Ben Lawers group (May 2009)
Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 10:19 pm
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
