Hiking the Fjällräven Classic UK | Part One

“Look at the rainbow” Athena says as I lift my head up from trying to pack down the tarp that has just sheltered us from the short sudden rain shower. A low arching rainbow sweeps across Glen Derry in front of us as we still huddle against the log that formed part of our protection from the weather. The Cairngorm plateau rises behind, shrouded in fast moving clouds and the weather pattern that we have been moving fast all day to beat.

We are on what will be our last day of the Fjällräven classic, a 3-day circumnavigation of the Cairngorm mountains which starts and finishes on the River Dee at Mar Lodge. It’s been refreshing to get out after a few weeks of head down work and family life that have seen both of us pulling long days and juggling parent life with professional life.

We stopped in Aviemore upon our arrival to Scotland for a couple of days to pick up supplies and relax a little in some of our favourite woodlands in this area, Uath (oo-ah) Lochans and the Forest of Abernethy, both which offer beautiful views and are quite easy to get fully submerged in their vastness. It was a well needed break and the opportunity to breathe was given as both the weather and the midges were well behaved.

We arrived at Mar Lodge around midday, fresh and welcomed by familiar faces, the weather was still behaving and everyone was in good spirits for the upcoming event. The sign in and supply pick up was all really well organised and we continued to relax, organise our gear, pack and hang out with everyone.

I would be lying if I said we didn’t have any trepidation about the walk ahead, 4 days and 3 nights when we hadn’t done a huge amount of camping with Aífe, could go a number of ways. Would she be ok with long days in the carrier, will she sleep ok, will she be warm enough and what happens if the weather turns really bad? All questions which are justifiable and easily answered but not in this set of circumstances.

 With the amount of walking we have done with Aífe, we have been able to overcome any obstacle pretty quickly with some good judgement and a healthy capacity to make the most of our surroundings and the equipment we have on us. Pair that with making sure Aífe has some good clothing and a healthy packet of snacks, we can generally keep moral high and ultimately if we need to stop, we can.

That still doesn’t stop the mind questioning everything we are doing though -- Aífe and Oslo are the most precious to us, but I find these times a good moment to hone the mind. I don’t want to be naive but I also want to be able to trust myself and not let the saboteur in my head fill my mind with questioning and doubt. We are both experienced walkers and although walking with a baby is new to us, Aífe and Oslo both have the same needs as us; to stay warm, comfortable, hydrated, fed and most importantly to have a good time. 

With all that said, when it came to packing, we wanted to cut down as much as we could safely do without. We were using the Osprey Poco Plus carrier for Aífe which also has 26 litres of packing space and the 70 litre Osprey Acheron which is made from fully recycled materials. We didn’t take an excess of clothes but enough to meet our needs, we took 2 full changes of clothes for Aífe and enough warm layers to keep us warm if an emergency arrived at any point. Those extra layers could be used to keep Oslo warm in the tent at night or if it was really cold, Oslo would just have to get in with us!

We took warm, 3 season sleeping bags for us and dry clothes to change into at night,  Aífe has her own sleeping bag from Morrison Outdoors and a roll mat and frankly she was so snug I wish I had a sleeping bag onesie!

If the weather got really bad we always had the option of bailing as with this being an organised event it has checkpoints, marshals and medical crew on hand if anything was to go wrong. This was the main reason we had decided to use the Fjallraven Classic as an opportunity to see how we would cope as not only a family, but a team all hoping to make it around the 65km course comfortable and happy.

 And so, the morning came, the sun draping through the Dee Valley and brushing the forest opposite with delicate highlights, a layer of cloud just begging the sun to break through and burn it off. The sound of a piper as he warms up drifts across the camp of 200 people as they all busily pack their tents and get ready for the days ahead.

Everyone came together as all the announcements were made and the piper came out for his moment, to send us all off into the wilderness under the alluring and charismatic sound created by a few bits of wood and a whole sheepskin.

The first day was all you could wish for, blue skies and a gentle breeze and some easy terrain to get everyone psyched for the trail ahead. We headed out through the dappled light of the woodland glen and everyone was in good spirits with conversation and fellow greetings with all that wanted to get involved. We easily made it to the first and last checkpoint of the route, Derry Lodge, where we were welcomed with tattie scones, Tunnocks teacakes and lashings of tea and coffee.

Our point of destination that day was somewhere between the Corrour Bothy and the Pools of Dee in the Lairig Ghru in the west which was roughly 20km from the start. From the Pools of Dee all the way through the Rothiemurcus Estate to the Ryvoan Bothy back in the east was a no camping zone, so the next day there was 16km which we would have to get through before we could stop for the second night. It therefore just seemed logical to make hay while the sun shined and get as close as we could to the Pools of Dee on the first day.

