Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag routes, easiest to hardest: times, distances and GPX

Peakify lists 2 measured routes up Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag, traced on OpenStreetMap paths from the start to the summit. Distances and ascent are one way, to the top.

Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag 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.

Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag 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 Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag route

Spittal of Glenmuick via Meikle Pap col

A track climbs to the col below Meikle Pap. The steep Ladder path leads onto the plateau, and the corrie rim takes you to the summit tor. It starts from Spittal of Glenmuick car park. 9.3 km one way with 850 m of ascent. About 3h 15m to the summit and 5h 10m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Descent by the Glas Allt

From the plateau a path drops beside the Glas Allt waterfall to Loch Muick, returning along the lochside track. It starts from Spittal of Glenmuick car park. 10.4 km one way with 770 m of ascent. About 3h 20m to the summit and 5h 25m there and back by Naismith's rule. Grade: Moderate.

Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag route GPX

This page doesn't offer a GPX download. To get a GPX file for a Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag route, use the Peakify iPhone app: open Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag, plan the route in the route planner (or import a GPX you already have), save it, then choose Export GPX on the saved route. GPX export is part of Peakify Pro.

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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 Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag today and the Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag 14-day forecast before you set off, and allow for the walk out in daylight.

Planning a day on Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag 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 Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag, 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 Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag

What is the easiest route up Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag?

Spittal of Glenmuick via Meikle Pap col has the easiest grade of the 2 routes listed here (Moderate).

How much time does each Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag route take?

Spittal of Glenmuick via Meikle Pap col: about 3h 15m up and 5h 10m there and back. Descent by the Glas Allt: about 3h 20m up and 5h 25m 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 Lochnagar - Cac Carn Beag route?

Not from this page. In the Peakify iPhone app, plan the route in the route planner (or import one), save it, then choose Export GPX on the saved route. GPX export is part of Peakify Pro.