Hill of Fare

Creag an Sgor
Conditions were generally dry but with very poor visibility on most of the walk.
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Clachnaben
We had a great day for our October meet: bright, pleasantly warm, and with just a touch of breeze on Clachnaben itself. This was a delightful change after the driving rain in September. The short walk went from the quarry car park near Bridge of Dye, and then turned right and over Greystane Hill, Threestane Hill and Mount Shade. This party then picked up the 'voie normale' after crossing the curious meltwater channel, and stood and gazed around (and had a wee refreshment stop) on the summit of Clachnaben. They headed off down the heathery slopes to the north, and then with a wide view of Feughside wound down to Cuttie's Wood. A final mile along the back road took them to the front door of the Feughside Inn. The Hares - the faster party on the long route - struck west from Cairn o'Mount itself across Whitelaws as the sun burned off low-lying mist. Unable to resist a trig point, they carried on up Hound Hillock. This allowed a flanking manouvre by the Mellow Party, who followed the intended track north towards Glen Dye. The Hares carried on, and the two parties met up again at the Charr bothy, still surrounded by emptiness. Each party then wandered up Clachnaben to meet the first strangers of the day. Off the top the wind dropped away and the sun did its thing. A gorgeous half-hour outside the Inn rounded things off beautifully.

Above Glen Esk
The Cults Hillwalking Group September walk was less of an Indian summer stroll and more of an endurance test as the tail end of Hurricane Katia produced high winds, driving rain and mist for the whole day’s outing. Ten brave souls took on the long walk but the easy climb out of Tarfside along the track gave no indication of the misery that was to follow. Once the climb to altitude was made up East Knock (ca. 700m ) the full force of the unrelenting Southerly gale was felt and thick low cloud ensured there was nothing to see except a vague hill to climb in front. Once the party had conquered West Knock and was on the ascent to Black Hill the incessant driving rain closed in. Coming down off Black Hill meant the start of the peat hags and bog which continued for some considerable distance ie the remainder of the hills. Struggling through these exhausting obstacles combined with the foul weather meant there was no shelter for lunch and tea stops which became very brief affairs. Pushing on over Cruys and then towards East Cairn we were trapped on the wrong side of a double electric fence which was verified to be live by several determined testers. By the time a crossing point was found most of the party had discovered that the term waterproof to describe outdoor clothing is only notional. Eventually finding the escape route down the Shank of Inchgrundle the skies cleared, the wind dropped and the party finally got a view of Loch Lee and Carlochy.
The remaining fourteen set off on the shorter walk from Gleneffock climbing steeply up to Cairn Caidloch and along the tops to Burnt Hill (660m). From the start high winds began to affect the rate of walking with the slighter members of the group being buffeted and thrown by the wind. Visibility remained extremely poor and lunch was short lived in the lee of a few peat hags. With extremely poor weather conditions the leaders decided to take the option of a lower route to Loch Lee dropping down through Craig Turner to the eastern side of the Shank of Inchgrundle. Here below the mist level views opened out and the group were able to enjoy the sight of fresh waterfalls and the woods at Inchgrundle. Being wet to the skin also did not prevent the enjoyment of a fungus foray for chanterelles and brown caps and an extra walk to view the Falls of Damff.
Once the whole party had reassembled the bus took us happily to the Ramsay Arms in Fettercairn.

Carn An T-Sagairt Mor
The August walk started at Glen Shee car park and first gear was used to make the stiff climb from the car park straight up the track to Glas Maol. Two groups formed for the long walk. The hare group spent the day running ahead, stopping for tea, and allowing the tortoise group to catch up. This process continued through the day across Cairn of Claise, Tolmount and Fafernie until the group climbed to the summit of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor where the newly formed plane spotters group decided to search for the wreckage of the Canberra. We had great views all day and although the sun did not shine much, the visibility was good to the North and across to Lochnagar. The walk down and out along the Ballochbuie Burn was uneventful until a small group of walkers discovered some bee hives in the Ballochbuie Forest. One of the group members, who really should have known better, allowed his curiosity to get the better of him and approached the hives. This annoyed the residents who pursued the group angrily down the path at speed for some distance. Fortunately the only member stung was the chief culprit, and this event brought an unexpectedly energetic close to a great day’s walk, finishing up at Invercauld.
The group for the shorter walk made their way up the Callater burn from the roadside at Auchallater and broke away up the hillside at Loch Callater Lodge. Some chose to make the assault on the summit of Carn an t-Sagairt Mor, and others skirted around the hill, preferring a more leisurely day out. They then followed the route down the Ballochbuie Burn and again out at Invercauld where the bus was waiting to transport us all to the Inver Hotel for refreshments.

