Geal-Charn Mor (big white hill) Aviemore

It was a family holiday week in Aviemore but I also wanted a morning to myself and to get in a new hill. A study of the map made it a easy selection of Geal-Charn Mor (big white hill), a Corbett, straightforward route and just outside the town, perfectos.

The weather was cooler than late, cloudy with rain forecast for early afternoon but hopefully I would be off the hill by then.
I had about a 5 mile cycle from our holiday lodge to the start of the walk at Lynwilg Farm, which is just off the A9. You can go further up to another parking area just outside of the scripture union outdoor centre. Do not enter their premises. There is a turning point/small parking area just at the gate which is the start of the Burma road.

Young Pheasants

However, I wanted the longer walk and chained up the bike at the farm. Soon I spotted some young pheasant in the undergrowth and then on the road. Turned out to be a pheasant breeding field with hundreds of them moving around freely.

Small parking area

Through the gate and the climbing starts but with a nice surprise. A wooden structure stuffed full of home baking and an honesty box. Homemade millionaires shortbread, huge and for a quid, my sugar hit for the top of the hill.
The initial stretch is a well worn trail used by the estate vehicles as well, initially climbing through some woods but it is not long until you break out of the treeline.

Yummy surprise

The purple heather is showing well and on the left there are excellent views of Creag Ghleannain which at almost 600 metres is a decent outing on its own and may well offer better views than my destination.
The track meanders gently ever on and upwards. Silence reigns as apart from the odd wood pigeon and meadow pipits there is strangely little other birdlife to be seen or heard. Odd considering there is minimal human activity. But plenty of sheep for company and the flowering purple heather a contrast to the green slopes.

Just after tree line

As it was a last minute choice I had no OS map with me just the SMC Corbett guide description. It's walk description describes coming across a memorial at a watershed then heading across a broad ridge to the summit. 

A stone cairn just ahead

I was now two miles into the walk and as far as I could see no memorial and no trig to be seen on any hills to my left. After around the 2.5 mile point I had crossed over the only burn I was aware of and I could still not see anything up the track. Was this the watershed? I decided to go another half mile then rethink and just as I neared that mark a stone cairn became obvious further up the hill and beside the track. When I reached it there was actually another stone cairn plus the aforementioned memorial which is dedicated to a local gamekeeper.

2 stone cairns plus memorial

I followed the track at the first cairn, which was in good condition, onward up the ridge and I spot my first mountain hare, life at last, closely followed by another 3 hares. I am then surprised to come across a newly constructed fence which had a padlocked gate blocking the path but it had a stile built to the left-hand side for walkers to cross it. Strange what is this about? After crossing I soon spot the trig and follow the track to the summit.

Barren track to summit

The wind is blowing a hoolie and is cold, if I had brought gloves I would have been tempted to put them on, it is July!! I wander around the broad summit taking in the views which despite the weather were still rewarding apart from the new landrover tracks reaching far and wide, planning permission I doubt it.

Geal-charn Mor summit

The rain was already sweeping from the SW hiding the Cairngorms for periods but I was untouched. 
Too cold to hang about I followed my ascent route. I spot a tractor in the distance, which must have came up the Burma Rd behind me, heading into the wilderness. This was the only human spotted all day until back down on the level. Also still minimal birdlife and no raptors, no ravens or crows, except one eagle seen through the binos away in the distance. I had spotted predator traps on beams across the burn so has this estate been killing everything? It looked grouse country but no sign or sound of them either.

Nice views on descent

The views heading down were excellent, there is no such thing as a bad hill. 
On my descent I realised that as I had not hung about on the summit I had not eaten so the shortbread was still in my rucksack, it was superb home baking. Sadly I had no more change or I would have stopped again and taken some home.
My legs were stiff from yesterday's exertions so along with today's activity the thighs and calves were burning on the cycle ride back.
It was a good outing for me, a 10 mile bike ride plus the walk of 8.16 miles, longer than I expected. I climbed almost 600 metres and it took me about 3 hours in total. I was not rushing as I like to spend time taking in the flora, fauna and views so you could knock half an hour off that for faster walkers.