Surprise, surprise, we managed to run a bus meet after a gap of 4 months back to the distant memory of the Fannaichs in April! A late surge of bookings enabled this unique traverse to go ahead and, according to Bob Macdonald, a traverse that had never been done before by the Club. It was a slightly chilly, overcast day as the 24 debussed, with a little bit of trepidation, at the car park at Auchlean. At least no one had to carry a heavy bottle of sun cream!
First away was new member Karen Frake, who elected to run most of the 28kms and arrived back at the Linn of Dee in just over 5hrs! Colin Cowie and Bruce Folley took their mountain bikes on the coach and planned a low level bike ride, which Colin had previously done 15 yrs ago. They cycled down Glen Feshie and then on to Glen Geldie and apart from a 2 mile stretch where they had to push the bikes along a narrow path, the majority of the route was better than expected.
The rest of the group of 21 headed up the track, peloton style, towards Carn Ban Mor. Regular stops kept the group together as they snaked their way steadily towards Tom Dubh and then the first Munro of Monadh Mor. This stretch of barren remote and lonely upland (the Moina Mhor) is one of the most psychologically intimidating walks in the whole of the UK, if you walk it alone! Today there were many people on this route, some coming up from White Bridge and biking in part of the way. It was proving to be surprisingly chilly when lingering at the summits, so lunch was taken in the shelter of Coire Cath nam Fionn, the Corrie of the Battle of the Fingalians! Who fought and who won is lost in the mists of time, but after lunch the party made their way up the stony hill side to the 2nd Munro of Beinn Bhrotain. After that it was unchartered territory for virtually everyone as the now fragmented party made their way down via the demoted Munro of Carn Cloich-mhuilinn (demoted in 1981 by James Donaldson and Hamish Brown). It is said that Sir Hugh Munro would have been horrified that this Munro was deleted as he was leaving it for his last one. He never did complete his own list of Munros (died in 1919), so Robin Campbell of the Munro Society decided to make a full sized effigy of Sir Hugh and carry him up for a posthumous ascent of the 3 tops he failed to do (Carn an Fhidhleir, Carn Cloich-mhuillin and the In Pinn). His first hill was Ben Lawers in 1879 and his last (posthumous) hill, the In Pinn was completed in 1992. His round therefore of 113 years will take some beating as the slowest ever!
Anyway, the long traverse continued on via White Bridge back to the Bus at the Linn of Dee car park. The early walkers were back in under 8hrs but the last few took over 9 hrs so the Pub stop had to be forfeited for a race back to Elgin before the drivers hours expired! Although quite a tough day out, it was still an enjoyable walk in good company. Some even paid their membership fees!
There was a young lady from Ballater
Who went for a swim in Loch Callater
She took off her breeks
Amid the fine peaks
And a monster came up and swallater!
Report Author and Photos: John Henderson