It is something to bear in mind if planning a winter ascent. The plateau is largely featureless and it is easy to lose sight of the cairns. You might imagine a weather-blasted, rock-strewn summit to be devoid of life, but we were soon joined by a couple of snow buntings. Of course, the conditions were beyond perfect for our trek. But the summer here is famously midge-heavy. Thanks to Merrell for organising this adventure up Ben Macdui, and for offering the opportunity to try out some footwear from the new MQM Collection. While the former gives you the freedom to explore on your own terms, exploring the trails with a guide means you can make the most of local knowledge, enjoying the best views and pushing yourself to your limits. It’s terrain that looks intimidating, but is actually great fun to climb – you really do feel like you’re on an adventure. Ben Macdui or Ben Macdhui (măkdōō´ē), Gaelic Beinn Muic Duibhe, peak, 4,296 ft (1,309 m) high, Moray, Scotland, in the Cairngorm Mts. Part and parcel of this outdoor access is that wild camping is permitted in the Scottish Highlands. Accessed by both Deeside and Speyside, the summit is said to be haunted by the wraith-like Old Grey Man. To find out more about their MQM (move quick in the mountains) shoes, click here. It was so cold it took my breath away, but it was more enlivening than a bucket of espresso. Located in the Scottish Highlands, in the Cairngorm National Park, these two peaks offer some fantastic climbs. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. This route can be done as either a straight out and return from the ski area or as a circular route enjoying some pathless terrain and superb views down Loch Avon. The only difference? Check out the video below. As the trail steepened into the mountainside, the boulder field thickened until it obliterated any distinct path and we were soon picking our way through, occasionally putting a hand down to steady ourselves. Ben Macdui lay across the plain, strewn with red-flecked boulders and dotted with cairns to mark the way. Care is required when crossing the bouldery summits of Ben MacDui & Derry Cairngorm. The pass comprises three distinct sections: 1. Off the side of the mountaintop we could see a new plain, running down, out and then up again to the summit of Cairn Gorm. The walk from Linn o' Dee, near Braemar, was recently voted as one of the best in Britain. We crossed the tumbling waters of the Allt Coire an-t-Sneachda, as they careened down through boulders, sparkling in the sunshine. Please enter a valid email address. Key information: Ben Macdui Britain’s second highest peak towers directly above the deep glacial gouge where the Upper Dee valley becomes the Lairig Ghru. The mountain has become well-known not because of its beauty, but rather due to a number of unexplained incidents that have occurred here and in the mountain’s vicinity. Ben MacDui, Derry Cairngorm and Carn a' Mhaim A long rewarding day which took 11.5 hrs to complete. 6 of the wildest and most rewarding walks in the UK, Tranter’s Round: Scotland’s tough circular trekking route, 40 adventurous things to do in the UK and Ireland this summer, 5 of the best UK walks to avoid crowds this summer, UK Adventure: A magical winter adventure in Glen Coe, 7 best traffic-free cycle routes in the UK, 5 new adventure walking holidays in the UK. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/place/Ben-Macdui. The mountain stands at 4,409 feet above sea level. It’s not a sight that the Cairngorms are known for but as we set off from the Coire Cas ski centre car park, the range began to loom out of the golden haze. The range has been designed to be lightweight and flexible enough to propel someone up a mountain, yet stable and protective enough to provide confidence on the charge back down. P Other Facts About Ben Nevis. The going underfoot was loose and you had to keep your eyes trained on the trail. The weather up there, even at this time of the year, can feature sleety snow storms, but the sun was blazing and there was hardly any wind. Here, you can simply hire a bike and helmet for the day, or you can embark on guided rides. Look out for the giants of the west side of the Lairig Ghru, Carn Toul and Braeriach. Ben Macdui is the second highest mountain in Britain. “We have the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and it’s amazing the amount of freedom we have – probably the best in the world,” Heather admitted. A winter-sports