• Beinn a’Chaorainn
• May 2023

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We had not been in the tent for a wild camp in a while, so we set out for Beinn a’Chaorainn in the Cairngorms.

We had walked some of this route several times before so I was looking forward to it as I already knew what was to come. This landscape is unbelievably beautiful and it is completely peaceful. We started our hike from the Cairngorms Ski Resort, climbing up onto the Fiacaill a’ Coire Chais ridge and continuing our route upwards until we reached Cairngorm. From here we descended gently into the bowl of Coire Raibert. We followed a slight path down the coire until we eventually began to descend some very steep rocky terrain. This took us to Loch Avon, with the many great crags and Beinn Mheadhoin visible across the loch.

I would have pitched the tent right here on one of the stunning beaches as I love this very spot. However we wanted to get as far in as we could tonight as tomorrow we had a pretty long walk ahead of us to even get to the base of our Munro then we had to summit it and do our return journey backout. So off we went.

From here you start to feel this land’s remoteness which can only be reached by either a climb over one of the surrounding mountains. Once again I was not disappointed by Loch Avon’s beauty, its a wild and awe-inspiring place.

We continued the ascent, steeply for a time until we came to a stream and the gradient eased off and Loch Etchachan comes into view. Loch Etchacan is notable as being the highest waterbody of its size in the UK.  This location is essentially at the heart of the Cairngorm Mountains, surrounded by the most breathtaking scenery. Such a stunning part of the Cairngorms. It was here where we would pitch our tent for the evening.

Next day we were up and away relatively early making our way towards Beinn a’Chaorainn. Last night had been so cold in the tent we had hardly slept a wink. I woke up stiff, possibly frozen! We straight away descended downwards (part of me wished it was an upwards to get some heat in the body) towards the Hutchison Memorial Hut. This bothy is in one of the most dramatic positions of any bothy, at the foot of the track up to Loch Etchachan and with the crags of Creagan a Choire Etchachan as a backdrop.

From here we had a fairly straight-forward walk to Fords of Avon and up and down the slopes of Beinn a’Chaorainn. 

We returned by the exact same route, via the Hutchison Hut back up the steep ascent to Loch Etchachan before descending to the foot of Loch Avon. We climbed steeply up to the Saddle before heading back over Cairngorm and downwards back to the van. What an amazing overnighter!