Cairn Gorm routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 2 measured routes up Cairn Gorm, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Cairn Gorm routes, easiest to hardest

Sorted by grade, easiest first: Easy, Moderate, Hard, then Scramble. Routes with the same grade keep the order in which Peakify's editors listed them.

Cairn Gorm route times by Naismith's rule

The times above use Naismith's rule: 5 km/h on the flat plus 10 minutes for every 100 m of ascent, rounded to the nearest 5 minutes. "There and back" doubles the distance and counts the ascent once, for coming down the same way. Naismith assumes a fit walker and no stops, so add time for breaks, a heavy pack, rough or snowy ground, and a group that moves at its slowest member's pace.

Each Cairn Gorm route

Coire Cas via Fiacaill a' Choire Chais

A path climbs the ridge on the west side of Coire Cas to the summit. It starts from Coire Cas car park, Cairngorm Mountain. 3.5 km one way with 620 m of ascent. About 1h 45m to the summit and 2h 25m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Coire Cas via Windy Ridge

You climb the Windy Ridge path over Sron an Aonaich to the summit. It starts from Cairngorm ski centre car park (Coire Cas). 3.6 km one way with 616 m of ascent. About 1h 45m to the summit and 2h 30m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Cairn Gorm route GPX

Download a GPX for each route with a track: Coire Cas via Fiacaill a' Choire Chais. Each is an ascent-only planning track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths and not checked on the ground.

Before you pick a route

The grade describes the ground in fair weather. Wind, rain, cloud and ice change it: a Moderate path can be hard to follow in mist, and a scramble in strong gusts is a different proposition from the same rock on a calm day. Check whether it is safe to climb Cairn Gorm today and the Cairn Gorm 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Cairn Gorm routes

The walking times above use Naismith's rule, which assumes a fit walker on good paths with short stops. Most groups take longer: add a quarter for a mixed group, more for children or heavy packs, and plan the descent as carefully as the climb, because tired legs and fading light cause more trouble on the way down than on the way up.

Start early. Car parks at popular starts fill by mid-morning in summer and at weekends, and an early start leaves spare daylight if the weather turns or the walk takes longer than planned. In winter, work back from sunset and leave a margin of at least an hour.

Carry a map and compass and know how to use them, even on a well-trodden path; a phone battery fails fastest in cold, wet weather. Pack a waterproof jacket and trousers, a warm layer, a hat and gloves in every season, plus food, water and a head torch. Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.

If you are new to Cairn Gorm, choose the easiest route in the table for a first ascent and save the harder lines for a settled day when you know the mountain. Turning back is always an option; the summit will still be there.

Questions about Cairn Gorm

What is the easiest route up Cairn Gorm?

Climb from the Coire Cas car park up the Fiacaill a' Choire Chais ridge or the Windy Ridge path.

How much time does each Cairn Gorm route take?

Coire Cas via Fiacaill a' Choire Chais: about 1h 45m up and 2h 25m there and back. Coire Cas via Windy Ridge: about 1h 45m up and 2h 30m there and back. Times are by Naismith's rule (5 km/h plus 10 minutes per 100 m of ascent), before stops.

Can I get a GPX file for a Cairn Gorm route?

Yes. Open a route below and download its GPX: an ascent track from the start to the summit, plotted on OpenStreetMap paths.