Area: Cairngorms, Scotland
Both these mountains are more like miniature ranges than individual peaks. I hadn't originally planned to do them, instead the intention was to head to Lochnagar. But I was enjoying this side of the Cairngorms so much that I didn't want to leave. Also, the clear weather meant this was a sensible choice as both are a very long way from the nearest road. Again, a bike shaves some of the distance and time off, so I set off on mine from the car park at Invercauld north-east of Braemar. This was very easy initially, tarmac then gravel past a sort of stately home to another estate at Altnourie. The track then becomes rough, mountain-bike territory really, but I persisted until I had done at least 5k of the route before abandoning the bike and setting out up Glen an-t'Slugain on foot. This narrows to a gorge at the top, where I crossed a stream to an old ruin which looks almost Greek in style. Above, the Slugain gives way to the much bigger valley of the Quoich, which runs all the way up to the Sneck between the two peaks (and all the way down to the Linn of Quoich which was directly opposite my campsite). Then came a real surprise, the path up the glen was remarkably good, presumably a stalker's path, gently rising, dry and comfortable underfoot. It enabled these big distances to be covered easily, and I swallowed up the ground, finding the whole ascent of Ben Avon far easier than I had anticipated. The valley tightens higher up, with Beinn a'Bhuird's magnificent cwms to the left. A steep section leads the boulder landmark of the Cleirich to a lovely green stream valley higher up, reminding me of Iceland (as did much of the scenery today). At the top, the first granite tors mark the 'Sneck', a pronounced col between Avon and Bhuird, with the wild valley of Slochd Mor stretching out below to the north. Beyond this, the ground descends to the flatlands of Aberdeenshire and Banffshire, the only part of mainland Britain that I have never visited. A series of zigzags leads up scree on the right to gain the vast Ben Avon plateau. With blue skies above, this recalls desert scenery and put me in mind of Utah or Jordan. The plateau is scattered with granite tors, like Dartmoor, and I headed across to the highest one, still surprised at how easy it all was despite the distances. I was on the summit in two hours from the bike highpoint, although it is at least 20km away (from the van anyway). I began to hatch the idea of taking in Beinn a'Bhuird too, as its highest summit - the North Top - didn't seem far from the Sneck. So I trotted down to that col, examining the Garbh Choire with its remote rock-climbing, somewhere I have wanted to visit for decades. I had very good legs, so ploughed straight up the other side of the Sneck to the granite forepeak of Cnap a'Chleirich. From here, an arctic plateau leads across to the featureless true summit of Beinn a'Bhuird. Great views down to its wild and remote eastern corries. Then, a mistake. I should have done justice to the mountain by descending the broad ridge. Instead, I retraced my steps, stupidly. This was partly over-caution, as it had clouded over and the weather looked threatening (and I was well over 20km from the van!). But it was also a desire to descend the comfortable path and save some energy. Despite that, it still feels like a mistake and almost a cheat's ascent of Beinn a'Bhuird (which I could see from my camp). The descent was even easier than the ascent. and I got back to the bike after 31k/1250m in exactly five hours. The final bike descent was initially rough, then very fast, and I had plenty of time for a toastie in the Bothy cafe before my river bath in the Dee.
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