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Meall nan Tarmachan - under "sun and blue skies"

Meall nan Tarmachan - under "sun and blue skies"


Postby Alteknacker » Fri Oct 23, 2020 3:18 pm

Route description: The Tarmachan Ridge

Munros included on this walk: Meall nan Tarmachan

Date walked: 16/10/2020

Distance: 6.3 km

Ascent: 630m

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Feeling quite exhausted from the previous two days' exertions, even after an 11 hour sleep, I decide to return home a day early, and just visit one hill today.

I pack up my tent in a leisurely fashion, then drive down to Blair Atholl to get some internet reception so that I can see what the forecast is in different places.

And, joy of joy, it's showing pure sun all day over towards the West. I missed Meall nan Tarmachan when I walked the Ben Lawers hills, and I've been wanting to walk the ridge for a long time. Checking the forecast for the hill itself, I see that it's also showing clear sky and sun all day - brilliant!

I get a little uneasy on the hour's drive there as I see all the hills shrouded in cloud. But they can't have got it completely wrong when we're only talking about an hour or so ahead??? Right???


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Sadly, unbelievably, when I get there, the entire Lawers group is clag-bound from about 850m :( .

Still, now I'm here, I might as well set off - it may - may - clear as the day wears on...

Image20201016-114839. Looking up towards Tarmachan...

...and initially the clag does look as if it might clear.

Image20201016-114908.

But this was pretty well the highest it got.

Image20201016-115920. Still, the views from the lower levels are some compensation. This is looking NE towards Loch na Lairige.

Image20201016-115943. Same, zoomed a bit. Brings back fine memories of my Lawers/Glen Lyon walk, albeit I enjoyed much better weather on that occasion.
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=55039

Image20201016-124648. It's a steady (= unrelenting!) steepish climb. As I approach the south east summit, I hit the clag.

Image20201016-131050.
False summit cairn. After this is a short steep pull of around 100m to the summit

...which is throughly clag bound. I don't hang about, and head straight back the way I came.

Image20201016-133820. The cloud base is now just below 900m. Loch Tay comes into view.

Image20201016-135651. Looking back from the car park, I still don't see any blue sky or sun....
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Alteknacker
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Joined: May 25, 2013
Location: Effete South (of WIgan, anyway)

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