M47 |
1103 m. |
3619 ft.
Translation: Greenish-grey hill
Pronuncation: ben glas
The last day of the May 2003 campaign. After having suffered a set-back in the Mamores the day before, we decided that the last day would be spent on a hill which had less resistance to offer than Sgurr a’Mhaim on a showery, wintry day in May. So after having crammed our baggage into the car we set off from Fassfern and headed south for two hours reaching Loch Tay by noon. From the NTS visitor centre we walked up into the Nature Reserve, crossed the Burn of Edramucky and headed up the broad shoulder of Beinn Glas on the very well-trodden path. Further up on the hill the weather turned (moderately) foul with strong winds, considerable wind chill and some snow. After an hour and half we had reached the summit of this mountain, touched the cairn and headed back in the direction we had come from, Ben Lawers being no objective this day. Before the path drops to the Burn of Erdamucky, still on the ridge, we paused, had some tea and a sandwich and with the views getting better by the minute checked out the Tarmachan Ridge, Meall Corranaich and Meall a’Choire Leith which, taken together, could be another fine day out on these OS 51 hills. We reached the car after less than three hours. An easy Munro, ticked off as last Scottish hill of 2003. Haste ye back!!
Description Ben Lawers is the highest peak of the range of seven Munros to which it gives its name. It is the highest mountain in the southern highlands, and the range as a whole is a splendid array of peaks, ridges and corries which occupies a considerable area between Loch Tay and the lower half of Glen Lyon. On the whole these hills are fairly grassy, and such crags as there are tend to be grassy also, so that the Ben Lawers range is not of much interest to the rock climber, but for hillwalkers and ski-mountaineers it is among the finest in Scotland. Beinn Ghlas is the nearest of the lower peaks to Ben Lawers. The two are climbed together as Beinn Ghlas lies on the normal route to Ben Lawers. The starting point for these peaks is the carpark at the foot of Coire Odhar on the narrow road between Loch Tay and Glen Lyon. From there follow a well made path north-east to reach the south-west ridge of Beinn Ghlas, which is followed to the summit. The traverse continues along the connecting ridge to Ben Lawers. The return to the carpark should follow the same route.