14-15/10/22 Weekend Meet: Ballater Bunkhouse

October saw the club visit Ballater Hostel https://www.ballater-hostel.com for the first time. The Friday to Sunday weather tended to form the pattern of dreich mornings with bright, sunny and windy afternoons. A very good weekend meet.

On Saturday AR, AS & MM climbed the Corbett, Morven, 8km north of Ballater, NJ 37665 04028. On their way they were enticed by some early snows in the northern Cairngorms.

…at the summit - and a lot of stonework for a Corbett.

Also on Saturday, MMcE, CS & Harry the dog headed off to do a round of the Corbett, Corryhabbie hill, NJ 28092 28846 and the Fiona, Cooks Cairn, NJ 30224 27820. Starting at the Allanreid car park in Glenlivet, they walked up the route to the battle of Glenlivet, then struck out of the forest onto the slopes of Corryhabbie. After reaching the top they descended on a stalkers path into Glen Suie, then uphill onto the Graham 'Cooks Cairn'. Return by Glen Suie, round the end of Carn an t-Suidhe into Glen Livet.

The above is from Cooks Cairn looking NW back to stalkers path on Corryhabbie hill.

Lonely Suie farm steading in Glen Suie.

For IH, BR & KH their Saturday trip was a combined cycle SW down Glen Tanar, followed by a climb of Munro, Mount Keen, NO 40907 86915, having first left their bikes at the footbridge, NO 40610 89568, near the Shiel of Glentanar.

IH at the summit, looking S, whilst we look W. Return by reverse route.

On Sunday AS & GG climbed a hill in Glen Dye, called Clachnaben, the top of which is the tor, 589m, with the triangulation point slightly to the WNW at 579m. Apparently, Clachnaben is the war cry of Clan Strachan.

On Sunday the Graham, Geallaig NO 29771 98216, WNW of Ballater was climbed by MMcE, CS & Harry. Views of Lochnagar, Morven and maybe Mount Keen. Above shows Morven in the distance.

Finally on Sunday, BR & KH avoided the wet morning and did a quick ascent of Munro, Carn a Gheoidh, NO 10701 76685, starting from the Ski Centre carpark, NO 13896 78104. The above is looking NW towards An Socach with Loch Vrotachan in the foreground, NO 12248 78502.

On the return to the car they were able to see what they had climbed on the previous Friday, Creag Leacach, NO 15456 74547, as seen looking SE from the northern slope of Carn nan Sac, NO 12102 77497.