TGOC'26 Day 8 Kingussie to Red House Bothy

 I will say right up front that today was suppose to be a very short day.... right up until it wasn't! Today was the first day of the second round of hills I had on my itinerary. Today, I was scheduled to go up to Carn Ban Mor, 1052m or 3451 feet, and camp at the nearby spring (Fuaran Diotach). I would probably go up to the other nearby Munro, Sgor Gaoith (1118m), as well.  The forecast for today, that I heard last night, was suppose to be awful. Rain and possibly hail down low and more snow and higher winds up on the Cairngorm plateau. It had gotten down to -19c (-2.2f) just the night before on the Plateau. I had decided last night that I would not go up high today. I would instead go to the Bothy in Glen Feshie and then try to summit tomorrow and then immediately take my path down along the ridge to The Punch Bowl area. This would only be about 4 miles longer than planned. If the weather deteriorated even further, I could simply walk out the rest of the length of Glen Feshie and the Geldie Burn, passing the Red House Bothy, to reach the Punch Bowl in a really long but flat day. (Don't worry too much about the names as you will be able to see the paths on the map below). 

I had a great breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast before leaving The Avondale and meeting up with Andy and Lorna outside the Osprey Hotel. The sky was undecided when we left Kingussie around 9:30.  Today was planned as just a 10 mile day.

Rainbows are just teasing me at this point, in the Challenge.

Highland Cattle lounging in a field along the road leading out of Kingussie

Andy and Lorna walking the B970 out of Kingussie

First views of Ruthven Barracks ( Built 1719 ) 

Looking back at Kingussie 

Better view of Ruthven Barracks, we pass right by

This first part is still on the Spey Side Way. 

View as we pass over the Tromie River Bridge

Glen Feshie, This way 

An Easy walk through the a forest that has recently been felled. It has rained on us a couple of times. We seem to be back in the pattern of 20 minutes rain and 20 minutes of clear. 

The visibility doesn't look good up high

We pick up an additional challenger. He is joined today by his wife and their dog. A good boy, but he did stray away for a bit, which caused them some concern, but he returned eventually. 

Over the first bridge above, is a Bothy building called Baileguish. The Allt Mor, near that Bothy, needed to be forded. It was now raining pretty steadily and I think we were just in a hurry to move on or we would have noticed that there was another footbridge just down the path a few hundred meters. We all made it across with no issues. The water was only ankle deep, but cold! The couple with their dog, took the path to the footbridge, much smarter! 

A little more forest track walking as we approach Stronetoper

The last bridge across the Feshie River just south of Stonetroper

The Feshie River was really rolling. This is much more water than Andy and saw, the day before in Glen Banchor, in the Calder River. There must be much more water up high in the Cairngorms coming down than was in the Monadhliath.

Entering the Feshie Forest, it is very "green" in here. 

nice lochan (pond) just off the path 

The muted light of the day makes the colors really pop! It is hard to take everything in, as you just keep looking around.

Up over a little rise in the trail and suddenly we are face to face with Hairy Cooz on the loose! 

Later, I saw a sign that alerted visitors. Highland Cattle would now be roaming loose in the forest as an experiment in grazing.

He is looking right at me! 😲 

The Feshie estate totally renovated Ruigh Aiteachain Bothy a few years ago, complete with outdoor bathroom house. I stayed here during my 2022 Crossing. 

This bothy has a caretaker (Lyndsay). He is quite the perfect example of a Scotsman. It was good to see him again and I reintroduced myself when we arrived.

We arrived at the Bothy at 1 pm. Andy brought out Muffin, so Lyndsay could have a look and get a photo. Lorna, Andy and I got off our wet rain clothes and were graciously offered a cup of tea. Lorna was staying at the Bothy, this had been her plan for today. Andy and I were up in the air about staying or trying to make Red House Bothy, another 12 miles up the Glen. I was thinking that if the water was high now, and it is only 1 pm, and if it rains the remainder of the day, the water will be very high tomorrow. The upper Feshie/Geldie is very wet anyway, it will be even wetter and the fords might be worse tomorrow. In addition, from here, it will make two more 20+ mile days for me to reach Ballater by Saturday. 

I decided I would go for Red House Bothy today. Just as I was getting my pack ready, Lindsay arrived and I knew that with Lindsay and Dave the Beaver in her pack, that Andy would now probably stay as well. I was packed up and out the door by 2 pm. I was hoping I would reach Red House Bothy by 7:30, plenty of light left in the day, if I survived the additional 12 miles. 😬

The upper parts of  the Feshie are just amazing beautiful. Even as the rain and now some hail cycled through the scenery was well worth the trip. 

Lots of water was coming down ever side canyon. Between this and the cloud cover obscuring the tops of the Cairngorms, it just solidified, in my mind, this was not the time to climb up high.

