I climbed and activated this one last September. It was a bit of a slog over peat hags and slopes clad with long heather. A late afternoon hike and I barely made it down before darkness fell.
Carn Mor GM/ES-029 - Summer is over
I returned today, mainly because I’d found a different way up. One which started in Strathdon, so closer to home. It also had tracks all the way, or so I thought. Anyway I’m glad I went back. It turned out to be a remarkable and interesting day.
the route - around 9.5km each way
At NJ 334 158, I parked on rough ground and walked for 45 minutes on a vehicle track through pleasant woodland and plantation, some felled but a lot of new growth. I passed the remarkably remote Lost Art Gallery on the way. Now if one was to visit the gallery by car, a good hours walking would be saved over the day!
art installation near the Lost gallery
Out of the woods, across a shallow burn and on to the open hillside, climbing steeply for a bit. The track was hard to follow in places but soon led to a better (vehicle) track further up.
crossing the Littleglen Burn
The vehicle track led to a T-junction, well a cross roads really, with my hill path in front of me. The track leading up the hill was very indistinct and I soon lost it. The way wasn’t too bad, with short heather, grass, soft but dry moss and then repeat.
Throughout the morning, I’d been surprised by the variety and amount of birdlife around me. I saw curlew, dippers, lapwing, snipe and heard cuckoo. the best was to come however.
Once near the top of Dun Muir, I cut left across some peat hags, with Carn Mor still 1.5km distant. Suddenly a huge bird rose from the peat in front of me and glided down a nearby slope. Before I could grab my camera it was gone, soon gliding above me. I’d just seen a white-tailed eagle! Shortly after, a mountain hare sprinted from a hiding place, probably relieved I’d disturbed the eagle.
Then the rain came on. Thankfully, a passing shower and it cleared off before I reached the top of the hill.
Carn Mor is an unremarkable summit, however I enjoyed good views up to the Moray Firth and beyond, across to the high Cairngorms, as well as the other main Aberdeenshire peaks. A good 360. A trig point but no shelter.
Rain time, the summit behind
views south from Carn Mor GM/ES-029
I strung up the Slim-G and hooked it up to my Yaesu FT-3d hand held. Really only to contact Simon @GM4JXP who was waiting for my call back in Aboyne. I spotted (optimistically as ever) on 2m FM.
GM5JET Duncan in Nairn came straight back to me, much to my surprise. I did comment to Duncan that I didn’t expect to qualify such a remote summit on 2m. I then had a short chat with Simon GM4JXP. The next QRZ yielded MM7JMI Jamie, who turned out to be Duncans son! Goodness, that was three, could I drum up a fourth. Well, after a couple more CQ’s, @GM0UDL Andrew came on from The Black Isle. Duncan had messaged him! Job done on 2m and in about 14 minutes. I did call a further few times and even switched over to the Aberdeen 2m repeater, but no joy. I was contemplating setting up HF, which was always the plan, when the skies darkened and another shower moved over. I therefore declared Victory and moved to pack up and get off the hill.
I pretty much followed the same route on the way back, however I attempted to find the bits of path that I’d missed on the way up. Find them I did. The first one took me over the top of Dun Muir, crossing some dry but level hags on the way. Dropping to a col between Dun Muir and Meikle Geal Charn (un-named 788m point on the OS 1:50,000), I picked up the path that descended to the Land Rover track. It was little more than a sheep track and hard to follow in places. Not really worth it for the added distance.
crossing dry peat and then up to Dun Muir
ancient boundary marker atop Dun Muir
Back in the woods and heavy, steady rain started. It didn’t really stop until I was almost back home in the car.
SUMMARY
Glad I went back! The wildlife was varied and to see the Eagle made my day. I was aware there were pairs nesting up in Strathdon, but did I ever expect to see one? No!
The route I took was much more enjoyable and varied that the previous approach. Really nice countryside. It took me 2 hours 15 mins to ascent and about the same to come back down.
And the activation. Well, that’s up there with the Eagle. Four 2m contacts from a remote summit is rare for me, although I do have Duncan GM5JET to thank for arranging most of my contacts without my knowing!
73,
Fraser
