by AlisonFox66 » Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:44 am
Munros included on this walk: Schiehallion
Date walked: 05/08/2011
Time taken: 6 hours
Distance: 13.5 km
Ascent: 880m
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Being a perverse sort of person , this route had been on my mind for a while .
Most other Munros usually have at least one alternative route , but not Schiehallion - I guess this was the reason for trying this
I got off the train at Pitlochry and the 8.52 Broons Bus to Kinloch Rannoch was in the west end car park . The driver recognised me , I travel that bus around twice a year but for some reason people remember me .
it is a good bus service and I got chatting to the driver before we set off . I told him my intention and he gave me some advice on my route . I promised that i would get the 16.45 bus back just to reassure him that I had got down safely .
The bus dropped me off at Kinloch Rannoch . The problem I have with the east ridge of Schiehallion is that it is such a long way to the start from the bus route and I usually need to hitchhike .No such problem with the west ridge . It was quite a short walk (2 miles) round to the start at grid ref 690576. I went up the track next to a farm and followed the Tempar Burn easily upwards . Schiehallion looked magnificent in the distance .
At about Grid Refernce 697560, I set off up the ridge of Schiehallion.There wasn't much of a track but there was no real difficulty either . the going was very heathery at first , getting less so as I climbed . The climb was steep but no scrambling and I was at the top in just over three hours from Kinloch Rannoch.
The summit was a delight , both for the hill itself and also for the number of children on the summit . It seemed to be the fourth or fifth Munro for a lot children - what a great starter hill.
I returned the same way , to keep my promise to the bus driver . I resisted the temptation to break this promise and hitchhike back to Pitlochry , but could not resist an ice-cream in Kinloch Rannoch .
I great day and guess little things please little minds - I had been up the hill the naughty way and was pleased
I would like to return in winter as I think this ridge would go really well with crampons .
if you have a car - er... could be tricky , no i am not sure where to park for this
The timings for this walk include the distance walked from Kinloch Rannoch and back and I was slower than usual so it isn't that long a day