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Home   Glossary

Cairn Gorm

Munro
Quick Facts
This is the height of the mountain above sea level. However, on the climb, it is the ascent that matters, i.e. the sum of all the uphill parts of the route.
Altitude
1244 m (4081 ft)

This is the standard notation used on Ordnance Survey Landranger maps.

Each reference consists of two letters identifying a 100,000 metre square block then three digits defining the Easting and finally the three digits defining the Northing with reference to the South West corner of the block.

NN166712 is the grid reference for the summit of Ben Nevis. Where you are given the map number ( For Ben Nevis = 41) it is acceptable to omit the two initial letters e.g. 166712. (Instructions on how to read the references are given on the OS maps).

Grid Ref.
NJ00560407
An indication of this mountains height rank within its class. Where two mountains share the same height they are ordered alphabetically.
Stature
6 of 283 Munros
The number of ascent routes currently available on Munromagic.
Routes
2
Mountain names are usually in Gaelic, the native language of the Scottish Highlands, or have been derived from the old Scots and Norse languages. We give the most commonly accepted meaning, but accept that some of these are disputed.
Meaning
Blue cairn like peak
 

The UK is covered by 204 Ordnance Survey Landranger 1:50,000 scale maps. Maps numbered 1 to 86 cover Scotland but for the highest mountains (Munros) only 23 maps are required. The name given roughly describes the area covered by the map.

You can click on the map name to purchase the map for £6.29 including postage which is one of the cheapest prices we have found.

OS Landranger Maps Required
  36   Grantown & Aviemore, Cairngorm Mountains
Only £6.29  (£11.69 Laminated) from  

A description of the characteristics of the mountain including any hazards of which you should be aware.

  Description
Cairn Gorm has many ridges on its N and W slopes giving rise to a series of corries. Of these Coire Cas and Coire na Ciste are scarred by ski equipment and debris and are best avoided unless you are in a hurry, in which case you may as well use the ski lift.

To the S and E are steep slopes some craggy leading to Loch Avon and Strath Nethy.

Cairn Gorm can be ascended from Coire an Lochain and Cairn Lochan to the SW, Ben Macdui to the SSW, Loch Avon to the S or from the N ridges of Cairn Gorm, all of which offer better views.

Hazards you may encounter on Cairn Gorm include
 Crags within 1km of summit.
 
General Considerations
 Temperature decreases by 1degree C for every 100m of ascent.
 Wind usually increases with altitude.
 Visibility can change markedly with cloud level.
 River/Stream levels can increase markedly in one day.
Picture Gallery for Cairn Gorm

Heading up to Lurchers Crag at the western end of Cairngorm 2/12/07

© Norrie Shand
Image by Norrie Shand

Summit cairn of Cairngorm showing the "well cairned" path from the Ptarmigan station.

© Graham Young
Image by Graham Young

View from just west of the summit of Cairn Gorm towards the butresses of Stob Coire an t-Sneachda with Fiacaill Coire an t-Sneachda tapering away to the right. Sgor Gaoith/Sgoran Dubh Mor is visible in the distance.

© Andrew Lau
Image by Andrew Lau

The cairn at the top of Cairngorm,on a glorious sunny day on 11.07.2009,just left of the cairn you can see Loch Morlich in the background.

© Phil Leith
Image by Phil Leith
View All 26 Images for Cairn Gorm

A selection of weather forecasts local to #GetMountain.Top_Name#.

Ordnance Survey digital maps are also available to members.

  Weather & OS Maps
Cairngorms * Monadhliath
by MWIS (PDF format) 		Cairngorms
by Accuweather 		East Highlands
by Met Office 		Beinn Mheadhoin
by Metcheck
Cairn Gorm Area Map
Legend  Munro  Corbett  Graham  English/Welsh Top  Accommodation

A selection of local accommodation options who advertise with Munromagic.com.

  Where to Stay
Results by distance from Cairn Gorm
14.3 km
Ravenscraig Guest House
Grampian Road, Aviemore
19.6 km
Schiehallion House
10 Glenshee Road Braemar
28.6 km
Croft Holidays
Croft Dhu, Newtonmore
29.4 km
Craigerne House Hotel and Beautiful Mountain Coffee Shop
Golf Course Road
29.8 km
Netherwood House
Glen Road, Newtonmore
For information on camping visit
ScottishCamping.com who also produce
a map of scottish camp grounds.

The summary information of one or more ascent routes that include Cairn Gorm.

Click on the route title to load the full content for that route.

  Routes that include Cairn Gorm
  Ascent Distance Time Including... Description Rating
1 650 m 7.74 km 3 hrs Cairn Gorm  A very easy route is made less desirable by the ski tows, funicular railway and the erosion of fragile soil and plants. It is best climbed on route to somewhere more pleasant e.g. Beinn Mheadhion.  
2 1841 m 18.42 km 7 hrs Cairn Gorm and Beinn Mheadhoin  Moderate route but with steep descent from Coire Raibeirt to Loch Avon. This is an interesting climb covering a variety of terrain and offering excellent views.  
 