industry in the Cairngorm Mountains, centred on the town of Aviemore, has developed and expanded…. Munros are the 283 mountains in Scotland over 914m (3,000ft) high that were selected by Sir Hugh Munro as being notable (there are another 255 summits over 914m, but he classed those as ‘tops’). Ben Macdui (Beinn Macduibh) is a summit in the region or range in Scotland. A moderate although long route for the reasonably fit. Ben Nevis is the highest peak in Scotland and it’s also the tallest mountain in the British Isles. We took advantage of the water tinkling down the burns (Gaelic for water course) to re-fill our bottles (the rule of thumb is that water sources in the Highlands are drinkable above the last human habitation) before tackling the short, sharp the ascent to the plateau from Coire an Lochain. If something does lurk on Ben Macdui, we don’t know what it is, where it came from, or what it wants. Not for the first time I found myself glad to be in the company of someone with a MIC’s navigational skills. “It’s very unusual to get such light winds, warm temperatures and sunshine. She is one of only 25 or so women who hold the top MIC (Mountaineering Instructor Certificate) award and takes a cheerfully no-nonsense approach to the outdoors. The OS Map (or equivalent) should be a necessity and not a bonus. Wandering over the plateau is an experience that will live with you forever. Experienced riders with good levels of fitness might well be interested in one of the school’s ‘Epic Adventures’, which sees you tackle one or two Munros with a guide in the remote and beautiful Glen Feshie. After Ben Nevis was confirmed as the higher some locals planned to build a cairn on the top of Ben Macdui to make its height greater than the Lochaber peak, but these plans did not come to fruition. But we weren’t done for the day. Walk up Ben Macdui from Aviemore Route Description How many plastic bottles does it take to make your outdoors jacket? If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. After crossing the Allt Coire an Lochain, we soon left the trail altogether, picking our way past boulders and across a surprisingly boggy patch of thick moss to the Coire an Lochain, a tranquil aqua green pool lined with rocks that have fallen from the half moon of buttresses above. Just how tough is it to climb in the Karakoram Mountain Range during winter? The woman was in a bivvy bag. The summit of the mountains was once an observatory built in 1883 … Climbed equally frequently from both Deeside and Speyside, the summit is said to be haunted by the wraith-like … At least bring a snow shovel and bivvy gear. Height: At a lofty 1309m, Ben Macdui is second only to The Ben Personality: A giant, but a shy, retiring and unapproachable one that hides away in the middle of the Cairngorms. A fine ridge walk from Carn a'Mhaim & Ben MacDui. “Keep moving and camp high! It replaces the previous record holder, the Sani Pass [2876m]. I consent to allow Wired for Adventure to collect my contact information (required) Taking a moment to reflect on the stunning scenery, I knew I’d be back– the walking is truly adventurous and when you’re done with that, single-malt whiskey somehow always tastes better in the Highlands…. Alastair Borthwick's superb 1939 book about climbing in Scotland, "Always a Little Further" relates the accounts of two climbers he knew who had experienced what by then was becoming known as Am Fear Liath Mòr, or Ferlas Mor, or the Big Grey Man of Ben Macdui, because of its appearance when briefly glimpsed by a few of those who encountered it. The summit rises from the southern part of a huge sub-arctic upland unique in the British Isles. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. We took a grateful stop to eat and rest. The going underfoot was loose and you had to keep your eyes trained on the trail. Ben Macdui and Cairngorm are two of the highest mountains in the country and rest in on the vast plateaux of the Cairngorms in Scotland's eastern highlands. The great thing about teaming up with the School of Mountain Biking is that you can also join coached sessions, where you’ll learn new skills and improve on your riding technique. Return to where the paths meet, then take the path that veers north-east around Lochan Buidhe and traverse the eastern flanks of And I’ve carried the inside of a wine box to fill up with water at the last burn before you go up to the top to camp.”, Cairn Gorm looked a hell of a long way off but amazingly, less than two hours later, we were stood at the top of another Munro looking back at the summit of Ben Macdui. By the time I hauled myself out, my whole body was tingling. