June 2014 – bgmb

Beinn Dearg

A tramp along long land rover tracks on a warm day in early June was on the agenda. Beinn Dearg from Blair Atholl was the goal of the hike. We had left our cosy and comfortable cottage in Laggan for good and had headed south on the A9 to Blair Atholl where we parked our car in the hikers’ parking at Old Bridge of Tilt – not without having recceed the road to Old Blair beforehand and having found no place to leave the car. So up the private road to Old Blair we walked and soon entered the forest following the track high above the left bank of the Banvie Burn. We were overtaken by a couple of people giving their horses some exercise shortly before the track left behind the trees for good. It was quite warm and there was no protection from the sunshine anymore for hours on end. Frank and I sweated profusely and made good progress on the land rover track leading to the Lady March Cairn. From there the tramp on the track continued gaining metre after metre in altitude. Then the terrain levelled out before we lost 50-70 metres before reaching the bothy at the Allt Sheicheanchan.

A rougher track led along the right bank of this burn to an altitude of about 600-650 metres. Where the track crossed the burn and took a sharp turn right we picked up the path climbing the south slopes of Beinn Dearg’s outlier Meall Dubh nan Dearcag and leading to more level terrain on the whale back of the mountain. We struck a more or less direct line from there to the gravel-strewn and stony summit of Beinn Dearg which was nicely visible a mile ahead. On the way to the summit we walked over another intermediate grassy/heathery bump and met a few other walkers with whom some words on the perfect conditions of this marvellous day were exchanged. Soon we rested at the summit cairn and enjoyed the views. A cool wind was blowing at … [Read More]

fmueller2017-09-19T14:15:00+02:00June 6th, 2014|2014, 2019 - 2010, Glen Garry to Braemar|

Beinn a’Chlachair

Gorillas in the mist? Well not exactly since there were no gorillas and we were not in Rwanda. But then: There was mist, there was the Moy Forest on the other side of the A 86, there were mountains all around. And there is a civilization encroaching on wild land in the form of forestry roads, hydro works and even the odd jogger on our route. But no Sigourney Weaver and no Diane Fossey.

Anyway. Years ago we had climbed Creag Pitridh and Geal Carn in quite appalling conditions. Strong winds, driving rain, no views. This time round we set Beinn a’Chlachair as our objective. We parked in the layby at the west end of Loch Laggan. Once outside the car we were attacked by midges, which meant a rather hurried start to the day.

We crossed the River Spean and took a left turn at the first fork of the forest road just before Luiblea. After a few metres a gate blocks the access to the Land Rover track on the right bank of the Abhainn Ghuilbinn. Once through the gate and on open land the Land Rover track climbs easily towards Lochan na Earba which is reached after maybe 45 to 50 minutes. On this track we were overtaken by a friendly jogger with whom we chatted a bit when we bumped into him again close to the Lochan. On the sandy shore of Lochan na Earba we took a break to drink and eat a muesli bar.

Refreshed we set our inner compass towards the bealach between Geal Carn and Beinn a’Chlachair. The climb beside the Allt Choire Pitridh is very comfortable since the path is well-maintained and easy to follow even in its upper section. Once at the Bealach Leamhain we decided not to climb towards the east ridge through boulders and over steep grass since the visibility was very restricted and route-finding might have been a real problem.

Much rather we followed the path over the bealach in the direction of the Allt Cam and Culra. Over the next … [Read More]

fmueller2017-09-19T14:15:00+02:00June 5th, 2014|2014, 2019 - 2010, Loch Linnhe to Loch Ericht|

Carn a’Chlamain

A “good afternoon walk” from Forest Lodge on a stalkers path is what Mr McNeish proposes in “The Munros – Scotland’s Highest Mountains” for this remote hill. Not without adding that alternatively one could walk in from Old Blair and “make a day of it”. Just how one is supposed to make it to Forest Lodge before one can enjoy the afternoon walk is left open but one can assume that Mr McNeish might opt for staying at the lodge, flying in by helicopter, hitch-hiking a ride on somebody’s Land Rover or using some other means of transport to get to the Lodge.

Frank and I rode on our bicycles and chose the less scenic ascent of the hill by means of the Land Rover track from Clachglas. The bicycle ride up beautiful Glen Tilt was fun and the perfect condition of the dirt road up the glen made things quite easy. We were not alone in Glen Tilt either: people on horses, the odd car and one or two further groups of hikers kept us company.