Pictures submitted by members on the summit of Cairn Gorm

  Baggers Gallery for Cairn Gorm

Three Ladies and me on the top

© Martin Briggs
Image by Martin Briggs

colly!!! at the summit

© Rob Young
Image by Rob Young

Approaching the summit.

© Gary Douglas
Image by Gary Douglas

andrew law ,eddie robb and fellow munro magic member graham avis who we met on the up 10/5/09

© Andrew Law
Image by Andrew Law
View All 14 Baggers Images for Cairn Gorm
The logging section stores any entries for Cairn Gorm in your own log. From here you can
  1. Add a route log entry that includes this mountain
  2. Write a full account of your route including photos
  3. Edit an existing log entry including uploading a GPX file or add a photo
  4. Delete your log entry
  Logging
Your Route Log
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Recently Climbed By
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Dot Mechan on 02 Aug 2009
Michael Kerrigan on 01 Aug 2009
Alan Ross on 30 Jul 2009
Alan Ross on 30 Jul 2009
Barry Cross on 29 Jul 2009
Martin Briggs on 27 Jul 2009
Malcolm Mcrobb on 25 Jul 2009
Ian Munro on 25 Jul 2009
Lorna Ritchie on 25 Jul 2009
John Stephen on 16 Jul 2009
Katherine & Gary Knowles/Thomson on 11 Jul 2009
Phil Leith on 11 Jul 2009
Keith Noble on 11 Jul 2009
Rob Young on 11 Jul 2009
John Brookes on 26 Jun 2009
Colin Barclay on 21 Jun 2009
Bill Donald on 20 Jun 2009
Ruth Sallabank on 20 Jun 2009
ken walker on 14 Jun 2009
Anne Mawdsley on 13 Jun 2009
Gary Douglas on 09 Jun 2009
Pete Swales on 08 Jun 2009
Ken Maclean on 07 Jun 2009
Scott Halliday on 04 Jun 2009
Stephen Salter on 30 May 2009
JAMES HARPER on 29 May 2009
Stephen Ralph on 25 May 2009
Deborah Mclean on 24 May 2009
Craig Barr on 23 May 2009
Leander Cobley on 17 May 2009
Graham Avis on 10 May 2009
Andrew Law on 10 May 2009
Eddie Robb on 10 May 2009
Willem Fox on 09 May 2009
chris mackinnon on 09 May 2009
Thom Brown on 02 May 2009
Julian Turner on 13 Apr 2009
Muir Morton on 12 Apr 2009
Alyn Macdonald on 05 Apr 2009
Ian Mitchell on 23 Mar 2009
Sue Gracie on 21 Mar 2009
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If a member has uploaded a tracklog as part of their personal route log and opted to share it then it will be presented here.

You can view a members route overlayed on an online map or download the KMZ file for use in Google Earth.

 Shared Members Track Logs
 
Ben MacDui and Cairn Gorm
by Jan Konstmann

Post a few words about Cairn Gorm or read what others have had to say.

 Comments
 
Leon Mooney
wrote on
August 11, 2009
Climbed on 10/8/09. This was my third and final outing of a weekend up north. Starting at the car park I took the path towards Coire an t-Sneachda in poor visibility . I left the path and scrambled up the steepest section of Fiacaill a' Choire Chais, then followed the path to a large cairn, which I briefly mistook for the summit, until I realised there was no weather station. Made the final climb to the actual summit before heading off to the Ptarmigan and back to the car.
Kurt Lancaster
wrote on
June 28, 2005
Mine and my fiance's first munro in feb 05. Wot a day, snow every where all you could see was snow. Waist deep snow. We started from the bottom of the ski lift and worked out way up to the top following the ski lift above. Visabilty was very poor so we used the lift as a good marker. Top class day got some mega pics will put on internet in the next couple of months.
Andy Johns
wrote on
March 7, 2004
June 1995 and my first Munro, although I never found out what munros were until later. A long pull up the track from the Coire Cas car-park with full pack - 3-man tent, stove, etc on a fabulously hot day. Blue sky and lots of big snow patches. Big traverse over Cairn Lochan, Ben Macdui & Derry Cairngorm and down to camp at Derry Lodge where I was meeting up with a friend (who had left a car at the Linn of Dee for the return trip, of course). A totally inspirational first day out walking over the big hills of Scotland.
 
 

A full written account of a climb submitted by our members.

You can prepare your own write up by first making an entry in your route log and then visiting the logging section above.

  Route Write-Ups
  Date Title Written by Including...
1 12 Nov 2009 Cairn Gorm Scott and Jackie Turnbull Cairn Gorm
 
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