Sgor Mor (813m)

It was a cold night in the tent and I waited for the sun to hit the flysheet before making any moves. In the night I had been woken with a start around midnight by the strangest animal sound. It was like a barking/howling/shrieking call coming from the hillside above the tent. It went on for only thirty seconds or so. I'm guessing a fox but is only a guess. There were plenty of grouse, curlew and oyster catchers calling in the daylight.

Heading due north now, I passed lonely Bynack Lodge and then encountered the torrent of the Geldie Burn. I had brought alternate footwear for the occasion, but was not prepared for the icy water, it was absolutely freeeezing cold. I challenge anyone to cross that river without squealing in pain at the cold! At White Bridge, I crossed the River Dee and headed up the east bank towards the Lairig Ghru before leaving the path and climbing the Corbett of Sgor Mor. What a view!

The whole southern Cairngorms were spread out like the menu from a Munroist's Digest with Beinn Bhrotain, The Devil's Point, Sgorr an Lochain Uaine, Cairn Toul, Carn a Mhaim, Braeriach, Ben Macdui, Derry Cairngorm. It was rather breezy so I pressed on east over the subsidiary summit of Sgor Dubh (photograph) and then south east to the crossing of the Lui Water before the last couple of kilometres through the ancient creaking pine woods to Mar Lodge.