Before we reached Clachglas we left our bicycles beside a field in which three horses spent a seemingly relaxing day doing things that horses do. The Land Rover track up the south-west shoulder of Carn aíChlamain is green at first but becomes very rough and rocky once the first bend of the track is reached and the summit of Carn aíChlamain comes into view. Route finding was no problem since the vehicle track climbs all the way almost to the summit. We made good progress and then paused in the heather beside the track to drink some water and eat an apple.

Apart from a fresh wind that got stronger the higher up we climbed the day was of a benign character. The sun took turns with some clouds and only a very few drops of rain fell onto our t-shirts. Once above the 900m contour the wind chill became really strong so we needed to wear jumpers and wind-proofs. The by now faint track brought … [Read More]

fmueller2017-09-19T14:15:00+02:00June 4th, 2014|2014, 2019 - 2010, Glen Garry to Braemar|

Beinn na Lap

3 June 2014 started out as a rainy day with drizzle and showers taking turns in raising the enthusiasm for hillwalking in remote hill country. But the Metoffice predicted a shift in the pattern and forecast nice weather with sunshine for the second half of the day. Accordingly the late morning saw Frank and me standing on the platform for the southbound trains at Tulloch Station.

The station is a nice building and it features a large roof which very conveniently protected us from the rain. In due course the train arrived; we boarded it, took our seats and bought our return tickets. The short trip from Tulloch to Corrour takes about twenty minutes. Loch Treig and the Eassins on the right-hand side, the very steep slopes of Stob Coire Sgriodain on the left of the track. Very scenic indeed. Then the train had finally climbed to the more open and level terrain of Rannoch Moor where Corrour Station came into view. There we disembarked, took a look around and then followed the Land Rover track towards Loch Ossian. We were accompanied by a dog, two horse riders and a cyclist who came from the Hotel at/in Corrour Station. There was even some car traffic on the track: Two Toyotas and a delivery van. Ahead we could see vehicles moving since some hydro works were under way.

Just before came to the shore of Loch Ossian we turned right and picked up the path skirting the northern slopes of Meall na Lice and leading towards Peter’s Rock. The boulder carries a memorial plaque for one of the wardens of the Loch Ossian Youth Hostel who died there one lonely winter. From the Rock we climbed uniform slopes of grass and heather until we reached the broad north-east ridge of Carn Dearg. As height is gained the view opened up thanks partly to the Metoffice having been right. There was a delightful mix of sunshine and clouds. after maybe another thirty minutes we reached the summit cairn of Carn Dearg, covered in clouds, … [Read More]

fmueller2019-01-04T09:50:58+01:00June 3rd, 2014|2014, 2019 - 2010, Loch Linnhe to Loch Ericht|

Sgor Gaibhre

3 June 2014 started out as a rainy day with drizzle and showers taking turns in raising the enthusiasm for hillwalking in remote hill country. But the Metoffice predicted a shift in the pattern and forecast nice weather with sunshine for the second half of the day. Accordingly the late morning saw Frank and me standing on the platform for the southbound trains at Tulloch Station.

The station is a nice building and it features a large roof which very conveniently protected us from the rain. In due course the train arrived; we boarded it, took our seats and bought our return tickets. The short trip from Tulloch to Corrour takes about twenty minutes. Loch Treig and the Eassins on the right-hand side, the very steep slopes of Stob Coire Sgriodain on the left of the track. Very scenic indeed. Then the train had finally climbed to the more open and level terrain of Rannoch Moor where Corrour Station came into view. There we disembarked, took a look around and then followed the Land Rover track towards Loch Ossian. We were accompanied by a dog, two horse riders and a cyclist who came from the Hotel at/in Corrour Station. There was even some car traffic on the track: Two Toyotas and a delivery van. Ahead we could see vehicles moving since some hydro works were under way.

Just before came to the shore of Loch Ossian we turned right and picked up the path skirting the northern slopes of Meall na Lice and leading towards Peter’s Rock. The boulder carries a memorial plaque for one of the wardens of the Loch Ossian Youth Hostel who died there one lonely winter. From the Rock we climbed uniform slopes of grass and heather until we reached the broad north-east ridge of Carn Dearg. As height is gained the view opened up thanks partly to the Metoffice having been right. There was a delightful mix of sunshine and clouds. after maybe another thirty minutes we reached the summit cairn of Carn Dearg, covered in clouds, … [Read More]

fmueller2018-10-21T09:36:34+02:00June 3rd, 2014|2014, 2019 - 2010, Loch Linnhe to Loch Ericht|

Carn Dearg

3 June 2014 started out as a rainy day with drizzle and showers taking turns in raising the enthusiasm for hillwalking in remote hill country. But the Metoffice predicted a shift in the pattern and forecast nice weather with sunshine for the second half of the day. Accordingly the late morning saw Frank and me standing on the platform for the southbound trains at Tulloch Station.