Brown Cow Hill & Carn Leac Saighdeir
A surprisingly good day out. Forecast persistent heavy showers and low cloud; reality broken cloud, a bit of sun, and a few minutes' rain. All those who were not on holiday came out. We started from a desolate point on the lovely road between Crathie and Gairnshiel Lodge. The smaller group wandered across the River Gairn, up into the hills, and along the tops to Carn Leac Saighdeir (no, I've no idea how to pronounce it either). There's a convenient track down the watercourse to the Old Military Road and its beatifully-restored bridges. This led on to the wonderfully-situated Allargue Arms. The bigger group dived round the hill, up the River Gairn to the atmospheric location of Corndavon Lodge. There followed a steep-ish haul onto Brown Cow Hill, and the usual debate about whether the OS has put the name in the wrong place on the map, or the whole massif with three tops is Brown Cow Hill, or the name was given by the people of Donside to the bit they could see from the valley. Anyway, the peat groughs were in fine condition, and we rattled on round the high ground until we found the Wells of Don. There are more-impressive springs in the world, but hey, it's one of our local rivers. Easily down to the now-harvested forestry, and an attractive wander along the valley to join the others at the Allargue Arms."

Beinn A'Bhuird

Morven
The March walk was through several inches of fresh snow, wearing all the layers, but April 17th turned out to be as good as you might expect in high summer. 43 people turned out to take advantage of the forecast good weather. CHWC walked across Morven from Glen Gairn with many in shorts, and layers being cast on the way. It was the first higher level hill walk since November, and an opportunity to tune up the muscles for the forthcoming May weekend away. Some members went all the way over at high level, enjoying excellent visibility; some also took in Morven on a shorter route, and some were very content with a more leisurely low level walk. We all met up on the Tarland side, at Groddie, and adjourned to the Boat Inn at Aboyne for a cooling drink.

Loch Kinord and Burn o’ Vat
There were reports of blocked roads and a very poor hill forecast so CHWC changed to a low level route for the March walk. The snowy conditions began at Banchory, but we were treated to picturesque scenes as we set off round Loch Kinord. There was also a short glimpse of the sun at Burn o’ Vat, so we used the seats and tables at the visitor centre for lunch, in unexpectedly benign conditions. The going got a bit harder as we climbed up through fresh snow on the path above the Vat, however some enthusiasts took the route up through the Vat, to give themselves some extra challenge. We then completed the day by taking the circuit to Cambus o’ May, back to our start at Dinnet, and rewarded our efforts with refeshment in the Loch Kinord Hotel.

Rattray Head Coastal Walk
CHWC traditionally does a coastal walk in February, and for 2011 we decided to walk from St Fergus to St Combs via Rattray Head. We had a full bus with 48 people, of whom 40 did the full 10 miles from St Fergus, and 8 did a shorter walk starting from the Loch of Strathbeg at Old Rattray. The day was overcast with some intermittent light rain, however the pace was enhanced by a strong south easterly wind, - fortunately on our backs. Animal and bird life included a seal shuffling across the beach, eider ducks bobbing in the tumbling surf, and a heron taking lunch in a sheltered pool behind the dunes. Lunch for the club was in the Tufted Duck Hotel at St Combs, who provided an excellent meal -served in style, and enjoyed by all.

Carnferg
The thaw set in just in time to clear most of the snow from the nearby hills, and allow CHWC to do the January walk as planned. The most risky stretch was the first 300 yards from the car park in Glentanar, where hard packed snow gave some tricky walking. On top there was a brisk south westerly wind, however as this was on our backs the walking was quite pleasant. We split into two groups, one taking the longer route over Baudy Meg and Carnferg, and a second group proceeding at a more sedate pace across the hill tracks to The Guard and onward to Aboyne. There was a turnout of 48 walkers for the day which made for a lively atmosphere during our end of walk visit to the Boat Inn.

