Winter slopes in summer garb

IN WINTER, the slopes of The Cairnwell and CarnAosda are usually packed with skiers making the most of the snow. Come the summer, the terrain is turned back over to the walker. The two summits, and their neighbour Carn a’Gheoidh, could never lay claim to the title of Scotland’s most majestic mountains. But they are some of the most easily accessible and, as such, are an ideal introduction to the growing sport of Munro-bagging.

From the gravel car park on the east side of theA93, cross the road and head through the parking area in front of the ski centre cafe and adjoining buildings.

At the far end, a track climbs quite steeply to reach a higher level cafe housed in a round building located at the base of a series of ski tows.

From here, a wide track rises north to the left of the Carn Aosda T-bar ski tow, one of the longest on the range. During the summer, with the snow gone, the pylons and overhead cables lie redundant and you can either follow the track or simply go with the line of the tow.

The ascent is fairly strenuous but, with the car park located at around 650 metres above sea level, much of the height has been taken care of and it doesn’t take long to reach the top where there’s a large cairn.

The summit of Carn Aosda (917m) is a great viewpoint and on a clear day you can see for miles. Follow the track west and it continues on around the top of another tow before descending to a col just above Loch Vrotachan.

Cross a small burn and the path rises on to the north flank of The Cairnwell. A short climb next to a fence leads to a small path on the right. This takes you out across open heather moorland, crossing a dip in the hillside before climbing south over a long ridge to reach the summit of Carn nan Sac.

The path follows the boundary between Perth and Kinross and Aberdeenshire so, in theory, you could have one foot in each region as you walk.

The cairn sits at the end of the long flank and offers views down Gleann Beag to the Spittal of Glenshee. It is also well placed if you want to grab a photograph of the Cairnwell, without including all the clutter of the ski industry.

Go west and a flat plain approaches Carn a’Gheoidh (975m), a short climb rising on to the wide open summit with a cairn marking the top.

Retrace your steps to Carn nan Sac and continue back down to the junction of paths on the ridge above Loch Vrotachan. Once there, turn right and follow the long flank up on to The Cairnwell.

If you’ve ever skied Glenshee, this is a great run down. But climbing up requires slightly more leg muscle and the final stretch, from the top of the Cairnwell chairlift, is steep in places and the terrain rough and stony.

The best way down involves backtracking to the top of the chairlift and then following the ridge north for a way as it loses height. As it starts to climb again, bear right and descend over open hillside, dropping down through the ski run area to arrive back at the round cafe building above the main centre.