The station is a nice building and it features a large roof which very conveniently protected us from the rain. In due course the train arrived; we boarded it, took our seats and bought our return tickets. The short trip from Tulloch to Corrour takes about twenty minutes. Loch Treig and the Eassins on the right-hand side, the very steep slopes of Stob Coire Sgriodain on the left of the track. Very scenic indeed. Then the train had finally climbed to the more open and level terrain of Rannoch Moor where Corrour Station came into view. There we disembarked, took a look around and then followed the Land Rover track towards Loch Ossian. We were accompanied by a dog, two horse riders and a cyclist who came from the Hotel at/in Corrour Station. There was even some car traffic on the track: Two Toyotas and a delivery van. Ahead we could see vehicles moving since some hydro works were under way.

Just before came to the shore of Loch Ossian we turned right and picked up the path skirting the northern slopes of Meall na Lice and leading towards Peter’s Rock. The boulder carries a memorial plaque for one of the wardens of the Loch Ossian Youth Hostel who died there one lonely winter. From the Rock we climbed uniform slopes of grass and heather until we reached the broad north-east ridge of Carn Dearg. As height is gained the view opened up thanks partly to the Metoffice having been right. There was a delightful mix of sunshine and clouds. after maybe another thirty minutes we reached the summit cairn of Carn Dearg, covered in clouds, … [Read More]

fmueller2017-09-19T14:15:01+02:00June 3rd, 2014|2014, 2019 - 2010, Loch Linnhe to Loch Ericht|

Carn Liath

As i mentioned in the sister post to this one, Cord was on his day off, which did not meant that he was off duty. Having driven me to Balsporran, then shopping in Aviemore, then fetching me up again at Balsporran and then driving us to our cottage for a nice warm lunch was much more than one can expect from a “day off”.

The lunch at home between two Munros was a first in 20 years of munrobagging. After a short rest Cord drove me to the car park at the entry of the Creag Meagaidh National Park, a most scenic area with an excellent approach path which i had to leave too soon. The walk through the birch wood was not really funny as you can imagine. Lots of bogs and water but ok’ish. Soon i reached the summit plateau where i had to navigate carefully in the featureless stony terrain due to mist. After 1h 30mins i reached the summit cairn, touched it and returned.

On the return leg i had some nice views towards Cread Meagaidh – the summit and it’s plateau which we had conquered years ago in zero sights with the help of our trusty compass. Nice. After having reached the path again i felt energetic enough to do a little return run and i arrived at our rental car where Cord was waiting reading a newspaper 1h 10min after i had left the summit. A nice afternoon exercise.

Thanks Cord for chauffeuring me!

2001 Clouds, spells of sunshine and strong westerly winds were forecast for this day. The weather was as predicted when I left the car park at Aberarder and vigorously walked along the path into Coire Ardair. I met several other hill walkers on my way into this very beautiful corrie. The cliffs of Creag Meagaidh are truely awesome. At the foot of the steep ascent to the col between Creag Meagaidh and Stob Poite Corrie Ardair I put on my crampons and the rest of my winter gear and headed … [Read More]

fmueller2017-09-19T14:15:01+02:00June 2nd, 2014|2001, 2014, 2019 - 2010, Glen Roy to the Monadhliath|

Geal-charn

Since Cord took this well earned day off i used the opportunity to fill in this Munro which i had not ticked yet (Cord bagged it in 2002 together with Mike). So he dropped me off at the car park at Balsporran Cottage and headed off to Aviemore to do some shopping of forgotten items. That was not a nice surrounding at all. In front of me a scarmarked bump. Behind me the A9 with it’s traffic and the new pylons. So i stormed over the rails and instantly chose the wrong track up the hill. After a short crossing i reached the right track and now it was a straightforward ascent to the 3009ft hill. I thought there was no other accuse than just it’s height and the Munro status. But i was proven wrong since the views from the west side of the summit were really nice towards Ben Alder and down the long stretched Loch Ericht. I contemplated the track along the shore which we had cycled 4 times over the weekend – my legs still arching from that memory (and certainly Cords too). The weather was not too bad. I took my 10 minutes to eat, stroll around and take pictures before i hurried down. Some 15 minutes from the A9 away i saw how Cord entered the car park. Just in time for dropping my rucksack in and drive to our cottage for getting a nice warm meal. A first in over 20 years munrobagging. And then off to Carn Liath.

