Pulking in the Cairngorms

Thursday 15th December

Pete was running late after enduring the traffic up the A1, eventually landing at mine just after 7pm. We had a quick brew and then loaded my gear into Pete’s van, Cairngorms here we come.
Most of the journey passed in no time, we had some interesting driving in blizzards up the final leg of the A74, meaning we had to stick to the tracks which the HGV’s were ploughing. At roughly 2am we reached the car park at the Lin of Dee, too late to set off into the woods so we quickly got the hammocks up in the car park and got some shut eye until first light.


Friday 16th December

After a dash back into Braemar to stock up on munchies we were back at the car park and getting our gear loaded into rucksacks and pulk bags. Being the first time out with the pulks neither of us really knew how to pack them, I loaded my usual gear into my rucksack and made use of the pulk to haul some luxuries (cider, lamb chops and extra clothes) and a better stove.

 We followed the track out of the car park and made our way through the woods, running out of snow after 10 minutes meant we had to unload and hand carry our kit until we reached more of the white stuff. As I didn’t have too much weight in mine I elected to drag it across the sand and gravel, Pete preferred to unload and do it the proper way.

After the first encounter of no snow we were unsure if the pulk idea was a little premature, after the first woods the landscape opened up and our track was perfect, earlier snow fall had been flattened by a Landrover leaving us with a nice pair of compacted snow and ice rails to follow all the way up the valley to our camp.

Reaching the bridge at Lui Water we could see there was plenty of snow down, even the river was starting to freeze over.

Our camp is in the trees top left of piccy

View from our campsite on Friday afternoon

Saturday 17th December

On Saturday morning we came up with a plan to explore further up the valley, taking just a few essentials we left the pulks and went for a wander in a winter wonderland.

Luibeg Bridge was like something you’d see on a Christmas card, fluffy meringue type snow with knee deep patches to negotiate

Heading back to the quiet and calm of camp.

Saturday night was amazing, Pete had left some fuel in his van so we decided to take a night walk back down and grab some more supplies, that night I saw the best star lit sky I’ve ever seen. Being somewhere so dark and remote meant light pollution was virtually zero, a couple of times I found myself laid on my back in the snow just trying to take it all in.

Sunday 18th December

Time to pack and go home :(

Back down the glen

Another great trip, looking forward to the next one.

Three days in the Cairngorms

18th November 2011


What a stunning weekend !

My camera was still on macro setting for the first day until I grew a brain and realised, lots of  iffy piccies and a camera that's on it's last trip.

Heading up the first glen in the last of the weekends drizzle, Teepee was along for this one

We found a nice looking camp site in no time and got set up, we spent the rest of the evening catching up and generally relaxing. I was knackered after an early start, 349 mile drive and didn't see much past 10pm. Some piccies around camp 1 ..

Warbonnet Superfly and Teepee DIY

Clean water only a few yards away

My Superfly tarp and Blackbird hammock, Unsponsored 3/4 underblanket and Pipedream 400 as a quilt

Pete's brew kit on the right, my one pot solution on the left

This was our soundtrack for the night

Packing up around mid morning we set off up the glen to explore the hills, looking back to camp ..

A well deserved break, we must have done at least half a mile

Stunning vistas

Up the hill and into a mini Lairig Ghru

Back down the other side and a glimpse of the next glen

We're heading this way

Bypassing the likely spot for the cold weather hang this winter

Disused Victorian hunting lodge

We mooched through the woods for a while, passing a tent we pushed on further up, another hammock nirvana

Another night was spent huddled round various stoves consuming food and a fine malt, the next morning blessed us with a sunrise to remember

All too soon it was time to pack up

A better look at Pete's mothership

Time to make tracks again, looking back to camp

A rest in the sun

At this point Pete announced he couldn't find his camera, out came the contents of his pack but it wasn't there. I had to be home at a decent hour or she'd go mental, with 7.5hrs of driving ahead we decided to split, Pete stashed his pack under a dead tree and I headed off for the car.

The trail back down the glen

The last couple of miles were on tarmac and my feet were shot, I managed to make it back though, I brewed up, changed my feet and sat down for five in the car. By the time I'd loaded my car and sorted my head out, I'd driven up the road to meet Pete coming the other way. He jumped in and we headed for his van for caramel coffees and butter wafers, om nom nom.


Gear List:

• ULA CDT pack
• Warbonnet Superfly
• Warbonnet 1.1SL Blackbird (& 9ft tree straps for those big pines)
• Unsponsored 3/4 underblanket
• Alpkit Pipedream 400 sleeping bag
• Ripstop Weather shield
• Thermarest sit mat/foot insulation
• Terra Nova ti 900ml pot
• Mini Bull Design Mini Atomic stove
• Bushbuddy Ultra
• 8oz meths
• Kenco 3-in-1 sachets x10
• Cherry Koolaid
• FAK
• Wash kit
• Poop pack
• Dehydrated meals x4 breakies x2
• Petzl e+lite
• Meraklon wrist warmers (brilliant, get some!)
• Berghaus Powerstretch gloves
• Army wool headover
• Trek Mates Polartec beanie
• Outdoor Research Ninjaclava
• Outdoor Research Transcendent down hoody
• Outdoor Research goretex gaiters
• Berghaus Paclite rain pants
• OMM Kamlieka Race smock
• Paramo Velez Adventure
• Gsi hip flask containing Jura
• Neck knife
• Pacer Poles

I think that's it but I'll add more if I remember