Walk of the week: The East Glen Shee Hills

By ROBIN HOWIE
Published on 09/09/2012 17:27

The weather forecast suggested that most of Scotland would have a wet day, the only exception being towards the north-east, albeit with the risk of afternoon showers.

The east Glen Shee hills were an obvious target, especially Tolmount and Tom Buidhe, two of Rhona’s outstanding 40 hills to complete a fourth round of Munros.

The height and closeness of the A93 makes an approach from the west the most popular, if not the most attractive, route. However, this involves a plateau traverse, a high expanse of featureless rounded tops where accurate navigation is crucial. It is an area where Hugh Munro was over generous in his compilation of easily collected Munros, scarcely justified by modest re-ascents and distances.

The two Munros closer to the A93, Carn an Tuirc and Cairn of Claise, serve as ascent and descent routes on a delightfully easy 11-mile horseshoe traverse. The total ascent is only 900m; four Munros covered in six hours… they do not come much easier than that!

Apart from any navigational problems, the only snag is that the area is irritatingly mapped, a traverse from Ordnance Survey map 43 to 44, and it is common to see hillwalkers awkwardly folding such maps together to get a better idea of the lie of the land. A self-printed map to cover the area is the easiest solution, but do remember to take the two OS maps just in case. The main stalking dates for this area start from 26 September until 20 October. During that time do use the Hillphones service, tel: Braemar 01339 741911.

• From the parking space on the A93, map ref 148800, make a short descent to the 18th-century military bridge – or rather what is left of it – over the Cairnwell Burn. The distance is less than two miles, with the only serious climb of the day, some 500m, to the small stony plateau of 1019m/3343ft Carn an Tuirc. Follow the mapped path on the north side of the Allt a’Gharbh-choire and then north-west towards the summit cone, from where nowadays there is a choice of worn paths.(Carn an Tuirc has always been listed as a Munro, yet its ascent from Cairn of Claise is only some 64m, the second-lowest minimum ascent for any mainland Munro – only Carn Ghlusaid has less.)

• Head east, then south-east, to the neck of land, map ref 183803. Continue south-east over the moorland, somewhat wet underfoot on our day, but we had excellent visibility. 958m/3143ft Tolmount, whose rough granite summit is perched very close to the crags that form the headwall of Glen Callater, is another marginal Munro, a rise of only 72m, and from where the proximity of Tom Buidhe to the south, just another rounded bump at 957m/3140ft, makes an easy coupling – little more than a half-hour’s stroll. It is west over Ca Whims, then an easy grassy ascent to reach the stony 1064m/3491ft summit of Cairn of Claise. On the way we passed the expected hares, but I was surprised to see a flock of sheep at this height.

• At that stage the build-up of cloud to the west indicated a heavy shower to come, luckily short-lived. Head south-west by a vehicle track towards Glas Maol, then turn north-west on the ridge leading to Sron na Gaoithe, following the mapped path that keeps to the east side.

Cross the newish metal-arched bridge over the Cairnwell Burn and so back to the car. We were just in time for refreshment at the Glen Shee Ski Centre café, open all year round, bar two weeks in November.