Cairngorm Big 6
Update: Ally Beaven 9:00:34, 24th July 2020 (pending incorporation into main text below).
Renowned as a superb ski tour, the Cairngorm 4000ers plus Beinn a' Bhuird and Ben Avon were traversed in this fashion in April 1962 in a time of 16 hours by Adam Watson. He started at Invercauld and finished at Derry Lodge.
As a running venture, the six hills were climbed in 1985 by Dave Armitage, Phil Kammer and Mel Edwards in a round from Glenmore Lodge. The 39 mile (12,500 feet of ascent) trip took 11 hours and 39 mins.
Inverness long-distance enthusiast Alec Keith set a new record for the round on 12th September 1999 (knocking well over an hour off the 1985 time) and included the "new" Munro of Sgor an Lochain Uaine as a bonus. Alec completed a solo, unsupported round in 10 hours 18 mins 30 secs on an overcast day of drizzle turning to rain on Ben Avon. Six out of the seven tops were in the cloud [pers comm. AK]. He had made a previous attempt in 1993 (12 hours 25 mins).
Alec Keith — 12 Sep 1999
| Location | Time | Split |
|---|---|---|
| Glenmore Lodge | — | — |
| Braeriach | 1:57 | 1:57 |
| Sgor an Lochan Uaine | ? | ? |
| Cairn Toul | 2:47 | 0:50 |
| Ben Macdui | 4:08 | 1:21 |
| Lairig an Laoigh | 4:56 | 0:48 |
| Beinn a' Bhuird | 6:00 | 1:04 |
| Ben Avon | 6:47 | 0:47 |
| Fords of Avon | 8:22 | 1:35 |
| Cairn Gorm | 9:35 | 1:13 |
| Glenmore Lodge | 10:18:30 | 0:44 |
This has twice been reduced since (running in the opposite direction) to 9 hours 45 mins 50 secs in 2011 by Paul Raistrick and 9 hours 30 mins (now the fastest known time) in 2014 by Mark Harris.
Mark's summary and splits:
On 25th June [2014] at 07.58 I set off from Glenmore Lodge in a clockwise attempt on the big 6 - two of the munros for the first time - and got round in 9hrs 30 mins at 17.28. Visibility above 3000 ft was very limited but winds very light and temperature pleasant for running. The ground was relatively dry.
That means I broke Paul Raistrick's time by 15 minutes. We had the same times, more or less, to the top of Braeriach (though we had a different order and routes for doing the hills). My descent to the Lairig Ghru may have been helped by the new steps and certainly was by feeling strong enough to run out of the Lairig Ghru and over the boulders of the Chalamain gap!
Mark Harris — 25 June 2014
| Location | Time | Split |
|---|---|---|
| Glenmore Lodge | — | — |
| Cairn Gorm | 1:04 | 1:04 |
| Fords of Avon | 1:22 | 0:18 |
| Beinn a' Bhuird | 2:43 | 1:21 |
| Ben Avon | 3:19 | 0:36 |
| Lairig an Laoigh (col) | 4:57 | 1:38 |
| Ben Macdui | 5:57 | 1:00 |
| Cairn Toul | 7:20 | 1:23 |
| Sgor an Lochan Uaine | 7:34 | 0:14 |
| Braeriach | 8:08 | 0:34 |
| Glenmore Lodge | 9:30 | 1:22 |
Paul's summary and splits:
_16th November 2011 (No Snow) :
Solo / unsupported (Did not see a single person from leaving to returning to lodge – bar ski road traffic)
Underfoot / Running Conditions: Wet to very wet underfoot on non-made paths (inspite of recent dry weather) Light icing on grass, shaded boulders and Ben Avon summit tor
Overhead Conditions: Cloud base 2500ft (last 4 of 7 tops in cloud plus Beinn a’ Bhuird on way out) (mostly viz 50-100m). Precipitation zero .
Wind: 30-40mph (Gusts 50mph) Southerly
Temp: 0° to +3° at 1200m
Start Glenmore lodge: 0703hrs (dawn and moonlight - no headtorch)
End Glenmore lodge: 1648hrs (dusk - no headtorch)
Comments: c15min time lost on Beinn a’ Bhuird due to nav error. No trips or falls.
Previous attempt.
7 tops completed in June 1999 (from Glen Slugain Hauf) in 12:30hrs_
Paul Raistrick — 16 Nov 2011
| Location | Time | Split |
|---|---|---|
| Glenmore Lodge | — | — |
| Cairn Gorm | 1:03 | 1:03 |
| Fords of Avon | ? | ? |
| Ben Avon | 3:29 | 2:26 |
| Beinn a' Bhuird | 4:06 | 0:37 |
| Lairig an Laoigh | 4:48 | 0:42 |
| Ben Macdui | 5:51 | 1:03 |
| Cairn Toul | 7:19 | 1:28 |
| Sgor an Lochan Uaine | 7:34 | 0:15 |
| Braeriach | 8:15 | 0:41 |
| Glenmore Lodge | 9:45:50 | 1:30 |
Page updated 22nd August 2014