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Cairn Toul Sgor an Lochain Uaine The Devil's Point Map This week I was staying in Ballater with Trisha in one of about 6 log cabins which had been set up in someone's overlarge garden. The ascent of these three mountains was a long, tiring trip. I drove to the start point, just east of the Linn of Dee, and set off on my bike up the cart-track at 9.10. It was a reasonably easy ride and I continued past Derry Lodge as far as the last trees where I left the bike and carried on on foot. I passed through some saplings then caught up with a couple of blokes who were off to Carn a Mhaim, just as they were negotiating a fairly tricky ford of the Luibeg Burn.
Then followed a long walk round the side of Carn a Mhaim along to the Lairig Ghru where the Devil's Point comes into view for the first time, as an impressive, triangular mass of dark rock. I continued along the track as far as Corrour Bothy, where there were a few people packing up, and from there ascended a very good, sandy path up towards the col, making pretty good time. In the upper stages the path steepens and resorts to zigzags to gain the crest.
From the col I turned right and made my way up a bouldery slope to the top of an un-named 1213m 'top' then, circling around the rim of the great corrie, Coire an t-Saighdeir, I embarked on the final pull up Cairn Toul.
I was feeling pretty tired by this point and it even crossed my mind that I might not be able to complete the full three Munros as I'd planned. During the last bit of ascent over more boulders and almost at the top I met a couple of blokes coming down who had come over from Sgor an Lochain Uaine. They were now off to the Devil's Point but I don't know where they'd started from. I finally got to the top at 1.20.
After a very brief rest I felt a bit better and Sgor an Lochain Uaine didn't look so bad now. It wasn't far and the descent and re-ascent up an even gradient seemed pretty straightforward and undemanding. In practice it turned out to be very easy and within half an hour I was standing at the top of Sgor an Lochain Uaine, also known as the Angel's Peak. Once again I didn't linger long, just time for a photo and a quick phone call check-in to Trisha (I hadn't been able to get a signal at Cairn Toul)
I returned to the col between Sgor an Lochain Uaine and Cairn Toul and then contoured around the latter to avoid having to re-ascend it. This was quite easy going over grass tufts and small boulders - not much sign of a path though. Eventually I regained the 1213m peak then returned down the hillside to the original col above Corrour Bothy. From there it's an easy jaunt over rocks and boulders to the top of the Devil's Point (3.20). Great views from the summit, with the land falling away to the east (to the Lairig Ghru) and south (Glen Geusachan and Glen Dee)
I returned to the col and as I was making my way to the point of descent I noticed a lone walker adjusting his rucksack a couple of hundred yards away. I waved but he just stood and silently watched me - a bit creepy. I turned away and made my way back down the hill. Good progress to the bothy then a long, long walk back along the path to the bike. No problems riding it back and I got to the car at 6.05. A long tiring trip but it did include the 4th and 5th highest Munros (CT & SLU respectively). Overall the weather was ok - cloudy but off the tops and no rain. A few flakes of snow fell at the top of Cairn Toul and it was quite chilly at times - the sheltered lochan, Lochan Uaine, was still completely frozen. | |||||||||
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