My friend and I have been back from a camping trip that we did up north at the Outer Hebrides and the Cairngorms National Park. It took us three weeks for the whole journey to complete. We had the privilege of looking at the lochs, beautiful sceneries, and the contour lines which keeps calling us back. 

 

Although the steepness and the remote area are a bit intimidating for me, Dartmoor has gentle slopes that make the journey a bit easy. There are also guides that can help you navigate through the area. A wrong step at Dartmoor can lead you to a wet foot and a late walk to your car when you try to find the correct trail. I had the chance to speak to a lovely couple who had been visiting the place for a long time. I asked them about their favourite walk in the Loch.

 

Chalamain Gap

 

Both replied to it as the ‘Chalamain Gap’. I was relieved to know that it was their favourite as I wanted to know more about it. My friend had tried to go through the fabled Lairig Ghru which connects Speyside and Deeside and it was a difficult ride. He had to carry it for almost six hours and there was no sign of help.

 

My friend started his journey from Sugar Bowl car park above Loch Morlich entering Lairig Ghru through Chalamain Gap. I was so intrigued by the idea of beautiful mountains and steep inclines that I wanted to visit them and see them for myself. The walk was beautiful. We saw and enjoyed the beautiful weather and tried to move towards Faery Glen, alongside the Allt Mor burn to Utsi’s Bridge. The bridge leads to a steep path which is the ridge. Utsi’s bridge has been named after Mikel Utsi who had introduced reindeer to the Cairngorms.

 

It was a reminder that the valleys and mountains are a wonderful view and to behold the beauty of nature was an experience of its own. The wind-driven rain had been a blessing as we witnessed the mountain skies goes cloudy and dark. The path was up and down which kept us warm enough to travel through. There was a field with big boulders and we could have gone through it, turned left and go through Lairig Ghru towards Braemer, or turned right down to Loch Morlich. But we did neither. So, I enjoyed my lunch and had a wonderful meal of oatcakes and cheese. 

 

Conclusion

 

While returning, we had the chance to talk to people who came from Rothiemurchus. Those people were wetter than we were. I was then glad for two things:

  1. We took the shorter route and
  2. I could see Lairig Ghru before we went back home.

 

If you are planning to go on a walk around the Chalamain Gap, make sure to check the weather before you go.