The weather teased some blue now and then, but the clouds were moving so fast that the next wave of weather was not far behind. 

One of my favorite sights from my previous walk here, is this giant Caledonian Pine. It is growing out of the lochan and bending over at a very steep angle. It seems to still be doing very well!  

everywhere you look there are waterfalls coming off the hills 

As I move up the Feshie, it gets narrower and wilder. 

The path has many water fords. More today than at most times, but, so far, they are all manageable with rock hops., no higher than ankle deep.  I am wearing my waterproof socks today, so unless the water is calf high, my feet should stay dry. 

Coming down the hill (above) and washing over the path (below) 

Then we come to two particularly challenging fords. The first is at Ruighe nan Leaum. This was if very close to the actual River Feshie and it is moving very quickly and up to just over my knees. I know the procedure; unbuckle my the hipbelt on my pack, and cross facing into the current and cross shuffling your feet, without crossing your legs over each other and always maintain three points of contact with your feet and trekking poles. This first one is not particularly wide, but any slip and you would be carried immediately into the River Feshie and you would be in serious trouble then. About a dozen steps and I am across, to be honest, heart pounding a bit faster. I did not even realize, until I was well on my way again, that I had not taken a before or after photo of this ford. My camera has stayed in my waterproof pocket most the afternoon, since leaving the Feshie Bothy. 

The second large ford happens just before the "pony huts" these are just old stone buildings that probably served as shepherd huts or some kind of animal pens, long ago. Marked on the map above. Here there are two Challengers waiting at the ford. They are unsure of what to do as they have scouted above the ford for an easier and narrower ford, but did not find anything suitable. I also walk up the banks of the Allt Eindart but can't find anything more suitable either. This ford is not even one that usually causes any concerns, but today it is getting a lot of water from up high. It is running high and fast. On the other side of the ford, at the pony huts, there are 4 bike riders that have taken shelter there, as apparently they did not/could not cross the ford. I explain, to the two other Challengers, what I am going to do, hip belt off, walk facing the current, etc., but just as I am doing that another Challenger comes up from behind us and without so much as a hello proceeds to start across the ford. Honestly, he appears like he has had a lifetime of doing this type of thing. I quickly follow right after him and a bit behind. I can take advantage of him breaking the water current, a bit like drafting, and also I can provide some support should he fall.  We both make it "easily" across. It was about knee height again but pushing much harder than the first ford.  The two challengers behind us also make it across the first losing a trekking pole in the fast current, the second stopping for a few moments in the middle of his crossing to gather himself, which caused me a few seconds of concern, but then proceeded to make it the rest of the way. 

The photo above is not mine, but it is a good representation of the same location and same conditions of the day. The water was about the same height as you see in the photo above, but moving considerable faster, as we crossed in "white water" 

You then pass over the Eidart Bridge and waterfall. This is a photo I took in 2022 of the bridge and the Falls. 

The Feshie then gives way to the Geldie Burn (burn = stream or small river). This section is even wetter underfoot and the path is something there and sometimes not

Here it rains and hails a few times, A couple of the times, strong enough, you just have to put your head down and keep moving. 

Sometimes when the clouds clear you can see the fresh snow up high. 

The last ford on the Geldie is wide but not deep. Ankle height only, but at this point I had taken off my waterproof socks, since the water of the previous two large fords had gotten over the calf level of my socks, so it was just cold! 

Finally, when you can see the ruins of the Geldie Lodge, across the Geldie River, you meet up with a gravel Rover track and you soon reach the Red House Bothy, This is a new Bothy, that was being built in 2022, when I was last this way. It is done now and has a 2 story privy, you can see to the rear left of the Bothy.  

The inside of the Bothy was packed, as you can imagine, arriving late. There were about 6-7 tents outside and the sleeping room, which holds 6 was full and then there were 5 of us sleeping in the main room with the fireplace. When I arrived the drying racks were completely full and there was a fire going which made the inside of the Bothy 25c (77f). I must say, it was a fantastic departure from the cold rain and wind over the last 12 miles. Everyone was super nice for being in such close quarters. There was no way I was setting my tent up outside, but there was no problem finding a bit of room for me to layout on the floor. 

I arrived at 7:30 pm. 5.5 hours to cover the 12 miles in less than ideal conditions. I was very tired but pleased I had set out to do a thing and I had done it. I ended up feeling good enough to make dinner and chat with all the other challengers for a bit before needing to sleep around 9:30. 

decorations in the Bothy

Day 8 Stats and Summary

my original route was to be the blue line leaving Kingussie and then meeting the red line to the top of Carn Ban Mor, and the Spring. The dashed line is to Sgor Gaoith. My actual route was in blue to the Feshie Bothy and then in purple to Red House Bothy.