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Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Unconventional route - Glen Lyon


Postby Fife Flyer » Tue Sep 09, 2014 10:00 pm

Route description: Càrn Gorm, Meall Garbh, Càrn Mairg & Creag Mhòr

Munros included on this walk: Càrn Gorm, Càrn Mairg, Creag Mhòr (Meall na Aighean), Meall Garbh (Càrn Mairg)

Date walked: 09/09/2014

Time taken: 7 hours

Distance: 20.2 km

Ascent: 1500m

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Another post on the 'meets' thread this time from Rachel who I have never met, yet alone walked with 8)
The arrangement was to meet in Invervar at 9am, which is a nice leisurely start for me, but Rachel was driving down from Aberdeen just a mere 3 hours :lol:
I have already done the Glen Lyon Munro's but as it was 15 years ago I thought yeah why not and to be honest I don't really remember much about the walk apart from it being a long day (9hrs) mainly because the guy I walked with wasn't exactly quick :wink: During the walk I can see why I hadn't remembered much about it, the terrain was not what you would call exciting :(
I set off from Fife at 7am as the AA routemaster reckons it takes just under 2 hrs to reach Aberfeldy, as it happened I was in the car at 8.30 so was able to get ready at a nice leisurely pace, whilst I waited for Rachel. Whilst waiting a chap in a humungous Fiat motor home arrived & asked where does one park for the Glen Lyon hills so I advised him & asked him if he wanted to join us, once Rachel arrived :lol:
On Rachel's arrival we introduced ourselves & Derek joined us :wink:

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The car park, me first & it was full on our return, about 8 vehicles

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Looking back, note bracken - just as well I used to it, the last 3 walks!!

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Looking back, better view than looking forward


The walk/navigation didn't get off to the best start, we walked across the road from the car park right next to the phone box, only to be advised by a local resident we were heading the wrong way :lol:
So back to the road and into Invervar, which consists of a couple of properties before turning right and through the gate. The uphill walking then began, Derek was in full flow (verbally) Rachel and I had our listening hats on and we soon reached the top edge of the forest.
We stopped for a quick drink, route check and to catch our breath as we had set off like mountain goats :lol:
For some reason we decided to head north up rather steep grassy slopes as we thought the first hill was directly ahead of us :lol: It was only when we attained quite a bit of height after a real struggle, that we got the maps/route out and had a good look at the surrounding terrain, that we realised our humungous blunder, we had headed north instead of west :lol:
We could see Carn Gorm in the distance and the ridge that we should have gone up, so we had to come up with plan B and how we were going to get back on track :wink:
We decided to traverse across the higher slopes of Meall Luaidhe and head to the bealach between Meall Garbh and An Sgorr, that way we wouldn't lose any or much of the height we had struggled to gain :lol:
Our detour had also added an extra hour onto our planned schedule, when we reached the bealach we had a pit stop as we were all a bit peckish :lol:

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Looking across to Carn Gorm which briefly had it's own little cloud

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The hard earned summit cairn on Carn Gorm


As we neared the summit of Carn Gorm we met Ann (hi Ann) who is a lurker on WH (and doesn't even know her user name) who was on her way down. Ann gave us a target to catch up, which we duly did just after the next summit :lol: I won't mention the fact that Rachel, who said that she is a slow walker, turned out to walk at a fair rate of knots, Derek and I were almost running to keep up :lol: :lol:

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A view down Glen Lyon

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The view south

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That summit cairn, unique - thank goodness

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A future cairn in the making, or is it 'modern art'?

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Rachel relaxing, not for too long though

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The next target

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Lovely rock, had it been a bit smaller & fitted in my rucksack it may have been Fife bound


The walk from Carn Gorm to Creag Mhor was easy and uneventful, Derek wasn't in a hurry so he decided to have a long lunch & tag along with Ann for the rest of the day. Rachel then turned on the overdrive and I had to almost run to keep up with her :lol: :lol:

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Arty photo, summit of Creag Mhor with Schiehallion in the background

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Schiehallion zoomed, a few folk on the summit

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Looking back to Carn Mairg

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Great view - NOT

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Rachel smiling or grimacing?

