SUMMIT RIDGE SCRAMBLE
1 NH985074 From the Sugar Bowl car park, turn left onto the road and follow it 80m to a good footpath winding south into ancient pine forest. After 350m, cross a footbridge over the Allt Mor and follow the path slightly uphill then upstream alongside the river’s west bank. The path bends west with the burn then, after 1.2km, drops to cross first one, then another of the streams at its confluence. Continue along the path south-west to enter the Chalamain Gap – a miniature canyon with a grand collection of boulders. Clamber through these to emerge near a tiny lochan and continue south-west then south, dropping into the gigantic chasm of the Lairig Ghru.
2 NH958037 Cross the Allt Druidh to the Braeriach side and head into the glen, following the path south-east alongside the stream while it lasts. After 1.8km, where the path branches, keep to the upper one. You’re entering boulder territory. From here, the terrain becomes more complex and the path sometimes unclear. Look out for waymarking cairns in the rockiest sections. At NH972015 be sure to follow the path slightly uphill, edging east, or risk getting stuck in an exhausting mire of boulders. 350m later meet the ethereal Pools of Dee. Here, the path splits following the nascent Dee along its west bank to Garbh Choire and east to Corrour and Braemar. Stay on the west bank.
3 NH973007 The path gradually rises, bending away from the Dee and into the menacing-feeling An Garbh Choire.
After 1.5km it loses clarity among rocks but keep your trajectory southwest, crossing several burns and descending to the corrie bottom. Cross at the Allt a’ Garbh Choire to pick up the path west to the tiny rugged Garbh Choire refuge on a rocky knoll.
4 NN958985 Pass it to find a faint path heading steeply up the flanks of Sgor an Lochain Uaine, west of the Allt an Lochain Uaine between slabby rocks and crags. Emerge, after a 170m ascent, at the hidden green waters of Lochain Uaine with the north-east ridge soaring to the summit above. Turn south-west along the initially broad ridge, scrambling over superbly sticky granite boulders. The ridge narrows and steepens as it rises but there are few real difficulties with most interest found along the crest between massive boulders and flakes.
5 NN954976 The scramble ends right on the summit, the lochan glinting below and mountains arrayed around. From here, drop west along the corrie rim, circling it north-west towards Braeriach. At the 1250m contour turn north-north-east to the summit of Carn na Criche then north to the Wells
of Dee – the source of one of Scotland’s mightiest rivers. Stay east of the stream, crossing it and then striking out north-east across the featureless plateau for 1.5km to the summit above the Great Couloir. Take care in low visibility.
6 NN953999 Your second summit of the day, the behemoth Braeriach. Back on well-used paths, continue east around the rim of plummeting Coire Bhrochain then follow the path north along the long, wide arm of Sron na Lairige. Descend along its northern spur into the
Lairig Ghru to rejoin the path into the Chalamain
Gap and follow it back to the start.