Project Larig Ghru

[swill453]

I did it a few years back. Outside the snow season and with half decent weather it's not over-challenging, "just" a 20-odd mile ramble, depending where you start and finish.

Logistics can be the most difficult part, with about 100 miles by road from start to finish and no public transport, unless you walk the extra miles into Braemar. We caught a bus to start at Glenmore then had someone pick us up at Linn of Dee.

Good luck!

Scott.

[kiloran]

Go for it Snorvey.
I've walked the Lairig Ghru a couple of times back in the 70's and 80's. Once in the winter snows (that was a HARD slog!) and once in spring. Both times, it was part of a circumnavigation of the Cairngorms (Linn of Dee, Fords of Avon, Glenmore Lodge, Lairig Ghru, Linn of Dee), mainly spending nights in bothies with the odd night in a tent.
I spent one night in the Sinclair Hut (since demolished) at the foot of Braeriach, memorable for two things.....
1- there I was in the middle of nowhere and heard a clanging bell. Went out, and there was a herd of reindeer, the big one with a bell hanging from its neck. They were being herded to lower ground.
2- the visitors book at the bothy had an entry from a few days previous. A bunch of scouts were apparently carting a canoe up Braeriach to create a british altitude record for canoeing.

NOT an architectural classic! No wonder it was demolished.

I was surprised by the Pools of Dee near the highest point of the Lairig. Something like 2400 feet up and I saw some trout swimming around.

How on earth did the trout get there? And how do they survive the winter?

You could consider an overnight stay at Corrour bothy
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Cor ... authuser=0

--kiloran

[Dod101]

LIke others, I have done the Lairig Ghru but it was a long time ago and I am sorry that the Sinclair Hut has gone. I have a photo outside of it somewhere. I think we got transport to Inverey on the south side and probably Glenmore Lodge at the north end. So we did it the easy way. mainly just a long not all that hard slog but very interesting and something different.

I would not even think of Braemar to Aviemore. Apart from the extra miles there is quite a bit of public road walking at each end wqhich is boring at best.

I wish you well.

Dod

[swill453]

If you weren't being a purist about completing it, you could walk from Loch Morlich to Derry Lodge, camp overnight and walk back.

BTW I just remembered from a walk recently, they've felled loads of trees at the Loch Morlich end, making the first few miles a bit of a lunar wasteland.

Scott.

[Dod101]

It was watching these two gents the other day that got me thinking about the Larig Ghru.

https://youtu.be/qHQkZL_PgsM

They must be both in their sixties. Hard as nails though.

[Edit] I've tried to look online to see how old he is. Just be my luck hes only 45 or something.

Thanks for that. Brings back all sorts of memories although I have not been on the Braeriach/Cairn Toul side of the Lairg Ghru. I know that I could not do that today and maybe never could have. Great for them though!

Dod

[Dod101]

It was watching these two gents the other day that got me thinking about the Larig Ghru.

https://youtu.be/qHQkZL_PgsM

They must be both in their sixties. Hard as nails though.

[Edit] I've tried to look online to see how old he is. Just be my luck hes only 45 or something.

Thanks for that. Brings back all sorts of memories although I have not been on the Braeriach/Cairn Toul side of the Lairg Ghru. I know that I could not do that today and maybe never could have. Great for them though!

Dod

I've watched a few of their videos Dod. They're both pretty relentless single day Munro multibaggers.

A 'good day out' to them would be me hanging out my ass, begging for a sympathetic vet with a gun to pass by.

Have you taken a look at them on Liathach in Torridon? Terrifying! It honestly makes me wonder how the 82 year old fellow managed all the Munros. Even in my prime I would not have tackled that.

Makes the Larig Ghru look very straightforward which of course, essentially it is.

Dod

Dod

[kiloran]

It was watching these two gents the other day that got me thinking about the Larig Ghru.

https://youtu.be/qHQkZL_PgsM

They must be both in their sixties. Hard as nails though.

[Edit] I've tried to look online to see how old he is. Just be my luck hes only 45 or something.

Thanks for that. Brings back all sorts of memories although I have not been on the Braeriach/Cairn Toul side of the Lairg Ghru. I know that I could not do that today and maybe never could have. Great for them though!

Dod

I've watched a few of their videos Dod. They're both pretty relentless single day Munro multibaggers.

A 'good day out' to them would be me hanging out my ass, begging for a sympathetic vet with a gun to pass by.

Have you taken a look at them on Liathach in Torridon? Terrifying! It honestly makes me wonder how the 82 year old fellow managed all the Munros. Even in my prime I would not have tackled that.

Makes the Larig Ghru look very straightforward which of course, essentially it is.

Dod

Dod

See that path at 7 minutes in?

Makes East Anglia and the Fens look a bit boring!

--kiloran

[AsleepInYorkshire]

We all need to set ourselves a goal from time to time and I've had several over the past 2 years. The highest peaks, were always an enjoyable, but difficult day out for me (I see guys on youtube doing multiple peaks over a weekend with ease). They remain off the table for a while yet I think.

So I'll be sticking to lower levels, but that doesn't mean you cant enjoy the hills.

Hence, Project Larig Ghru.

So what's that then? I hear you ask.

The Lairig Ghru (Scottish Gaelic: Làirig Dhrù) is one of the mountain passes through the Cairngorms of Scotland.


I dont know when, but definitely in the next 12 months. Assuming all the Lemons (including me) aren't part of the Home Guard by then).

I could probably do it now, so It could in the next month. It wont be in the winter that's for sure.

There. I've posted it now. Let's crack on with the fitness.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lairig_Ghru

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/cairngo ... ghru.shtml

Hi Snorvey,

Would it be polite if I enquired if you have congenital analgesia? You may need it if you go over on that ankle again. Be careful young man

Good luck

AiY(D)

[Dod101]

Thanks for that. Brings back all sorts of memories although I have not been on the Braeriach/Cairn Toul side of the Lairg Ghru. I know that I could not do that today and maybe never could have. Great for them though!

Dod

I've watched a few of their videos Dod. They're both pretty relentless single day Munro multibaggers.

A 'good day out' to them would be me hanging out my ass, begging for a sympathetic vet with a gun to pass by.

Have you taken a look at them on Liathach in Torridon? Terrifying! It honestly makes me wonder how the 82 year old fellow managed all the Munros. Even in my prime I would not have tackled that.

Makes the Larig Ghru look very straightforward which of course, essentially it is.

Dod

Dod

See that path at 7 minutes in?

Makes East Anglia and the Fens look a bit boring!

--kiloran

I have known the Torridon area for most of my life but just looking at Liatheach, Beinn Dearg and Beinn Eighe from the road you can see that they are not going to be easy. Wonderful area though.

The Cairngorms, although higher, are a much easier climb, but of course usually with a long walk in.

Dod

[swill453]

After looking through her pictures, my first though was 'that mountain pass is screaming out for a dual carriageway.

The whole place could have been overrun with roads and ski resorts if it hadn't been for a couple of mild winters in the 60s and a lack of investment https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/ho ... ki-resort/

Scott.

[Hallucigenia]

After looking through her pictures, my first though was 'that mountain pass is screaming out for a dual carriageway.

The whole place could have been overrun with roads and ski resorts if it hadn't been for a couple of mild winters in the 60s and a lack of investment https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/news/ho ... ki-resort/

As someone who learnt to ski in Aviemore - wow.

If nothing else the road development seems optimistic, given that "popularity" doesn't seem to have accelerated the glacial pace of dualling the A9....