TGOC 2006 Days 06 to 07 - Coignascallan to Corrour Bothy Lairig Ghru

OK, bits of this may be a tad hazy.
As I say, I am dragging this up from the depths of 2006.

Hiss Golden Messenger - Smoke Rings

I know longer enforce background music, but seriously, each one is chosen to go with the post, so YES you should click on play then read on.
LOUDER is best in this one

Day 06 Wed Coignascallan to Aviemore (25.6km 635m)

We headed off over the bridge and more or less diagonally across the open ground. The stream itself is quite gorgy, and I have always found going up the right side for a short bit is best, although there is one bit with a very hairy fence post hug. That might even have collapsed by now...

Once over the river, it's a good track up the Creag Bhreac, but easy to get dragged off by the river.
TBH, it makes not a heap of difference, and there are many ways across, as long as at some point you consider EAST as a goodly option. This year I had decided (NOT the best route I now know but still nice) to head over to the Lochan and then down to the bothy/shooting hut (not the Red Bothy) the other side (see map), then go along the Dulnain towards the Red bothy.
I was going to actually take the older path over the top, but in the end, we walked to the red both and then the classic big track over the Burma Road.

Once we got to the top it flattened out, and I seem to remember a hell of a lot of narrow ditches running in straight lines as we dragged ourselves across the heather bash.

Fine views across to the Cairngorms, where we wouldn't be doing Nick's route over Ben MacDui not based on normal progress.
Actually I have a fine route over that planned for 2020 (oh shit...2021 then 🤞🤞🤞)

Once over the top we began the decent down the river to the small shooting hut.

Now identified as (Dulnain Bothy No 3)

Although there were bridges marked , the water level was low, and we waded the first part, crossing to the far side to take the narrow (often non existent track along the South, meaning really East side) of the Dulnain.

There is now (you can see part of it), a track along the West side too, which is much easier walking.
There is also an easier route in IMHO that drops down to the Red Bothy
(Click here to see My 2011 route)


As I said, I was going to go over the indistinct track , but we stayed by the river and did some rather rufty up to opposite the Red Bothy then go over the Burma Road.

The Long Trudge Up

The Cairn at the top of the Burma Road.
It is very tempting to do Geal-Charn Mor but I felt that maybe N wouldn't appreciate it. 🤷‍♂️

I still have that Camera.
Found it in the loft the other day, and IT STILL WORKS 😁



Did I mention, I had borrowed these poles for the last 2 years.
I had gone to poles, not to save my knees (that would come later after the cartilege ops), but because of the 2004 tumble and the broken fibula. I still think had I had poles in 2004, I would have managed to arrest that fall before the bone broke.

Oh.. They were shock absorbing Leki's.
I eventually changed them for Aluminium Pacer Poles

From the top, once Nick arrived, and after a long rest, we headed down.
It was all down hill from here. No, literally.

Lambs near Lynwilg

I can say, that no matter how many times you do this, the small stretch from Lynwilg to Aviemore, seems like about 10 miles (it isn't, it's about 3km 🙆‍♂️)

No pictures of the evening, we stayed at the Lodge next to the pub along the back road (see map for approximate location)
It also meant zero distance to travel really for a meal and beer or several.

Tomorrow was going to unfortunately be a late start, because Nick would have a major gear faf for no fucking reason at all. Luckily it didn't ruin the evening, because I didn't know it was going to happen.

Day 07 Thu Aviemore to Corrour Bothy (25.6km 635m)

As I say, today was NOT going to go well.

It started with Nick having all his gear strewn all over the room.
I was packed, but needed to go to the shops to get some supplies, which I sadi I was going to do, and we'd head off just before 09.30 when I got back.
There was some iffy weather coming in, and I wanted to be over the top of the Lairig before it blew in. It wasn't use a FWA weather, but it would mean getting wet.

So I headed off and got some stuff.

When I got back about 09.15, about 35 min later, bugger all had changed.
Kit was still everywhere.
He needed a shower apparently, nothing was packed.

I went next door to the pub and got a coffee, saying I will meet you there.
By 10.00 no sign.
Went back in, same chaos.
Said we really needed to get going, but there seemed no hurry apparently, what with Nick having no idea of distance, or maps or ....

Anyway, but 10.45 ish when we finally started (it may well have been 11.00) actually, I was seriously NOT FUCKING IMPRESSED.
And I knew pretty much the sort of pace he would be doing by now 🙆‍♂️

Anyway, we headed off down the road.
It was going to be another walk and wait day.
We were also going to get bloody wet at some point.

Don't get me wrong, once you leave the road, it is a lovely walk out through the woods then over the bridge and out and up to the start of the Lairig main track.
And, once out of the woods, it is IMO impossible to get lost.

There she is, a climb up between 2 steep sides to 885 m

As we headed up, the wind picked up.
It was coats on, and it WAS going to piss down.
And, if we'd left on bloody time, we would have got a lot less wetness.

Looking Back

Pools of Dee 

Once we got over the top, and I had intermittently waited for bloody hours, the weather began to turn. We got lashed by rain.
Nick continued to bimble.
Eventually I said I was going to go on to the bothy.
I gave him I think the maps and pointed out the bothy.

We never caught these two, but now identified by David himself as
David Skipp and Steve, who had a brew on when we arrived at the bothy.

When I finally got to the bothy, there were a couple of people inside.
I dropped my gear and waited for Nick.

They had a brew on.
It was great, and the weather was NOT going to get any better.

I shook hands with the big chap.
Later that evening the bones would mend in my shattered fingers.

It was the first time I met SKIPPY (Dave Skipp)  it would not be the last.

I cannot remember the name of the chap that Dave was breaking that year. 😂
(edit... It was a chap called Steve who David did break 😆)

As the night drew in, the weather got worse and worse, you could hear it lashing into the bothy.
At this time the bothy was just in the process of being done up.
There was no toilet, and the polystyrene blocks for the floor and walls were still in piles.

It was actually a cracking bothy night.
We had I think 12 or 14 inside that night.
Laying the polystyrene over the floor to act as insulation.
It was a cosy night.

The next day Dave was heading up to do some of the tops to the West 
No way I was getting Nick up anything. But at least it was just a long haul in to Braemar, and I could stop at Marr Lodge for Tea and biscuits on route.
And this was back when you got served too.