Carn Aosda and The Cairnwell (plus Carn a'Gheoidh from an earlier trip

5 June 2011

Participants - still us
Where - Carn Aosda, 917m, Munro and The Cairnwell, 933m, Munro, Map 43. Plus photos of an earlier trip to the third Munro in the group- Carn a'Gheoidh

Oh well, summer only lasted a couple of days so we were on our way home again. I have climbed these two hills on lots of occasions along with Carn a'Gheoidh and the three together provide a fine round with excellent views. Today, as the skies were grey again and I was only looking for a leg stretcher to break up the journey home I only did the two. Not many photographs today as the light was a bit flat but these show the key points in the route.

I did Carn Aosda first, a straightforward and easy walk up one of the tracks.....

to the large cairn at the summit (Carn a'Gheoidh background).....

with a good view back down to the ski centre (The Cairnwell on the right).....

We kept following the tracks to the col between the two hills and from there up to the mess of buildings and ski equipment that decorates the summit of The Cairnwell. I managed to avoid including most of this in this shot looking south down Glenshee.....

And this is a view of the hill from Glenshee taken on the way home.....

Although the skies were grey the tops were clear; this is looking over Carn nan Sac to Carn a'Gheoidh with Beinn a'Ghlo in the far distance......

The grouse population seems to have had a good year, there were a few about here which interested The Furry One, fortunately, he didn't spot a Ptarmigan that scuttled away from us near the top of The Cairnwell as I think it may have had young chicks.

There have been a lot of improvements to the buildings at the ski centre and I was tempted into the cafe after I finished the walk!

As these two hills are more usually combined with Carn a'Gheoidh, I am adding on pics from a 2008 trip. On that occasion, after reaching the low point between Carn Aosda and the Cairnwell, I followed the high ground above Loch Vrotachan to the top of Carn nan Sac and on up the gentle incline to the Munro. I then returned to the low point and continued my walk to the Cairnwell.

This is the approach to Carn a'Gheoidh.....

Looking over Loch Vrotachan to An Socath, a Munro that I have also taken in with those three. There is a fair drop between Carn a'Gheoidh and An Socath and that has to be reversed on the return. So I think that An Socath is better done seperately.....

The summit of Carn a'Gheoidh looking to Glas Tulaichean...