Stuc a' Chroin and Ben Vorich

Stuc a' Chroin and Ben Vorich

Thursday 11 September 2014

Thursday 11 September - Baddoch, An Socach and the ridge to Sgor Mor


We met a local from the village as we started up the track by the Baddoch Burn and walked together until he broke off for Carn Aosda. I asked him who 'the guardians of the Christmas tree' were and apparently it's the work of another local, a TGO Challenger whose name I recognised from occasional visits to the message board. I'm sure AlanS will work it out!

Shortly after our new aquaintance left us, we took to the hillside and were quickly on the stony summit. As so often on this holiday, we were alone and it felt like forty years ago; so many memories of days such as this with just the wind and the sun in our faces and not a care in the world; nothing to do but put one foot in front of the other, think about where to go next, what to do tomorrow.

It was a bit hazy for photography but we took some anyway - a record of the day - and after a brief stop for sustenance we were on our way to the east top. From there we enjoyed a splendid walk on crisp cropped heather and crowberry out to the unnamed 855m top, our next objective being Sgor Mor.

A few years back we set out from Baddoch in poor weather to do today's route reverse. It was a well battered pair that arrived at Sgor Mor's cairn and we spent a miserable twenty minutes trying to decide whether to go on. It rained; the wind howled and we assured ourselves that the exposed route would provide little or no shelter or respite from the elements. We came down 'like fallen angels' to arrive at Baddoch just as the sun came out and a glorious day emerged. I'll leave you to imagine what we felt like.

At the bealach before the rise to Sgor Mor we found a mini lochan not marked on the map. An easy pull led to the summit where we polished off most of the tea. A fine continuation from here would be over Craig a' Mhadaidh, Carn na Drochaide, Morrone and so down to Braemar. Alas, with a vehicle parked in Glen Clunie, we descended to Baddoch to be met by the garrons once again.

What a great day out.
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