Most people had the same idea so there was quite a few of us all toing and froing as we would stop for a break or just appreciate the atmosphere of the landscape we were passing through, whether that be along the glistening upper reaches of the Dee that jumps its way through the young and tender forest that was developing, or the big country of the Cairngorm plateau and the glacier scoured valley of the Lairig Ghru.

 Claire, one of the guides on the trip, walked with us for a while and showed us some Tomintoul which, because they no longer allow sheep to graze in the Cairngorms was growing long and creeping across the ground instead of the stunted, trimmed shape we would most commonly expect in the Lake District. Although it wasn’t showing its characteristic yellow flower, it was nice to see and appreciate how the decision to remove sheep from the plateau was having a positive and marked effect on the landscape.

A day’s steady walking brought us easily around to the Corrour Bothy where we stopped and made some late lunch. Athena went for a quick nosey in the bothy itself and part of the checkpoint crew that were there were some of the maintenance crew for the MBA (Mountain Bothy association). In their opinion they don’t think anyone as young as Aífe had ever been to the bothy before so they wrote it down in the guest book, and who knows maybe it’s true! 

After a small break and our first taste of the Real Turmat meals which we had been supplied with, we headed off with bellies full and hunger satisfied by some of the best camping meals we’ve tried. Real Turmat are a Norwegian brand and it has to be said they really are tasty and nutritious with meals like Cod Curry, Pasta Bolognese, Chicken Curry and Reindeer Stew. The breakfast mueslis which we had hot were also fantastic, couple all of that with a healthy selection of Outdoor Provision Nut Butters and Energy Bars and we had everything we needed to power us through the next 3-4 days. When it came to Aífe’s snacks, she would eat whatever we were eating, along with being breastfeed. We brought along some cheesy oatcakes (which she loves) for her to nibble and this seemed to keep her very happy, along with some foraged blueberries! 

It wasn’t long after that we saw the first signs of people camping in the valley. We considered a few options but then found a relatively flat section of bare ground which was a little gravelly. Other people had not bothered with it and pitched up in the heather but the idea of something flat for our first night was too alluring, so we went for it and it proved just fine. We have the MSR Mutha Hubba 3-man tent which we have found to be a great size for us. It’s spacious and well-constructed and with the aid of a stuff sack packs down to about the size of a 15cm x 15cm sausage. Athena has used the MSR Hubba Hubba for years and it has never let us down so it seemed like a logical progression for us to evolve into the Mutha Hubba and we are so glad we did.

There was plenty of boulders around to hold down the tent pegs which refused to go into the ground and it wasn’t long before we had Oslo fed and warm and Aífe inside rolling around like it was a massive soft play pen! The light in the valley as we settled and cooked dinner was dancing across the tops of the hills begging anyone in the group to come play with a camera. It all made for a sweet end to the day but as the sun set the winds rose and reminded us that we were still in Scotland and also at some height. That evening made for blowy night, the wind funnelling down the Lairig Ghru from the north, clawing, pummelling and stripping everything in its path of heat and comfort.

Aífe was sleeping between the 2 of us on her own self-inflating roll matt and in her own sleeping bag by Morrison Outdoors,  Oslo between us at our feet. We made a nest for Oslo out of all our extra layers and anything spare going like our PACMAT picnic blanket and Aífe’s Columbia suit and he seemed ok. One thing we have realised is instead of Aífe having a ¾ length roll mat we should just get a full length one so that Oslo can share it and have a decent insulated layer under him. I was concerned about him so gave him my extra jackets which I would normally have as a pillow in a dry bag and an extra warm layer, but I had other spare layers so chucked on everything I had and hunkered down in my Rab 2 Season sleeping bag and eventually drifted off to sleep.

 As the temperature dropped that night Athena opened up her sleeping bag and pulled Aífe into the opening to offer some extra warmth while she breastfed. This didn’t offer Athena the best night’s sleep even with some extra layers, as inevitably she still has to pull her top either up or down to feed. We haven’t found the perfect solution for this so far, but we feel like as we keep getting out and working out solutions, we will find something.

What we have found over the years is that even if you don’t get the best night’s sleep, it’s best to stay positive about the situation and try and remember that even though you may be tired, your body has still rested.  So with that in mind as we woke, we got ourselves together had breakfast and got ready for the day ahead…