Cairngorm 4000ers

Duration:

3 days, 4 nights

Tour Type:

Guided Walking holiday

Group size:

1 - 5

Location:

Cairngorms

Grade:

4 out of 5

Walking the Cairngorm 4000ers is a magnificent hiking challenge. All rising to over 4000ft, five of Britain’s 6 highest peaks reside in the Cairngorms: Cairngorm, Ben Macdui, Cairn Toul, Braeriach & Sgor an Lochain Uaine (Angel’s Peak). The granite massif from which they sit is deeply carved & divided by glaciers into huge and spectacular amphitheatres & troughs. From valley floor to summit, the flanks of these peaks ascend an unrelenting 2000ft or more. This is without doubt some of the most magnificent big mountain country anywhere. We follow the brink of these extraordinary features for the best high “plateau” walking anywhere.

We have allowed 3 days for the challenge, just in case we encounter some inclement weather which means we have to take a day lower down – in other words a bonus route in addition to all the Cairngorm 4000 peaks.

On the Braeriach day, usually our final day out, you will need to ride a mountain bike along a landrover track to reach the bottom of the hill climb. You’ll really appreciate the bike at the end of the day! There will also be a couple of streams to ford but there is nothing technical about the track itself.

HIGHLIGHTS:

4 nights at Fraoch Lodge, Boat of Garten
all meals included (breakfast, packed lunch and 2 course evening meal)
pick up from Aviemore station or Inverness airport
transport to the walks
3 days guided walks (day walks returning to base)
1 day’s bike hire for Braeriach route

ROUTES on the Cairngorm 4000ers:

Cairngorm
Ben Macdui
Braeriach, Angel’s Peak and Cairn Toul

RELATED BLOGS:

When to come to the Cairngorms

Why visit the Cairngorms National Park?

Top 10 tips: preparing for a hiking challenge

Discount:

Categories: Bookable, Guided Walking Holiday, Mountain Challenges, Walking holidays

A hiking expedition taking in all the 4000ft peaks of the Cairngorms. This is a mountain challenge for fit hikers. The final hike in particular is a long day out combining mountain biking and hiking to access the remote interior of the Cairngorms National Park.

Day of arrival: Head up to Aviemore station or Inverness airport, aiming to arrive in the afternoon if possible. There is one daily direct train from London which arrives in Aviemore at 7.30pm We usually aim dinner for about 8pm when you’ll meet the rest of the group and chat about the forthcoming trip.

Day 1: an ascent of Cairngorm by an unusual route, giving unexpected views of this well-known peak avoiding the ski detritus of the resort.

Day 2: an ascent of Ben Macdui where you might encounter the legend of the Old Grey Man – probably a result of a Broken Spectre (as your guided for details).

Day 3: Braeriach, Carn Toul and Angel’s Peak – the biggest day of this hiking break. To access all these peaks we take mountain bikes in the bottom of the route. A steady pull up to the start of the hike at the beginning of the day, but an easy ride out at the end, before returning to Fraoch Lodge for a slap up celebratory meal and an exchange of photos and stories.

Day of departure: we’ll drop you off in good time for your connecting train or flight. Please confirm your onward travel plans at the beginning of the holiday so we can arrange the pick ups etc to suit the group.

The long ridge of Braeriach, Carn Toul and Angel’s Peak requires a bike ride up Loch Einich in order to be back for dinner

We asked our guests what sets Scot Mountain Holidays apart, why they return year after year:

“the social aspect” – “the camaraderie, food and conversation” –
“the company of the hosts” – “so warm and welcoming” –
“a profound sense of belonging” – “the welcome of Rebecca’s home cooked meal” – “Andy’s skills as a guide, naturalist and leader” – “stewardship, sustainability and a small footprint” – “in harmony with the land” – “a slice of rural Scottish life”Scot Mountain Holidays is the ONLY adventure tour operator in Highlands of Scotland with a combined home and guest lodge. We strive to be more than just an tour. We aim to provide you with a ‘home away from home’ on your adventures. We thought of no better way of doing this than to welcome you into our own home.

We have owned and operated Fraoch Lodge as our home base and business since 1999. In that time, we have come to embrace our guests as members of our extended Highland family.

We source our meals from locally produced and home grown ingredients to provide you with the most delicious flavours and traditions the area has to offer (while minimising our impact on the environment, too). Our dining room and lounge are shared spaces where we gather with guests and friends to share in the holiday and offer you extensive knowledge of your tour.

No matter the season, the Cairngorms and Fraoch Lodge is a place to relax and explore all its beauty and comforts, and we hope to make you feel as at home as we are.

We have achieved Gold Star Awards from the world’s most highly respected green accreditation scheme, Green Tourism, and were awarded Highly Commended in their Green Star Awards 2013 for both Scot Mountain Holidays and Fraoch Lodge. We offer a Green Travel Discount of £15 to any guests who travel to us by public transport. Our primary aim is to minimise the carbon footprint of our holidays, and to this end we donate 1% of the price of our tours to the RSPB’s Abernethy Reforestation project.

It is a holistic approach we have to the care of the environment. Andy your adventure guide has a passion for the natural world – whether it’s the flora, fauna or fungi. He has a background in geology and a lifelong interest in natural history, as well as being a keen gardener. He knows a Golden Plover from a Dotterel, a Green Shank and a Dunlin. He also makes no apologies to being very excitable upon spying a Golden Eagle!

For further information, please don’t hesitate to check out our Environmental Responsibility page, or contact us directly at info@scotmountainholidays.com.

Gold standard for Green Tourism