Last week I mentioned meeting up with Rhona, and the Mountain Maid and Hare, to climb Meall Chuaich. Despite the route described, in fact that day we first climbed Carn na Caim, followed by a four-mile moorland traverse, dropping to 614m before the climb to Meall Chuaich.
The middle Munro of three on the east side of the A9, Carn na Caim, the aptly named cairn of the curve, lies above a series of distinctive rounded corries with scalloped edges. At a modest 941m/3,087ft, it is one of the easiest Munros.
The popular
route starts south of Dalwhinnie, taking advantage of a roadside starting height of 400m and a track that climbs to a disused quartz quarry at almost 900m. The quarry track may be a scar on the hillside and is not a pretty way up, but gives quick access to the uplands. From the quarry, head north-east following a line of fence-posts, and traversing an unnamed 914m bump, on an obvious path.
(There are no subsidiary tops, although the 914m bump, with a rise of 30m, just misses out. A resurvey would be interesting, as it could be just above, rather than just below, 3,000ft.)
Care is only needed on a misty day in the final stage. Leave the fence-posts when they turn east and climb north to the cairn.
Despite a slightly lower starting height at 350m and a longer walk, I prefer a quieter approach, starting as if heading for Meall Chuaich then turning south.
You will need Ordnance Survey map 42, Glen Garry & Loch Rannoch. As with Meall Chuaich, start from a lay-by, map ref 653866, on the east side of the very busy A9 just short of the Allt Cuaich. (The road is not dual carriageway at this point and extreme care should be taken in parking and turning.) Take the track south-east to the north side of the aqueduct and follow that track towards the southern end of Loch Cuaich, passing the small but not too intrusive Cuaich Power Station.
Once over the Allt a' Choire Chaim, take the track beside the water abstraction pipeline, which heads southwards beside that dried-up stream. A mile later at a junction, map ref 673856, take the south-east branch for a clockwise high circuit of Coire Cam. The Landranger map shows the track ending at a height of 560m, but it continues on the north-east arm separating Coire Cam and Coire Chais to reach 850m. That steepening climb of some 1,000ft is the only real effort of the day.
A wide-sweeping mile, one that oddly, despite the easy terrain, may take longer than anticipated, then curves to the summit. Only on reaching the cairn does one appreciate the contrast between the grassy corrie slopes and the rolling moorland. The small cairn on the rounded summit lies close to the headwall of Coire Cam.
To the east, undulating moorland eventually sends its streams tumbling over steep slopes to the Gaick Pass.
Carn na Caim was Munro number 100 on my first round, in November 1980, yet, other than those I was with, I have little memory of that day. On our 2009 visit we lingered a while by making a recommended slight detour to have a closer look at the Coire Cam headwall, at that time fringed by a fast-retreating strip of snow.
If solely tackling Carn na Caim, as a variation on descent to complete the fine circuit of Coire Cam, use the easy broadening north ridge.
Once at about 600m, head north-west across moorland, the only rough terrain on the walk, to reach the other branch of the original track.
Return to the junction, map ref 673856, and retrace steps back to the A9.
For a longer and more satisfying day, how about exploring the plateau?
Get a flavour of it by heading south-east to the 827m An Dun, a most worthy Corbett. The route, via Meallan Buidhe and Vinegar Hill (possibly a whimsical corruption of A'Mhinchoiseachd, meaning the easy-walking one, though this is not my recollection of the underfoot terrain) is not one to be taken lightly in bad visibility. Bearing in mind the extra five miles and 600m to be climbed, the walk there and back may require another three hours, but should prove rewarding.
FactfileMap Ordnance Survey map 42, Glen Garry & Loch Rannoch
Distance 11 miles
Height 600m
Terrain Mostly track and mossy hillside
Start point Lay-by on A9, map ref 653866
Time 5 to 6 hours
Nearest village Dalwhinnie
Nearest refreshment spot
The Inn at Dalwhinnie
