Drumochter’s Geal-Charn Winter trek,

Location: Grade: Distance: Time:

THE Pass of Drumochter separates the rounded hills of Carn na Caim and A’ Bhuidheanach Bheag from the more distinctive mountains of the Druim Uachdair, the ridge of the upper ground.

Gathered nicely together in one corner of this area, the four Munros of Geal-Charn, A’ Mharconaich, Beinn Udlamain and Sgairneach Mhor make a good expedition and give some of the best views possible of the Ben Alder hills across the long trench of Loch Ericht, particularly from Geal-charn.

In the short days of winter a curtailed round of Geal-Charn and A’ Mharconaich offers a satisfying day out and has the advantage of starting at just over 400 metres at Balsporran Cottages, just off the A9.

From here a comparatively new track crosses the railway line and gouges its way through the heather slopes and on to the north-east ridge. Be careful you don’t take the wrong track though.

Not far beyond the railway line the first track on the right follows the line of the Allt Beul an Sporain. The route to GealCharn takes the second track on the right.

This whole area has suffered a surfeit of bulldozed tracks in recent time, as estates make full use of woolly planning legislation to create access tracks for grouse shooters under the guise of ‘agricultural use’.

Representation has been made to the Scottish Government to tighten up the planning laws for the creation of such tracks.

There has always been a footpath running up the eastern ridge of Geal-Charn and higher up the ridge there used to be a series of high, slender cairns which looked like a row of marching men when seen from