Cairn Gorm & Bynack More, Map 403 or OL3
27th April 2006 & 23rd July 2008

Route 1 (27/4/06): 1710m = 5600', 15.8 miles, 10hrs.
Route 2 (23/7/08): 1405m = 4600'; 17.8 miles; 8hrs + breaks

Route on 23/7/08: This is one of the top ridge walks in Scotland. Ideally, one should start at the Cairn Gorm car park and finish at Glenmore Lodge having traversed the whole ridge, as here, and public transport enables this. The route provides spectacular views of Loch Avon from The Saddle as well as including the Bynack Barns and visits the outstandingly beautiful, picturesque and colourful An Lochan Uaine, before passing through the wonderful Scots pine forest around Glenmore Lodge and finishing near the sandy shore of Loch Morlich. Alternatively, one can return from Bynack More via the Saddle and the Ptarmigan Restaurant back to the starting car park. Although 2 miles longer, the extra distance to finish at Glenmore Lodge is along a pleasant, easy track, and 300m/1000' of re-ascent over Cairn Gorm is avoided. Moreover, there is the opportunity for spotting birds and wildlife on the periphery of the Abernethy Forest.
If necessary, Bynack More can be omitted with the walk being continued from Cairn Gorm or Cnap Coire na Spreidhe by a descent northwards either to the start or to Glenmore Lodge along paths via the Ski Centre or Coire na Ciste. This would cut the total length to 10.6 miles and the ascent to a mere 910m. Bynack More can then be climbed separately as here.

Access: Bus 31 running between Aviemore and Choire Chais (Cairn Gorm car park) can be used to get between the ends of the walk. One can park by Loch Morlich (by the Ski School/Youth Hostel) at the end of the track to Glenmore Lodge or in the Cairn Gorm car park, or take the bus from and back to Aviemore. There is a timetable here. Alternatively, in summer a friend may well be happy to drop you at Choire Chais and spend the day by Loch Morlich awaiting your return.

Route on 27/4/06: This route has the advantage of returning to the starting point. Although also being 2 miles shorter, it involves 1000' more ascent. As with the other route, if conditions dictate Bynack More can be omitted and done separately from Glenmore Lodge thereby giving a much shorter circular walk. This reduces the total length to 9⅓ miles and the ascent to just 890m. There are also alternative routes up Cairn Lochan which omit Lurchers' Crag, such as via Fiacaill Coire an t-Sneachda.
Conditions 27/4/06: The ground is normally still under winter conditions in late April, with ground frozen above 1000m. Note the danger of avalanches on the direct descent from Cairn Gorm to The Saddle especially after significant rainfall. On this occasion the massive snow cornice at the cliffs above The Saddle exhibited large cracks and was certainly in imminent danger of collapse, being fully soaked with water. Such an event would have drowned anyone caught in it. It was necessary to by-pass it with a short detour southwards along the top of the cliffs, descend to the south of the most dangerous area, and then cross back hurriedly at the bottom out of the danger zone.