement and people struggling with umbrellas in the wind. It had been a short trip but the weather had made it an intense one.

The Great Outdoors July issue: two-person tents, camping kit, Inov8 boots

The July issue of The Great Outdoors has just been published. I review ten two-person tents (see pictures below), look at wild camping kit, and test the Inov8 Roclite 325 boots. Also in the gear section Judy Armstrong reviews six sleeping mats and Will Renwick looks at three sleeping bags at different price points. In the Hill Skills section Huw Oliver of Glenmore Lodge looks at bikepacking and packrafting and there are interviews with packrafters. In Hill Walk & Shop Talk David Lintern visits the excellent Braemar Mountain Sports and goes for a walk up Creag Choinnich with shop manager Peter Laurence. Finally in gear Outdoor Gear Coach looks at the history and development of waterproof fabrics.

Roger Smith has several items in this issue: on the early nineteenth century hillwalker Ellen Weeton; an obituary of the late Walt Unsworth, founder of Cicerone Press, mountaineer, and writer; a look at his favourite hill names; and a comment piece on a threat to Welsh National Parks.

Elsewhere there's a round-up of information on this year's TGO Challenge (youngest person 19, oldest 77!); and an interview with Hugh Thomson whose new book describes his walk on Wainright's Coast-to-Coast with a pack mule.

Following David Lintern's piece in the previous issue on testing the camping byelaws in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park there's a response from the park's Chief Executive Gordon Watson. I'll be interested to see the comments on this!

Hill stories in this issue are spread across the British Isles. In Mountain Portraits Jim Perrin describes Snowdon, a hill he has climbed more than any other. Far north of Wales Alan Rowan enjoys the magnificent Coigach Round in the North-West Highlands while down in England Jon Sparks walks the limestone ridges of the South-East Lake District. Across the Irish Sea Brian McCready shows the beauty of the Mountains of Mourne in a photo-essay. On the Isle of Skye Fiona Russell tackles the formidable Inaccessible Pinnacle on the Cuillin Ridge. Ed Byrne is down in Yorkshire, counting bees on the Blacka Moor nature reserve outside Sheffield.

The pictures below show some the tents reviewed in this issue on test in the Cairngorms and on Creag Meagaidh.

A Lightweight Approach To Big Hills

A year ago I went on a backpacking trip in the Cairngorms, which I described in this post. As part of the reason for the trip was to test some ultralight gear I made the whole trip a lightweight one and wrote a feature about it for last September's The Great Outdoors entitled A Lightweight Approach To Big Hills. Here it is complete with rather wonky-looking gear list.

Ultralight backpacking is often portrayed as risky and masochistic, as heading into the wilds with barely enough gear to survive and certainly not enough to be comfortable. It doesn’t have to be like that. I don’t go into the hills to practice ‘surviving’ or to suffer. I go to enjoy myself. But part of that enjoyment is having as light a load as possible. How light depends on the time of year and the destination. The key factors for combining comfort and safety with a light load are the right gear for the time and place and the skills to use that gear in the severest conditions that could occur.

Whilst equipment testing means I’m often carrying gear that is heavier than is strictly necessary I always try and keep the weight down. An opportunity to really do that came in June when Peter Elliott of PHD suggested a trip to try out some new ultralight down items. That was an ideal chance to really see how light I could get my load for a two-night, three-day trip in the Cairngorms. The forecast was for cooler than average temperatures with highs around 15°C and lows of 4°C plus a brisk westerly wind, frequent showers and little chance of sunshine. Good conditions in fact for seeing just how an ultralight setup performed.

What weight constitutes ‘ultralight’ or ‘lightweight’ though? I don’t think you can or should put a figure on it. Aiming for a target weight could mean omitting something essential or taking something too light for the conditions just to achieve it. Take the lightest items that will do what’s needed and that fits the definition in my opinion. I also think there’s a difference between the weight of essential gear and any optional extras such as reading matter, cameras and other non-backpacking items. Reduce the weight of essentials and you can carry more of the extras! I can’t imagine going without camera gear, notebook and e-reader or paperback under any circumstances. 

So to keep the weight of a backpacking load low the weight of essential items is the key, especially the weight of the big items – pack, shelter, sleeping bag, sleeping mat. For this trip I looked at the lightest gear suitable for summer backpacking in the Cairngorms with high level camps. 

I ended up with a total weight of 9.65kg, of which 6.7kg were essentials. Around 3kg of non-essentials may seem excessive but 2kg of that was camera gear, not essential for backpacking but essential for my work. Subtracting items worn or carried (footwear, clothing, poles, cameras) the weight of my pack came to 5.9kg, to which I added 1.5kg of food so it was 7.4kg at the start. Everything performed well and I had a comfortable trip. Heavier gear wouldn’t have added anything except more weight to carry.

