{"id":670,"date":"2013-08-24T01:21:02","date_gmt":"2013-08-24T00:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=670"},"modified":"2013-08-29T17:57:07","modified_gmt":"2013-08-29T16:57:07","slug":"creag-a-chalamain-and-lurchers-crag-cairngorm-mountains-scotland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/?p=670","title":{"rendered":"Creag a\u2019 Chalamain and Lurcher\u2019s Crag, Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The last time I had seen Andy Bateman of Scot Mountain Holidays he\u2019d navigated a group of us off the high Cairngorm plateau by following a set of handwritten hints, in thick mountain mist and sub-zero temperatures, after a not-entirely-restful night spent in a self-dug snowhole in midwinter. <script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.onload = setupZoom; function popwalk(walk) {var url = \"\/Walks\/amap.php?f=\"+walk; varwalkwindow=window.open(url,\"walkwin\",\"height=820,width=1150,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes\"); if (window.focus) {walkwindow.focus()}}<\/script><br \/>\nFirst published in: The Times <a href=\"javascript:popwalk('CairngormMountains.gpx');\" rel=\"nozoom\" title=\"Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window\">Click here to view a map for this walk in a new window<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3757\/9090482205_e83f21722b.jpg\" title='Andy Bateman'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3757\/9090482205_e83f21722b_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5456\/9092698714_35dcddda76.jpg\" title='looking from Creag a&#039; Chalamain across Lairig Ghru'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5456\/9092698714_35dcddda76_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7296\/9090479093_1686bd7e32.jpg\" title='view across Lairig Ghru from slopes of Lurcher&#039;s Crag'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7296\/9090479093_1686bd7e32_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7428\/9092695934_53e04fe060.jpg\" title='wild azalea'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7428\/9092695934_53e04fe060_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3803\/9092695254_a529ba385c.jpg\" title='looking into Lairig Ghru from Lurcher&#039;s Crag'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3803\/9092695254_a529ba385c_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7414\/9092693310_52c7b756a9.jpg\" title='view north from Lurcher&#039;s Crag'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7414\/9092693310_52c7b756a9_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2847\/9090472967_4101586370.jpg\" title='looking into Lairig Ghru'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2847\/9090472967_4101586370_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3767\/9092689492_689f2693fa.jpg\" title='path along the moraine ridge'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3767\/9092689492_689f2693fa_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7289\/9090469397_6b0a77420e.jpg\" title='reindeer stag'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7289\/9090469397_6b0a77420e_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3818\/9092687010_339d70d3bc.jpg\" title='view toward Cairn Lochan'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3818\/9092687010_339d70d3bc_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3769\/9090466189_484e5ab4aa.jpg\" title='view to Creag a' Chalamain from the moraine ridge'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3769\/9090466189_484e5ab4aa_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2831\/9092682396_441e160d39.jpg\" title='meadow pipit'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2831\/9092682396_441e160d39_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2853\/9092682008_e4aee8f58b.jpg\" title='red grouse chick'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2853\/9092682008_e4aee8f58b_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3724\/9090462915_e3cd69ec58.jpg\" title='Andy walking'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm4.static.flickr.com\/3724\/9090462915_e3cd69ec58_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5495\/9092679202_c4ae6b2c9e.jpg\" title='looking south-west from Castle Hill across Lairig Ghru'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm6.static.flickr.com\/5495\/9092679202_c4ae6b2c9e_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7304\/9090460269_6a0fc08a33.jpg\" title='cairn on Creag a&#039; Chalamain'><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/farm8.static.flickr.com\/7304\/9090460269_6a0fc08a33_s.jpg\" alt=\"picture\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nFacebook Link: <script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"http:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/wordpress\/?p=670\" layout=\"button_count\" show_faces=\"true\" width=\"200\" colorscheme=\"dark\"><\/fb:like><\/p>\n<p>A fantastic feat, I\u2019d thought at the time, but to a mountain expert like Andy, just another day at the office.<\/p>\n<p>It was great to see him again, as trim and enthusiastic as ever. We set off from the Cairngorm ski area\u2019s car park \u2013 a bright summer\u2019s morning, this time \u2013 for a circuit of the unjustly neglected \u2018lesser peaks\u2019 that stand a little away from the classic Cairngorm corries and high tops. \u2018Terminal moraine,\u2019 said Andy as we followed a long rubbly ridge, \u2018pushed up by a glacier on its way into these mountains.