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Heather, who has gone on many missions with mountain rescue, showed us the contents of her pack to reveal not only emergency bivvy bags, but a temporary shelter, spare warm clothing, emergency food and even a GPS beacon. A final push brought us out onto the broad expanse of the summit of Ben Macdui, dotted with semi-circular dry stone walls left behind from WWII manoeuvres. Does Heather have any tips? Ben Macdui and the Cairngorm Plateau At 1309m, Ben Macdui is the highest mountain in the Cairngorms, 2nd in Scotland below Ben Nevis. Author: Matt Ray | Photos: Reuben Tabner, I consent to allow Wired for Adventure to collect my contact information (required). It is part of Britain’s highest mass, the central Cairngorm plateau. “Activate this and the cavalry arrives,” she said, adding that when a couple missing overnight in a storm were found up here, the woman was still alive but the man was dead. This form collects your contact information. I would like to receive competitions, exclusive offers and other promotional emails from Wired for Adventure, I understand that I can unsubscribe at any time. Ben Macdui, the highest mountain in the massif, with an elevation of 4,296 feet (1,309 metres), is the second highest mountain (after Ben Nevis) in the British Isles. There was no obvious trail that I could see… “That’s OK, we’ll go off-piste and find a route with a burn to refill the water bottles,” said Heather, cheerfully. Win these KEEN hiking boots and other goodies worth over £200, This is why you need to visit Nova Scotia, You wouldn’t think what these guys do on snowboards is possible, 6 ways you can earn money while travelling, 7 of the coolest places to stay in the world, These climbers use Antarctica as a playground, Win a Craghoppers outdoor jacket worth £200, WIN a Montane Alpine Spirit Jacket worth £270 and a day’s guided climbing. The story of the first winter ascent of K2. Starting from a height of 650m and with gently rising slopes leading up to the Munro summits, this is … B Smith from UNITED KINGDOM writes: Please note this area can be very dangerous when the mist comes down (which can happen very frequently). “If you are in cold temperatures and you’re wet and it’s windy, then within 10 minutes you’re going to be shivering, and within an hour you will start to have the first effects of hypothermia; slurred speech and irrational behaviour.”. It reminded me of mountain biking, where you need to pick your line and keep … This is a magnificent hill walk, on a clear day the views are vast and breath-taking. These cheeky black and white birds used to be summer visitors, but now live here year around due to helpful crumbs falling from visitors’ flapjacks. To share with more than one person, separate addresses with a comma Ben Macdui is the main prominence on Cairn Gorm plateau, surpassing all the other peaks of the cairngorms range, including its imminent neighbours Braeriach, Carin Gorm and Carin Toul. BEN Macdui holds the title of Britain’s second tallest mountain, just pipped to the post by the better-known Ben Nevis. The level of freedom afforded by the Highlands sometimes takes your breath away, and it certainly tests your ability to cross boulder fields of haphazardly stacked stones – sometimes they wobble, sometimes they don’t! A winter-sports industry in the Cairngorm Mountains, centred on the town of Aviemore, has developed and expanded rapidly since World War II. Ben Macdui Climbing Notes. All the walking routes up Ben Macdui (Beinn Macduibh) on Mud and Routes can be found below. Ben Macdui and the Cairngorm Plateau July 25, 2018 There are a few ways to approach the summit of Scotland's second highest mountain, Ben Macdui. Ben Macdui (1.309m / 4.295 feet) is the second highest mountain in the British Isles. She then assured me that people wild swim here, so after overheating on the climb so far I took her word for it, stripped down to shorts and launched myself into the crystal-clear snow melt. Fellow go4awalkers who have already walked, climbed, summited & bagged Ben Macdui (Beinn MacDuibh) Dale Tyler walked up on July 11th, 2018 [from/via/route] Park in funicular car park and head out across the the hills to the right. 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