Pack

With such a light load a pack with a frame and thickly padded back, shoulder straps and hipbelt was unnecessary. The Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus is a 535 gram ultralight pack made from tough Dyneema fabric. It has useful stretch outside pockets and a total capacity of 57 litres – more than enough for this trip as I didn’t fill it. It’s designed for loads up to 11kg so I was nowhere near pushing its limits. The Exodus doesn’t have any padding in the back so I used the OMM thin foam DuoMat for this. The trip involved much rough pathless terrain and quite a bit of ascent and descent. The Exodus was stable and comfortable throughout.

Shelter

Much as I like tarps they’re not a good choice in midge season even with a netting inner. I like a tent so I can zip it shut and cook in the porch if necessary. I also like enough room for comfort if trapped inside by midges or storms. One of the lightest suitable tents for this is the Nordisk Telemark 2 ULW, which weighs less than a kilo (with better pegs than those provided and extra guylines the weight was 994 grams) yet is spacious for one (it’s designed to sleep two though that would be a tight sqeeze). The Telemark 2 is also surprisingly storm resistant. It easily stood up to heavy rain on both nights and strong winds on the second one. 

Sleep System

The PHD gear I was testing consisted of ultralight clothing and sleeping bag designed to be used together. I usually take a sleeping bag adequate for the average temperatures expected, reckoning on sleeping in clothes on any unusually chilly nights. That’s mainly because I’ve never found much clothing other than base layers to be that comfortable to sleep in due to stiff fabrics, zips, buttons, buckles, pockets and other features. However for this trip I used the PHD Ultra K down bag, which has a lower temperature rating of +8°C, plus the ultralight Wafer K series down jacket, trousers and socks. The clothing has minimal features and the fabrics are very soft so it’s comfortable to sleep in. The first night the temperature fell to +7°C in the tent and I was just warm enough in the sleeping bag alone. I did wake a few times feeling a touch chilly though so the second night I slept in the down socks, trousers and jacket. The temperature fell to +6 and I was very warm and cosy, not waking once. I was also very comfortable and it was nice to be able to emerge from the sleeping bag and not be hit by cold air (though that does wake you up!). PHD says that the Ultra K bag plus Wafer clothing should be warm enough down to +3°. I reckon it would keep me warm a few degrees lower. The total weight of sleeping bag and clothing was only 775 grams.

For comfort as much as warmth I slept on the shortest NeoAir XLite air bed, which weighs just 230 grams. This ironed out stony and rough ground and made for a more comfortable night’s sleep. Because it’s so short I put the 135 gram OMM thin foam DuoMat under my feet. The DuoMat also made a good sitmat and back padding for my pack.

 

Kitchen

Even in summer hot food and drink can be welcome in the British climate. A warm meal before a cool night and a hot mug of tea or coffee first thing on a rainy morning can be very restorative. So I always carry a stove. For this trip I chose a tiny 70 gram Primus Express TI gas stove. As it was only a two-night trip I knew the smallest cartridge, the 100 size, would provide enough fuel. There was just a little left at the end of the trip, maybe enough to boil a mug of water. As gas stoves don’t work well in the wind I also took a light foil windscreen. My pots were my 25 year old 900ml Evernew and 700ml MSR titanium ones – combined weight 220 grams. The smaller pot doubled as a mug. Other utensils – spoons, dish cloth, lighters – weighed 97 grams and I had three water bottles totalling 199 grams. The bottles had a combined capacity of 2.7 litres, enough for the whole time in camp, which meant I didn’t have to don shell clothing and footwear to go and collect water when it was raining.

Footwear & Clothing

If there’s one item that should come top of the list when cutting weight it’s footwear. The old adage a pound on the feet equals five in the pack has been proven true in studies. Long ago I discovered it for myself when I found that I was more comfortable carrying my heavy boots in my pack than carrying them (I walked in running shoes brought for camp and town wear). I haven’t worn boots, even light ones, on a long walk for many years. On this trip I wore the 702 gram Altra Lone Peak 2.0 running shoes that I’d worn on the TGO Challenge in May as I knew that they were comfortable and fine on rough terrain. They were wet much of the time, due to the rain and sodden ground, but that didn’t bother me as my feet stayed warm and comfortable in Darn Tough wool-rich socks. 