\u2019 The moraine led to a rocky little gorge, Eag a\u2019 Chait, the \u2018notch of the wildcat\u2019, a jumble of rough granite and sparkly mica schist where a meadow pipit fluttered and piped to lead us away from the nest.<\/p>\n<p>Now came sightings of mountain hare, roe deer and a tiny grouse chick as we climbed a succession of three peaks, each steeper and higher than the last \u2013 Castle Hill, Creag a\u2019 Chalamain and then the long stony back of Lurcher\u2019s Crag. Up among the weather-sculpted rocks of its summit we sat to have our sandwiches and stare round at the view \u2013 south-west to the dark wall of buttresses under Sg\u00f2r Gaoith; east to the corrie scoops below Cairn Lochan and Stob Coire an t-Sneachda, the \u2018corrie of the snows\u2019; south through the extraordinarily steep and deep cleft of Lairig Ghru. <\/p>\n<p>Beyond the jaws of Lairig Ghru jutted a great black crag. \u2018John Brown told Queen Victoria it was called the Devil\u2019s Point,\u2019 Andy said. \u2018He knew she\u2019d ask him, and he couldn\u2019t very well give her the proper translation from the Gaelic \u2013 the Devil\u2019s Dick!\u2019<\/p>\n<p>We turned back through alpine meadows spattered with tiny pink flowers of dwarf azalea, paused for a drink of icy cold, peat-flavoured snowmelt water, and crunched back down the long track home.<\/p>\n<p>Start &#038; finish: Cairngorm Mountain car park above Glenmore Lodge, Aviemore PH22 1RB (OS ref NN 989061)<\/p>\n<p>Getting there: Bus &#8211; Service 31 from Aviemore. Road &#8211; A9 to Aviemore; B970 to Coylumbridge; signs to Glenmore; continue up to road end.<\/p>\n<p>Walk (8\u00bd miles, strenuous , OS Explorer 403):<br \/>\nAt top of car park, right down steel steps. Along lower car park to stone pillar (\u2018Parking Donations\u2019 notice) and post (\u2018Allt Mhor Trail\u2019). Path between them to bottom of gorge. Cross Allt a\u2019 Choire Chais by footbridge (984071); up stone-pitched path. In 200m, just before lone Scots pine on right, turn left (984072) up pitched path. Follow crest of moraine ridge west for 1 mile before descending to Caochan Dubh a\u2019 Chadha stream. Just before reaching it, turn right (974063) on peaty path through narrow Eag a\u2019 Chait gully for \u00be mile. Where view ahead opens out, just before gate in fence on right (963066), turn left opposite last crag on left, up faint path through heather. Keep bank with rock outcrops on left, and ascend south to the ridge, then SW to summit of Castle Hill (958058). Now head SSE to craggy top of Creag a\u2019 Chalamain (962053). <\/p>\n<p>Path descends and heads right along Chalamain Gap towards Lairig Ghru cleft. In \u00bd mile, where path begins to descend and bear left into Lairig Ghru, look for small cairn on left (960046). Follow obvious path SE for 1 mile, at first at edge of Lairig Ghru, then steeply up over stony hillside to rocky summit of Lurcher\u2019s Crag (969033). Leaving summit, continue south along left rim of Lairig Ghru to edge of plateau and sensational view (970028). Bear left along edge, then further left to contour the opposite hillside. Keep same contour for \u00bd mile to meet broad, well-maintained track on ridge of Miadan Creag an Leth-choin (977035). Left along it for 1\u00be miles back to car park.<\/p>\n<p>Click on Facebook &#8220;Like&#8221; link to share this walk with Facebook friends.<\/p>\n<p>Conditions: steep, boggy and rough in places. For experienced, well-equipped hill walkers with stamina. Allow 5-6 hours.<\/p>\n<p>Lunch: Picnic<\/p>\n<p>Accommodation: Fraoch Lodge, Boat of Garten, PH24 3BN (01479-831331; <a href=\"http:\/\/scotmountainholidays.com\">scotmountainholidays.com<\/a>) or Moorfield House, Boat of Garten, PH24 3BN (01479-831646; <a href=\"http:\/\/moorfieldhouse.com\">moorfieldhouse.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>Scot Mountain Holidays: 01479-831331; <a href=\"http:\/\/scotmountainholidays.com\">scotmountainholidays.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Weather and other info: Cairngorm Mountain (01489-861261; <a href=\"http:\/\/cairngormmountain.org\">cairngormmountain.org<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p><A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.ramblers.org.uk\/\">www.ramblers.org.uk<\/A> <A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.satmap.com\/\">www.satmap.com<\/A> <A HREF=\"http:\/\/www.LogMyTrip.co.uk\/\">www.LogMyTrip.co.uk<\/A><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The last time I had seen Andy Bateman of Scot Mountain Holidays he\u2019d navigated a group of us off the high Cairngorm plateau by following a set of handwritten hints, in thick mountain mist and sub-zero temperatures, after a not-entirely-restful night spent in a self-dug snowhole in midwinter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-walks","category-3-id","post-seq-1","post-parity-odd","meta-position-corners","fix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/670\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christophersomerville.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}