A few weeks ago I had an outing to Carn a' Ghe"idh, which lies tucked away to the west behind The Cairnwell and Carn Aosda, two hills that overlook the Glenshee Ski Centre. With a starting height above 600m, the most popular and easiest route to Carn a' Ghe"idh goes from the ski area, but this gives an unfair impression of this under-rated hill.
One mile south-west of its stony plateau is the far shapelier peak of Carn Bhinnein, at 917m the sole subsidiary top, and although both summits are good viewpoints, doing Carn a' Ghe"idh without walking to Carn Bhinnein is to be discouraged. The two
-mile out and back visit to the top is a delight and Glen Shee will feel far away.
Whilst not an outstanding hill at 975m/3,199ft, Carn a' Ghe"idh (and Carn Bhinnein) can be viewed in a different light when tackled from other directions. And that's exactly what I did.
South of Carn a' Ghe"idh is a large area wedged between Gleann Beag (the upper section of Glen Shee, carrying the A93) and Gleann Taitneach, and which terminates above Spittal of Glenshee in the Corbett, Ben Gulabin, which is really part of the same mountain. Carn a' Ghe"idh means hill of the goose, and was originally given as Carn Geoidhe on maps circa 1900 and in the original Munro Tables.
The popular route from the ski area goes from the dip between Carn Aosda and The Cairnwell, then west and south-west, following the edge of the corrie west of The Cairnwell to reach Carn nan Sac. The area between Carn nan Sac and Carn a' Ghe"idh is called The Coolah, either deriving from, or giving its name to, the Allt Coolah that runs past Rhiedorrach on the A93 at map ref 127740.
Although The Cairnwell is still in sight and noise from the A93 may be intrusive, an approach from Rhiedorrach to Carn a' Ghe"idh, following a track on the east bank of the Allt Coolah, bypasses the skiing area and arguably reveals the best profile of the hill.
You will need Ordnance Survey map 43, Braemar to Blair Atholl. Park with consideration by the A93. Go past Rhiedorrach on the south side and then traverse north to join a gravel track, shown as a path on the Landranger, that climbs north to Creag nan Eun. However, stay with the gravel track, unmapped on my map, that continues NNW and crosses the eastern tributary of the Allt Coolah at map ref 123747. The by now grassy track heads north-west over heathery terrain, with a base of fence posts and wire that gives an interesting staircase. The end of the staircase is a sensible turning point if the weather is adverse.
As the track fades away, climb north to the dip between Carn a' Ghe"idh and Carn nan Sac, or NNE to a prominent spur with shooting butts, but in both cases to reach the stony plateau.
Head west over stony ground by the worn path of the popular route (if visible under snow) for the summit of Carn a' Ghe"idh, with a modest rise. On my climb I was fortunate to find large patches of firm snow. My boots made crunchy and squeaky sounds on the very cold snow, which seemingly only happens when the temperature is down to -5C, yet crampons were not needed.
Although the summit is another turning point in poor weather, if it is a good-weather day do continue to Carn Bhinnein.
By now into thick mist, I had to navigate round to Carn Bhinnein. There was not a great deal of snow on the plateau (previous winds had seen to that), but I sought out what patches I could find. This is an old navigational trick – leaving footprints to speed up the return journey – that can only be relied upon if certain you are the only hillwalker about (I was) and that there is no wind to erase those footsteps. It was a calm day.
The direction, westwards to a lochan at 850m, if visible, then SSW to Carn Bhinnein, follows the rim of the upper corrie of the Allt Aulich – a gentle descent then a slight rise to the prominent and unexpected (on a misty day) rocky cone of the top. On my return to Carn a' Ghe"idh, the cloud lifted to complete a short but satisfying day.
FactfileMap Ordnance Survey map 43, Braemar to Blair Atholl
Distance 7 miles
Height 800m
Terrain Track, leading to open stony hillside
Start point Rhiedorrach on the A93, midway between Spittal of Glenshee and the Glenshee Ski Centre
Time 4 to 5 hours
Nearest hamlet Spittal of Glenshee
Nearest refreshment spot Spittal of Glenshee Hotel
The full article contains 808 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
