by geraty » Sun Oct 09, 2022 11:58 pm
First Munros at age 72 - thanks to walkhighlanders.
Last October my buddy & I were planning our first hiking (or to be more location appropriate, hill walking) trip to Scotland in May of 2022. I had stumbled across the walkhighlands site and was impressed with the breadth of information and the positive and empathetic ambiance of the site. So, I took a chance and posted an inquiry soliciting the best locations and other suggestions. I was overwhelmed by the informative responses by Mal Grey, davekeiller, Border Reiver, Tringa, ScotFinn65, simon-b, AyrshireAlps, DrMagpie, and Sunset tripper. Thanks so much to those folks. After reviewing the info provided, we decided to stay at Ballachulish and Killin, and were delighted with these locations.
In Ballachulish, although the weather was marginal to bad, even according to the very friendly local folks we met, we had a fabulous stay at Neil & Katya’s Strathassynt Bed and Breakfast. I can’t speak highly enough about their great food and accommodation, but especially about their warm welcome and sage hill walking advice. Fortuitously, the Laroch Restaurant and Bar, which became our neighborhood pub away from home, is directly across the street.
After viewing Paul Agnew’s video, and particularly the sensuous ridgeline between Sgòrr Bhan and Sgòrr Dhearg, we put the Beinn a' Bheithir via Schoolhouse Ridge walk as our first priority. Although we didn’t know it at the time, we were lucky to make the walk our first day because the marginal weather that day deteriorated thereafter. (For example, we had to beat a sheepish retreat down Buachaille Etive Beag when a very brief break in the clouds and horizontal rain disclosed that we had mistaken the unnamed 902m top for Stob Dubh.) As the Beinn a’ Bheithir walk is well documented on the site, I won’t go into many details about that absolutely fabulous walk, except to mention two items. First, the walk in May through the village to the trailhead is achingly lovely. Second, as this was our first Scotland walk, we’d decided to be as conservative as possible. Therefore, we decided to take the easier route to the left around the second wall on Sgòrr Bhan. Unfortunately, I did not heed my buddy’s suggestion and continued too far to the left, resulting in an unpleasant, long slog up a steep, mostly scree slope with some minimal grass. So, my advice is: if you're going to take the easier route to the left, the “rocky groove” appears quickly, don’t miss it. In retrospect, we certainly should have just scrambled the wall. Despite my foolishness, Schoolhouse was one of my favorite walking days ever.
In Killin, we stayed in an AirBNB with a great view of Tarmachan Ridge, and enjoyed much better weather, though with a breezy 40 MPH on the summits of Ben Vorlich and Schiehallion. The pub room of Falls of Dochart Inn became our second neighborhood pub away from home. The highlight, however, of the Killin portion of our trip was Tarmachan Ridge. This walk offers a wonderful combination and variety of experiences and viewpoints. It was a treat to look out our apartment windows and see it every day of our stay in Killin,
In a prior life, we had fairly extensive winter cross country skiing and summer hiking and kayaking in Alaska, and in more recent years, hiking in Utah. If I can provide any similar information concerning hiking in Southern Utah, especially, please let me know. It has been our general experience that the people one meets in those circumstances are almost always great, friendly and positive folks. In Scotland we took every opportunity to engage with people we met on the trails and in the pubs. Without exception, they were friendly and so helpful - it was really one of the highlights of our trip.
So, in closing this perhaps too long post, first, I again want to thank the people who make walkhighlands possible. I have read a lot of trip reports and a fair number of random other posts, and I am greatly impressed with the camaraderie and positive nature expressed on the site. I have made a financial contribution to the site in the hope I can in some small way support that unique relationship you share, and I urge you to value and nurture it. Second, I only regret the facts that my first hill walking and first five Munros came at age 72. While we hope to add to our Munros and other hillwalking experiences this coming May on Harris and Skye, I rue that I do not have the years left nor the skills necessary to get to 282.