Ben Lawers group (May 2009)

[Alastair S]

Ben Lawers circuit.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Back to 2009 & my early Munros. After 2 single Munros days and then a double header it was time for my first quadruple header. Decided doing all 5 on the Ben Lawers ridge was too big a day for me at this stage. But doing the 4 from the Ben Lawers hotel should be OK and also give me easy get outs should I tire or bottle out before the appointed number.

When I turned up at 7 or 8am (not sure if time on my photos reflect the change to BST) I was a bit surprised by the amount of snow on the tops. It looked like there had been a fresh and fairly thin dusting overnight so I wasn’t too worried that I didn’t have my crampons or ice axe with me. Weather was fair – a bit nippy & blowy with the tops in the clouds, but it was meant to improve as the day worn on.

A decent prospect



Route was fairly straight forward. Right out of the hotel, down the road past the antler carver's abode, then up the path though the a woods. Then past the abandon shielings and off the path & made for the nose of Sron Mhor & then onto Meall Geigh – a featureless grassy hump if ever there was one. Had the merest dusting of snow from around 900m but the good news was that it was cloud free by the time I got up there. Ben Lawers itself was now in & out of cloud with some darker stuff behind. Only stopped for photos & then it was on to the next: Meall Garbh. A bit boggy down in the bealach between the two but there is then a fence line to follow up to the craggier bits of Meall Garbh. Being 100m higher there was a bit more snow but nothing to worry about. There is a cairn before the main summit which had me fooled for a bit as the cloud briefly closed in. But while I took on sustenance it cleared again and I was treated to some decent views.

Loch Tay panorama

large version over here


Loch Tay (East)



Ben Lawers Group from Meall Greigh



Meall Greigh From Meall Garbh



Approaching Meall Garbh



Ben Lawers from Meall Garbh #1



Ben Lawers from Meall Garbh #2



An Stuc from Meall Garbh



So down to the tricky bit: An Stuc. A first it had me stumped. Maybe the path to the obvious start point was covered by the snow. I gave it a couple of half-hearted attempts but backed out and started to look for ways round. There wasn't any. So said to myself I'd give it one more try or it was back up Meall Garbh for me. So at the third attempt I made it. After a few minutes I picked up the path again and the going got a lot easier. A bit claggy at the top for a while but while I had lunch #2 it cleared again giving fanatic views.


Approaching An Stuc Summit



Lunch on An Stuc Summit



Came across the first other walkers of the day as I came down An Stuc. Felt fine and so it was up to the 10th highest Munro. Quite a few folk when at the summit so after a few photos and a few minutes drinking in the views it was down the East ridge. The weather finally caught up with me on the way down with a brief blizzard - one of those times when the snow blows up out of the corrie (Lochan nan Cat) into your face


Lochan nan Cat




Approaching Ben Lawers




An Stuc & Meall Garbh from Ben Lawers

large version over here


Beinn Ghlas from Ben Lawers



Ben Lawers Summit


Ben Lawers Bagged



Sheltering



Lochan nan Cat #2



Ben Lawers East Ridge



An Stuc Steep Bit



Had enough time to take a look at the small dam below Lochan nan Cat (not that interesting) & then the weary trudge back to the Ben Lawers hotel for a quick drink (with a token tip for use of their car park).

Flickr set over here

[Merry-walker]

Super duper Alastair...

What a fab walk

Cracking photies

[ChrisW]

Great report and (as always) spectacular photo's Alistair - so many really beautiful shots

[skuk007]

Nice report, really liked the photos.
After coming off Ben Lawers to the path could you have made a direct line for the hotel down the hill? Did you only follow the path to take a look at the dam?

[Alastair S]

After coming off Ben Lawers to the path could you have made a direct line for the hotel down the hill? Did you only follow the path to take a look at the dam?

I went for the path because I was knackered and the going over the open ground was heavy going - the heather got quite thick below 800m and there were quite a few peat hags about. The direct line would also mean crossing several fields and any barbed wire that no doubt enclosed them. The dam wasn't worth the diversion though, but it does give some shelter I suppose. My original plan was to head straight for the path near the dam but I made for the track when the going got heavy.