2002 Parking by the A9 two or three kilometres north of the Pass of Drumochter we crossed the railway at the Balsporran B&B heading for the north-east ridge of Geal-charn. All the glens were filled with morning fog and clouds. Even though there had been a few very dry days before the walk the ground on the track up the ridge was quite boggy torn open by some caterpillar vehicle. Needless to say that the going was unpleasant in such conditions. At about … [Read More]

fmueller2017-09-19T14:15:01+02:00June 2nd, 2014|2002, 2014, 2019 - 2010, Loch Rannoch to Drumochter|

Carn Dearg

1 June 2014 was my (Cord) 49th birthday and Frank had a special present for me in store: The four Munros of the Geal Charn Group from Culra. But first we needed to get there.

So the morning saw us unloading our bicycles from the car at Dalwhinnie station, shouldering our rucksacks, crossing the railway line and starting the long cycle trip to the bothy. The long track along Loch Ericht held nothing new for us since we had already used it the day before when we had climbed Ben Alder. Frank was out of sight quite quickly. My wobbly legs did not permit too much effort to be put into the 15 to 16 km leg to Culra. When I arrived there quite a while later than my companion it started to drizzle. Rats. It was to be only a short shower, however.

We then embarked upon the walk towards the Bealach Dubh which is on a very well-maintained path that makes progress easy. We skipped the Lancet Edge (my wish, a birthday has got to be good for something, you know) and soon found ourselves at the bealach which we crossed without a pause. Then we continued for a short while along the path down into the next glen. When we were past Sron Ruadh we quit the path crossed the stream and climbed into Coire a’Charra Bhig. This is a grassy corrie holding a burn with a steeply flanked bed in the upper corrie. Staying on the left bank of the stream makes life easier considerably for the wary hiker. Frank did so, I did not: another birthday present for me.

Once on the ridge we turned left (west) and headed for Beinn Eibhinn’s long curving summit ridge a kilometre away. There are two cairns on this level ridge and to be sure we visited and touched them both. The books later confirmed that this was right since it is of course the one further to the west (or more precisely to the north) which is the “real” summit. From … [Read More]

fmueller2017-09-19T14:15:01+02:00June 1st, 2014|2014, 2019 - 2010, Loch Linnhe to Loch Ericht|

Beinn Eibhinn

1 June 2014 was my (Cord) 49th birthday and Frank had a special present for me in store: The four Munros of the Geal Charn Group from Culra. But first we needed to get there.

So the morning saw us unloading our bicycles from the car at Dalwhinnie station, shouldering our rucksacks, crossing the railway line and starting the long cycle trip to the bothy. The long track along Loch Ericht held nothing new for us since we had already used it the day before when we had climbed Ben Alder. Frank was out of sight quite quickly. My wobbly legs did not permit too much effort to be put into the 15 to 16 km leg to Culra. When I arrived there quite a while later than my companion it started to drizzle. Rats. It was to be only a short shower, however.

We then embarked upon the walk towards the Bealach Dubh which is on a very well-maintained path that makes progress easy. We skipped the Lancet Edge (my wish, a birthday has got to be good for something, you know) and soon found ourselves at the bealach which we crossed without a pause. Then we continued for a short while along the path down into the next glen. When we were past Sron Ruadh we quit the path crossed the stream and climbed into Coire a’Charra Bhig. This is a grassy corrie holding a burn with a steeply flanked bed in the upper corrie. Staying on the left bank of the stream makes life easier considerably for the wary hiker. Frank did so, I did not: another birthday present for me.

Once on the ridge we turned left (west) and headed for Beinn Eibhinn’s long curving summit ridge a kilometre away. There are two cairns on this level ridge and to be sure we visited and touched them both. The books later confirmed that this was right since it is of course the one further to the west (or more precisely to the north) which is the “real” summit. From … [Read More]

fmueller2017-09-19T14:15:01+02:00June 1st, 2014|2014, 2019 - 2010, Loch Linnhe to Loch Ericht|