My clothing was light, comfortable, fast wicking and fast drying. As the weather was mostly breezy I wore the 168 gram Arc’teryx Squamish Hoody windproof jacket over a 165 gram Rab MeCo long-sleeved base layer much of the time. Salomon Wayfayrer stretch nylon pants (292 grams) kept my legs warm and dried quickly in showers. It wasn’t a trip for shorts. A few times when the wind was strong and cold I walked in the 224 gram Berghaus Hypertherm Hoody insulated jacket, which I took instead of a thin fleece as it’s warmer, windproof and weighs no more. Most of the rain fell when we were in camp but there were occasional showers during the second day during which I wore the Berghaus Hyper Hydroshell jacket, a minimalist waterproof jacket that weighs just 98 grams and which kept the rain out and didn’t get very damp inside. I also took an old pair of GoLite waterproof overtrousers as they’re still the lightest I have at 110 grams, though I never wore them.

For camp I had the PHD down Wafer K series garments, which kept me very warm in and out of the tent. At 246 grams for the jacket, 151 grams for the trousers, and 50 grams for the socks they are astonishingly light for the warmth. 

Accessories

Other essential items – headlamp (tiny Petzl e-lite), sunscreen, insect repellent, first aid kit etc - totalled 1 kg. I could probably have cut this down a little by paring away at the contents of the first aid, repair and wash kits but frankly I didn’t think the couple of hundred grams I might have saved was worth the time spent doing so – I know some ultralighters will be horrified by this! They’d probably also be horrified at my 535 gram Pacerpoles, the only items I carried that couldn’t be described as lightweight never mind ultralight. I find them so comfortable and efficient I never leave them behind however.

Complete Gear List

Pack:        Mountain Laurel Designs Exodus    535g

Shelter:      Nordisk Telemark 2 ULW               994g

Sleeping Bag: PHD Minimus Ultra K Series     328g

Insulation:   Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite S/OMM DuoMat     230g & 135g

Kitchen :     Primus Express Ti/foil windscreen   70g & 53g

       :      Primus PowerGas 100g cartridge       198g

        :     Evernew 0.9l titanium pan                  137g

        :     MSR Titan 0.6 litre titanium pan          83g

        :     Outdoors Grub long plastic spoon       16g

        :    MSR titanium spoon                           15g

        :     dishcloth                                            22g

        :     Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel 2.0     28g      

       :      Clipper butane lighter                          16g            

        :     GoLite 700ml water bottle                    79g       

        :     2x Platypus 2 litre bottles                   120g

Footwear:     Altra Lone Peak 2.0                     702g

Clothing:     Darn Tough Micro Crew Hike/Trek Socks 38g

        :     Salomon Wayfayrer Pants                   292g

        :    Berghaus Tech Base Boxer Shorts         65g

        :     Rab MeCo 120 Long Sleeve T              165g

        :    Arc’teryx Squamish Hoody windproof jacket 168g

        :     Berghaus Vapourlight Hypertherm Hoody   224g

        :    PHD Wafer Down Jacket with Hood K Series   246g   + 12g stuffsack

        :    PHD Wafer Down Trousers K Series   151g + 12g stuffsack

        :    PHD Wafer Down Socks K Series         50g + 12g stuffsack

        :    Berghaus Hyper Hydroshell waterproof jacket   98g

        :    GoLite Reed overtrousers                    110g

        :     Insect Shield Buff                                39g

        :     Terra Nova Polartec Beanie                   25g

Accessories:  Carbon Pacer poles                     535g

        :     Petzl Tikka e+Lite                                26g

        :     Silva Ranger compass                          34g     

       :      Harvey Ultra XT40 Cairn Gorm & Ben Avon map  24g  

        :     Fox 40 Classic whistle                         13g     

        :     Notebook & pens in Aloksak              175g     

        :     Reading glasses & case                      81g

        :     LifeSystems Light & Dry Pro First Aid Kit    150g

        :     Repair Kit                                          50g

        :     Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphone      161g                  

        :     Suunto Ambit watch                           79g

        :     Kestrel 4500 Weather Station           102g

        :     Classic Swiss Army Knife                 21g

        :     Care Plus Anti-Insect Roll-On            73g

        :     NetSpex head net                              50g

        :     Wash kit/toilet paper                       174g

        :     Sunscreen                                          60g

        :     Salomon Fury dark glasses & case  120g

        :    Kindle in Aquapac bag                     263g

Cameras :     Sony NEX 7 & 16-50mm lens   489g

        :     Sony NEX 6 & 10-18mm lens         639g

        :    ThinkTank Mirrorless Mover 5 bag    192g

        :    ThinkTank Mirrorless Mover 10 ba    253g

        :     Memory cards, batteries & filters    136g

        :     Velbon V-Pod tripod                       280g