Sands of Forvie
Following the fall of soft white stuff CHWC took the realistic decision to skip the planned 10 miles across the Hill of Fare, as it would be a challenge rather than an enjoyment in the snow. We went instead to Forvie. The snow had largely gone from the coastline, and Sunday the 12th turned out to be a great day on the beach. There was a pleasant light from the low sun on the Ythan estuary, and seals and assorted ducks to be assessed with binoculars. We walked from Newburgh to Collieston (about 6miles), visited the old ruined Forvie Church, and had lunch down in the circular cove of Hackley Bay. The day was topped with refreshment in the Ythan Hotel – all in all a pleasant entertainment for a December Sunday.

Lord Arthur’s Hill
Our walk for November felt like the right walk for the day. Cloud base was just above the tops we were aiming for, and with a breeze from the north, the walk south was quite comfortable. We started in the square at Rhynie, and after crossing the Bogie climbed to the Correen Hills. The path up is a right of way, but included a short stretch of impenetrable gorse, requiring a diversion via the adjacent field. Once on the tops we had good views out towards Tap o’ Noth and Huntly, and also later to the south towards Alford and the Don Valley as we proceeded to Tullynessle. It was a good November’s day walk, completed with refreshment at the Haughton Arms in Alford.

Glen Lethnot to Glen Ogil
CHWC went to the Angus Glens for the October walk - our coach dropped us in lower Glen Lethnot. We climbed the Hill of Mondurran, and then joined the old right of way to Glen Ogil, with some of the party taking in Pinderachy on the way. The hills are rounded, and not quite as high as those on our more usual walks, but the views over Glen Lethnot and Glen Ogil are very pleasing to the eye. The day began with clear and bright weather, but the clouds were pressing downwards by the time we descended past the reservoir to meet the coach. We were happy to move on to more new territory - a pub we had not been to before - Scot’s Corner in Luthermuir.

Carn Bhac
The September walk to Carn Bhac was the Club’s final Munro walk for 2010. It felt cooler than of late in the fresh breeze, but after a sharp morning shower, visibility was excellent. Beinn a Ghlo and Glen Tilt were clear to the south west, and seemed like a short walk away. Fifteen members did a 13 mile high level circuit from Inverey including Carn Liath and Carn Bhac, while eight members took a shorter, but very pleasant, 10 mile route back from Carn Liath to Inverey along the ridge, with great views over the Dee valley to the Cairngorm tops to the west and north.

Cairn of Claise and Carn an Tuirc
Sunday August 15th turned out to be a real summer’s day. 32 members took the hills above Glen Shee Ski Centre - shorts were favoured by many - and with light wind it was also warm on the tops. Two groups climbed to Glas Maol, and admired the vistas to the Cairngorms and the Perthshire hills. Their route was then across the plateau to Cairn of Claise, and Carn an Tuirc. A third group took a more leisurely approach directly to Carn an Tuirc, where they met up with others coming from the south. We also walked over to Coire Loch Kander, one of the grandest corries in the area, before descending to Loch Callater and continuing down the glen to meet the coach. We had visited three Munros and felt we had made good use of one of the best days of the year.

