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The forecast was looking dodgy everywhere and it was a toss up wether to go north or south, but we opted for south and an old favourite campsite of ours; Brothers Water, just past Patterdale. Luckily we got onto high ground as the middle of the site was already flooded! |
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After a leasurely drive through Glenshee and Braemar, where we stopped for a cup of tea, we passed through Ballater and parked at a very busy Lock Muick visitors centre. (Muick pronounced "Mick"). |
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Our first views of the cliffs of Lochnagar and a chance to scout around for a decent spot to camp for the night. The wind was picking up and it took us ages to find somewhere even slightly sheleterd and not too wet. The cloud was also slowly building and our dream of a picturesque sunset were soon dashed. Finally we found a half decent spot a couple of hundred metres south of the summit of Meikle Pap. |
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This would be the first outing of our new Vango Omega 250, which was a bargain at £75 from Decathlon of all places. It has the vango TBS tension system inside, which turned out to be useful as the wind picked up! It also has a detachable, bathtub style groundsheet for the porch area, however we didn't use it on this occaision. |
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Despite the glorious views over the royal estate, it was getting a bit wild so after tea we checked the tent over once again before getting cosy inside. |
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As darkness fell I was hoping to light one or both of the fire logs we had lugged up there for a cozy camp fire. However the strong winds made it difficult, but I was determined not to carry them back. Eventually I found a (slightly) sheltered spot and had something resembling a camp fire going, although Lorna wasn't too impressed as I insisted she brave to cold and wind to sit next to it! |
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After a windy , but secure night in the Omega 250, we had breakfast , packed up and headed up to the plateau and followed the rim of the crags round to the first summit of Cac Carn Mor at 1150m. |
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As we made our way round the mist came and went giving the occasional view down some of the gullies, in this case, back over to Meikle Pap. |
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Again, some tantalising glimpses down some big gullies. |
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This being my first visit here, I wasn't sure of the names of the gullies that are popular in the winter, but hopefully I'll get to return to see them from within! Finally we made it top a very windy and foggy Cac Carn Beag at 1155m; the second summit, from where we turned and headed south east, following the Glas Allt down to Loch Muick. Sadly there was a fair bit of litter around, even the coals of a barbeque someone had had amongst the summit rocks! |
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The long path down the Glas Allt get more interesting and scenic as Loch Muick comes into view. |
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Eventually we came to the Glas Allt Falls, which you can get to by a short detour left off the main path. I don't know if they freeze enough in winter to be climbed, but they do look good. |
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Nearly down to the loch with a short section through the trees to Glas Allt Shiel. Another possible wild camping spot? |
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Once past the north west shore of the loch, we turned east to make for the car park, when I noticed this chap casually crossing the path.  |
| Looking back down Loch Muick as we head for Spittal of Glen Muick, and a short drive to Ballater for a night in the campsite there. |
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| Myself, Lorna, Ruth and Ian drove down to Skelgill, to the west of Derwentwater near Keswick, to do the shortish walk in over Catbells to Dalehead Tarn. This would be Lorna's first real wild camp carrying gear, so it had to be a relatively easy one! |
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| After crossing over Maiden Moor (great views over to the Scafell range), we dropped down over High Spy and Eel Crags to Dalehead Tarn, our camp spot for the night. Unfortuneately the sheepfolds were full with tents, although the main one was wasted by a group of guys having a fire in the middle, instead of using it as shelter! So after a bit of hunting around we managed to find a spot relatively sheltered from the incoming rain. We even managed to light a fire briefly before the rocks we built it on exploded with the heat! |
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After a reasonable night, we had breakfast, struck camp and climbed up over Dalehead at 753m, and followed Littledale Edge, North West, passing Hindscarth to the right on our way. After crossng over Robinson, we dropped down to Newlands Hause and had a bite to eat at the foot of Moss Force. I would be possible to drop down to Buttermere and camp there for the night as a three day walk. |
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Looking across towards High Stile and Red Pike above Buttermere. |
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Lunch at the foot of Moss Force at Newlands Hause, before turning North East and heading over Knott Rigg and Ard Crags. |
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Lorna on the short but steep climb up Knott Rigg with the Buttermere valley behind. |
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Ian and Ruth on Knott Rigg, with Causey Pike (i think?) behind. |
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Looking South East from near Knott Rigg, back over to High Spy on the left and Dalehead on the right. Dalehead Tarn, out of view, sits right in the middle of the two. |
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Descending Red Screes after Ard Crags, and looking into the Newlands Valley as we head back to Skelgill and the car. |
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Myself , Lorna, Shona and Jerry completed the 24 mile (ish - no-ones quite sure of the exact distance) Bronze section of The Cateran Yomp today. The money raised, £1600 in our case, goes to the ABF (Army Benevolent Fund) to help amongst other things injured soldiers returning from Afghanistan etc. The route starts at Blairgowrie, and takes a clockwise route north up to The Spittal of Glenshee before heading back to Blairgowrie for the whole 52 mile (Gold) distance. After the problems Lorna has experienced with her ankle, she was pleased to to have done the 24 miles without too much trouble. The route was very muddy in places and we did well not to get wet feet and suffer from blisters! |
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| A better forecast gave us the chance to try the short (50m)but entertaining scramble on "The Bell", just to the east of Coniston Old Man. We did this a long time ago, but now Lorna was feeling up to trying it to see how her ankle would cope. As a grade 1 scramble , there are loads of escape routes but you can make it more difficult with some air below your feet. |
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| Lorna enjoying her first taste of scrambling for over a year on The Bell. |
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| As you make your way roughly north west over Below Book Felsls, you cross a series of small craglets which give good safe opportunities to practice moves with lots of grassy escape routes. We dropped down to Low Water, and then made uor way up to Levers Water via the old mine workings. |
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| Levers Water from the mine workings. Wild camp? |
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| One of the very dodgy looking holes left by the mines that are around the edge of Levers Water. |
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| We made our way along the east side of Levers Water, passing the grade 3 scramble on Raven Tor (seen above) on our left. |
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| After Levers Water, comes another ascent to the coll between the Prison and Wetherlam. From here it's a nice scrambly path up to Swirl How at 802m, before heading south towards Coniston Old Man at 803m. After a quick snack (in the mist once again!), we went north west a short way to reach the top of the path descending to Goats Water. |
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| Yet again no views of the cliffs of Dow Crag as we continued down past Goats Water and back onto the Walna Scar road leading back to the car, just south of The Bell. |
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| We managed to get a last minute booking for a cottage at Water Yeat, through Coppermines Cottages based in Coniston, hoping we had made the right choice with this summer's dodgy weather. Our previous week when we were up at Pitlochry was wet for the most part. I had wanted to walk up to Dow Crag for a look prior to hopefully returning later in the year to repeat the climb/scramble (?) up "Easy Terrace". We parked at Torver and followed the path which loosely followed Crook Gill up past the old mine workings with the flooded gravel pits, and onto the Walna Scar road, before branching off onto the path for Goat Water. At this point the weather turned (as usual this summer) leaving very few photo opportunities due to amount of water lading on us! We made our way round from the coll at the top if the well made path from Goats Water, west and then up and over (south) the summit of Dow Crag. |
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| Occaisionally we would get a brief gloomy glimpse down one of the big gullies (but which one???), and then it was down to rejoin the Walna Scar road, and then retrace our steps back past the mine workings down to Torver. |
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| As is always the case, we finally saw some of Dow Crag as we we dropped down into Torver. Time for a pint! |
