Càrn a' Mhàim
| Càrn a' Mhàim | |||
| Aberdeenshire | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Càrn a' Mhàim from Ben Macdhui | |||
| Range: | Cairngorms | ||
| Summit: | 3,402 feet NN994952 57°2’13"N, 3°39’34"W | ||
Càrn a' Mhàim is a mountain situated in the inner part of the Cairngorms range, some nine miles west of Braemar in Aberdeenshire.
The mountain's name is Gaelic, and means "Cairn of the large rounded hill" or "Hill of the Pass". When viewed from the south it does appear as rounded, although in reality the mountain is a north-south oriented ridge. Another possible meaning of the name is "Hill of the Pass" derived from mam or mhaim, meaning pass. The mountain stands at the entrance of the Lairig Ghru pass, so this meaning is a possibility.[1]
The mountain is on one of the two long ridges which radiate south from Ben Macdhui; it reaches a height of 3,402 feet and along with Ben Macdhui and Derry Cairngorm forms the central body of the Cairngorms that lies between the two major passes of the Lairig Ghru and the Lairig an Laoigh.
Càrn a' Mhàim has the only ridge walk of any significance in the Cairngorms range.
Geography
Càrn a' Mhàim's slopes fall away steeply from the summit in three directions. The western flanks fall precipitously to the Lairig Ghru while the eastern slopes descent more gently to the valley of the Luibeg Burn. To the south-east there is a broad ridge which ends in the crags of Coire na Poite. To the north is a narrow mile and a half of crest which is often labelled as the only noteworthy ridge in the Cairngorms; it connects the mountain to Ben Macdhui.
The journey to Ben Macdhui is a hard walk which goes along Càrn a' Mhàim's northern ridge with Irvine Butterfield saying:
| “ | "The ridge linking Carn a' Mhaim to Ben Macdhui is the only one of its kind in the Cairngorms, an exhilarating arête commanding a fine prospect of the The Devil's Point and Cairn Toul".[2] | ” |
It drops down to the col between the two mountains at a height of around 2,600 feet. From there it is a hard climb of 1,650 feet up the side of the Allt Clach nan Tàillear (The Tailor's Burn) with much boulder-hopping to reach the summit plateau of Macdhui.
Ascent
The ascent of Càrn a' Mhàim is most commonly started at the Linn of Dee car park (NO065901), and takes the track to Derry Lodge. A bicycle can be used on this section of the route. The path is followed for a further mile and a half past the lodge until the Robbers Copse is reached at the foot of Glen Luibeg. From here the steep southern slope of Càrn a' Mhàim are ascended to the summit.
The summit of Càrn a' Mhàim gives good views of the imposing hills at the heart of the Cairngorms.[3]
References
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about a' Mhàim Càrn a' Mhàim) |
- Donald Bennet et al.: The Munros. Scottish Mountaineering Trust: ISBN 0-907521-13-4
- Irvine Butterfield: The High Mountains of Britain and Ireland. ISBN 0-906371-30-9
- Hamish Brown: Hamish’s Mountain Walk. ISBN 1-898573-08-5
- Irvine Butterfield: The Magic of the Munros. ISBN 0-7153-2168-4
- Cameron McNeish: The Munros, Scotland's Highest Mountains'. ISBN 1-84204-082-0
| Munros in SMC Area SMC Section 8 - The Cairngorms |
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Beinn a' Bhuird • Beinn a' Chaorainn • Beinn Bhreac • Beinn Bhrotain • Beinn Mheadhoin • Ben Avon • Ben Macdhui • Braeriach • Bynack More • Cairn Gorm • Cairn Toul • Carn a' Mhaim • Derry Cairngorm • Monadh Mòr • Mullach Clach a' Bhlair • Sgòr an Lochain Uaine • Sgòr Gaoith • The Devil's Point |