Mayar and Dreish
Twenty walkers took the risk of an outing to Glen Doll and Glen Clova on the day of the 2010 football world cup final. All walkers started at the Glen Doll car park: seven took the shorter route up the Shank of Drumfollow and across to the summit of Dreish. The remaining thirteen decided that the longer route was preferred as the clear lower views within Corrie Fee were too good to miss on a day of cloud and so it proved. Climbing out of the corrie, we were soon enveloped in mist and so the view from the summit of Mayar was quite unremarkable except in patches. Picking up the route of the earlier group, it was found that Dreish summit was also clouded. However, as the group dropped off the summit, the cloud cleared and we had super views over Glen Doll and to the North. The Hill of Strone offered a sight of the final destination at the Glen Clova Hotel and so the sprint started for the finish line. The slower walkers also made it and all were suitably refreshed in the bar and the garden.
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Ben MacDui & Carn Crom
Well, some days are better than others, - and our June day for Ben Macdui did not seem promising as we set off from Cults at 7.00am. The cloud was down on the tops as we drove up the Dee Valley, however a glimpse of the top of Lochnagar suggested that things might improve a bit. Ten opted to climb to Carn Crom, behind Derry Lodge as a shorter day, while nineteen took on the big day to the Cairngorm Plateau. We split into two groups, as it would easier for smaller groups to maintain visual contact with each other in the cloud on top. The cloud came and went as we climbed and while the top was very definitely in cloud, with a light drizzle, there were some opportunities to catch a view of the grandeur of the Cairngorm valleys. We came out of the cloud completely as we descended to traverse Carn a ‘Mhaim, and our day ended in pleasant dry conditions with clear views below the cloud base. It was very satisfying to complete the challenge of the long walk, and the weather on the day was a bit better than expected.

Glas Tulaichean
It was mid May, and CHWC were off to the first Munro of the year. It was good to be heading for the high tops again after the winter. The snow was down to a few patches, and it was a glorious spring day. Some headed for the longer circuit via Glen Taitneach, and some opted to go straight for the summit. The visibility on top was superb, and members speculated on the number of other Munros which could be seen from the summit. The count got up to around 40, with some debate on the final number. We then stayed high on the ridge towards Creag Bhreac, taking in the views; then descended steeply through the heather, to take refreshment on the lawn at Dalmuinzie Hotel, in bright sunshine. It was a very civilized end to an enjoyable day.

Airlie Tower to Glen Clova Hotel
A mid April day and, although the forecast was promising, CHWC members were rolling down the A90 in mist. We got off the bus at Dykehead and climbed to the Airlie Tower, into bright sunshine, leaving the mist behind us along Strathmore. The day fulfilled its promise, glorious sunshine and little wind as we walked along the south Glen Clova ridge, admiring the views of the more distant hills. The patches of snow on the higher hills added to the scenic splendour. For this walk we split into two groups: those who wished to press on, and those who preferred a more leisurely pace to admire the views. Those who pressed on had the benefit of some extra time as we relaxed in the sun on the terrace of the Glen Clova Hotel, with glass in hand – a very continental atmosphere - and not bad for April.

Glen Muick to Balmoral
The CHWC outing for March was planned to walk up to the Coyles of Muick and through Glen Girnock, however a prior route survey found that, while the bulbs were pushing up in Aberdeen, it was still deep midwinter in Glen Girnock. Plan B was adopted – a walk across the estate track from Glen Muick to Balmoral. There was still a good covering of snow on the track, and some stretches had deeper snow, which demanded a bit more effort to get through. Weather was generally bright and breezy, with snowy vistas to be taken in all directions. This walk took about 4 hours, and descended to cross the Dee at Crathie, where conditions were comparatively balmy – such that the picnic tables were brought in to use by some members. This was a fairly strenuous but satisfying day, and walkers felt that their refreshment in the Boat Inn at Aboyne was well earned.

Kingston to Fochabers
Following tradition the February outing had been arranged as a coastal walk. This year’s expedition took in the coast from Binn Hill, near Urquhart village in Moray, to the mouth of the Spey at Kingston, then crossing the river on the former railway bridge to follow the Speyside Way to Fochabers. The shorter walk started at Kingston beach. The view to Caithness from Binn Hill was lost in light but steady rain, however the weather improved as the day progressed. Some thought that the pace of the walk also got faster as the day went on; if true this must have been driven by the prospect of lunch, taken on this occasion at the Christie Garden Centre in Fochabers.

Inverbervie to St. Cyrus
The CHWC January walk was scheduled for the Hill of Fare, however a recce visit a couple of days beforehand found that the snow was generally knee deep (and soft) on the top. It was decided to head for the coast, and 45 members took advantage of clear dry weather to walk from Inverbervie to St Cyrus. This was a gentle but very enjoyable introduction to the New Year, - accompanied by the rumble of the shingle, and the calls of numerous curlews. The day was completed with further satisfaction by refreshment in the St Cyrus Hotel.