Thursday 1st September 2016
Carn Bhac (946m) - Munro
Alison, Andrei and I walked this one from Inverey, which is just a km from Mealdarroch – the cottage we stayed in this spring, on the River Dee just west of Braemar. We followed the track along Glen Ey to Auchelie, where we turned onto the track over Carn nan Seileach. This track got us up to 730m altitude and fizzled out where we had to cross more than a kilometer of peat hags on the northeast side of Carn Creagach, to reach the beleach at 777m, east of Carn Bhac. From here the ascent to the summit was straightforward. The Walk Highlands route continues for a further 4km along Glen Ey and ascends to the 777m beleach on the south side of Carn Creagach. This certainly looks like a long way round – and we reached the beleach ahead of several people who had overtaken us on mountain bikes on the Glen Ey track. I guess the peat hags would be difficult to cross after a period of wet weather – but today they were fun, even if Alison did complain. As for yesterday, as soon as we sat down in the windshelter at the summit it started raining. We gradually got colder as the weather became more unpleasant – but fortunately the rain was at our backs on the descent. We returned by the same route as the ascent, with the weather gradually improving – so much so that the midge became a nuisance.
Wildlife seen: Red Squirrel – at Inverey, 3 Black Grouse – on Carn nan Seileach, 200 Red Grouse, 20 Red Deer.
Distance: 17km, Ascent: 620m
Wildlife seen: Red Squirrel – at Inverey, 3 Black Grouse – on Carn nan Seileach, 200 Red Grouse, 20 Red Deer.
Distance: 17km, Ascent: 620m