Aviemore to Derry Lodge via Cafe Akto (Cairngorm Club Footbridge branch). Not.
We did a bit of shopping in down-town Aviemore: lunch for Viv’s long train journey home, odds and sods for Alan and I. Leaving Viv to find her way to the railway station, Alan and I set off in an Easterly direction (East is good…..etc) to meet up with Cafe Akto (Cairngorm Club Footbridge branch) for bacon butties and coffee.
We missed the turn-off from the road and ended up taking the Loch Morlich / Rothiemurchus Lodge footpath to the Lairig Ghru instead. This meant we missed Cafe Akto. A bit of a faff but I suppose our waistlines were safer for the lack of bacon butties.
The start of the climb up through the Lairig Ghru – and Alan in the distance
The Lairig Ghru isn’t a hard climb in decent weather, it’s just a slog. It got quite breezy on the top and there was a goodly amount of hard, frozen snow around – much of it covering the horrible rock-fall bits on the top. As long a care was taken, it made for a much easier traverse than without the snow.
Dedicated to the memory of Col. Angus Sinclair, died 1954 on the slopes of Cairn Gorm. And that’s Alan disappearing into the distance.
Un-snow covered rocks. Horrible to cross
Looking back at Aviemore. Honest.
Snow sculpture
The wonderfully crystal-clear Pools of Dee
Soon after the Pools of Dee we began to descend. Up until this point the streamlets were shrinking in size the higher we got. Less water flowing y’see.
Over the watershed and water flowing t’other way, the watercourses gradually grew in size. It was still a long way to our destination – and I was quite knackered.
Walking south, descending the Lairig Ghru
I caught Alan up close to Corrour, he was chatting to Ian (can’t remember his surname I’m afraid) who had a really nice pitch close to the path whilst far enough away from the bothy. We really didn’t want to stop at Corrour Bothy, it’s not the nicest place to spend the night and we were quite determined to push on to Derry Lodge.
At around 8 – 8.15pm we rolled up at Derry Lodge, more than a bit tired. A few tents were pitched around 100 yards away, not Challengers though.
Breezy pitch at Derry Lodge
The clear waters of the Dee
Once our tents were up and we’d eaten, other than using the en-suite, I don’t think either of us left our tents that night.
I slept well.
This is where we went: 19 miles / 2600’ of ascent
That was a fair walk that John! Brings back some memories, though strangely I don't remember all those rocks! However, I do remember finally stopping to camp on a little patch of grass at the foot of cairntoul. I was shattered too. Mind, everything was heavier then!!
ReplyDeleteA long days walking there John. Well done. It is a pity Glen Derry is getting something of a bad press these days, It used to a lovely spot for a winter camp. Cracking photos by the way.
ReplyDeleteThanks folks!
ReplyDeleteGlen Derry, well Derry Lodge, is a lovely place to pitch. It's just coming from the Lairig Ghru by Corrour Bothy that's not very nice. I've heard from others that around Derry Lodge is a bit ticky but I've always been fine.
Those rocks....horrid to cross!
JJ