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Glen Lyon from on high before the descent


Now for the descent, (Error number 3), we started off following the path and all was well, then as usual it either disappeared or we lost it :lol: As my regular readers & fellow walkers are aware I never lose paths :lol: :lol:
We had a good scan over the surrounding terrain and were unable to see any trace of a path, so we just romped down the ridge over heather, grass and the occasional rock or two 8)
We could see where we wanted to be so we just put our heads down and went for it and just to the east of Rionn na Creige summit where what looked like a path :lol:
We were quite pleased with ourselves having located a path, however (Error number 4) this path was leading us in completely the wrong direction, but we persisted with it in case it started to head west, which it didn't :(
The path/track took us nearly 2 miles east of where we should of ended up, after clambering over 3 fences, struggling through 2 gates, scaring umpteen deer, we eventually reached the road 8)
All we had to do now was head west along the road back to the car park on nice firm terra firma :lol:

Great day out in ideal walking conditions and great company, not sure I will return, they are 4 easy Munro's but certainly not memorable for the right reasons :) Only took 54 photo's which isn't many for me :(
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Fife Flyer
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby Backpacker » Tue Sep 09, 2014 10:05 pm

Good report & some nice pics

You sure you still want to come at weekend? :lol: :lol:
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby SAVAGEALICE » Tue Sep 09, 2014 10:07 pm

Enjoyed that Martin! ..always nice to hear I'm not the only one that goes "exploring"!! :lol: ...all adds to the adventure!! !
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby rachelbairdhall » Tue Sep 09, 2014 10:16 pm

I prefer to think of it as trailblazing! Despite the various navigational issues I still had a good day out! Thanks for keeping me company for a day in the hills.

And the pace you and Derek set off at you can hardly call me a fast walker!! :lol:
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby rockhopper » Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:03 pm

interesting route :lol: :wink: good to see that I'm not the only one who can't keep to paths :roll: still, you got far better views than I did having spent most of the time in the clag :shock: - cheers :)
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby Broggy1 » Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:58 am

We made the same exact mistake on the descent! Very annoying.

:crazy:
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby The Rodmiester » Wed Sep 10, 2014 12:40 pm

Your route map looks like a big bird pecking at Carn Gorm, ha ha :lol: that's what happens when you have company, too much gassing and no checking on the map :lol: :lol: these things don't happen when you walk alone, well you have to blame it on someone don't you :lol:
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby Silverhill » Wed Sep 10, 2014 5:30 pm

Nothing wrong with going off the beaten track! :wink: Good to hear you still enjoyed yourself. :D
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby Fife Flyer » Wed Sep 10, 2014 6:47 pm

The Rodmiester wrote:Your route map looks like a big bird pecking at Carn Gorm, ha ha


Good spot Rod :lol: :lol:

Broggy1 wrote:We made the same exact mistake on the descent! Very annoying. :crazy:


Reassuring, the end of the descent wasn't much fun, climbing fences, but we could see other folk before us had done the same :wink:

Thanks for all the kind comments 8)
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby Gordie12 » Wed Sep 10, 2014 7:28 pm

Hi Fife Flyer

I have on the odd occasion headed off on the wrong track myself so certainly not for me to criticise BUT, was there not a great big sign by the bridge in your 3rd pic :lol: :lol: :lol:

1 - Bridge.jpg
I think the sign said something like route to Carn Gorm
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby Fife Flyer » Wed Sep 10, 2014 8:31 pm

Gordie12 wrote:Hi Fife Flyer

I have on the odd occasion headed off on the wrong track myself so certainly not for me to criticise BUT, was there not a great big sign by the bridge in your 3rd pic :lol: :lol: :lol:


Thanks for that Gordie, you know how to rub it in :lol: :lol: We must have passed the bridge by following the track, however only noticed it when I took the photo a short time later :lol: :lol:
Memo to self "pay a bit more attention when walking" :lol:
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby tommyatr » Wed Sep 10, 2014 8:32 pm

Not like you to get lost martin,don't think I ever did a walk with you that was straight forward . :lol:
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby JimboJim » Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:42 pm

I shall take the blame for a previous unconventional route - seems to be a recurring them, Martin? Not that there's anything wrong with an unconventional route, I'd suggest!

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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby simon-b » Fri Sep 12, 2014 7:37 pm

Martin, I bet you'd have found the 'correct' route if you hadn't had such good visibility!
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Re: Unconventional route - Glen Lyon

Postby Fife Flyer » Fri Sep 12, 2014 7:39 pm

simon-b wrote:Martin, I bet you'd have found the 'correct' route if you hadn't had such good visibility!


That sounds like a good excuse Simon, I'll go with that one :lol:
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