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Our walk should've started just after 9am on Saturday morning but as we pulled into the car park at Garva Bridge I mentioned in conversation to my wife "When have I ever got us lost?"
And so it was, we started just after 9.30.......
- Car Park
The car park itself is next to Garva Bridge which is a lot longer from the A86 than appears on the map. There is a bit of interest for all those Monarch of the Glen fans out there on the road to the car park as you pass the shop and Katrinas house used in the show.
Anyway from the car park we crossed the bridge and followed the track on the right then crossed another bridge and took a direct left.
- Looking back to car park and bridge
After about 100m we were supposed to turn off the main track and follow the meander of Feith Talagain.
- Turn left here to follow Feith Talagain
There is a faint track there, not that I could see it. I believe the track is on the river side of the fence. Eventually we found the track, which is quite boggy in places, and followed it for couple of kilometres until we reached the confluence where the Allt Coire nan Dearcag joins the main stream.
- Feith Talagain
We had to head up the Allt Coire nan Dearcag a 100m or so before we could cross it and there had been a fair bit of rainfall and was quite tricky to cross. We eventually got across and headed North East up to Geal Charn along its ridge.
- View on the way up
We eventually reached the summit after about 2 1/2 hours where there is a huge cairn.
- Brief stop at the summit
It was quite cold and windy up there so we didn't stay long and decided to go to Beinn Sgiath before descending so we didn't have to cross Allt Coire nan Dearcag again. We stopped at the top of Coire nan Dearcag for lunch behind a boulder.
After lunch the cloud and snow came in so I took a quick bearing and headed toward Meall an Domhnaich. There is no path this way and the ground is very boggy and uneven underfoot.
- On the way to Meall an Domhnaich
As we descended the cloud finally disappeared. There are 2 peaks to Meall an Domhnaich and we went south of the first, through the middle and went round the north side of the 2nd peak where we had to clamber over a fence. You get views of the car park from here.
- View from Meall an Domhnaich
We finally come across a dying woodland which we walked through, which is on quite steep ground. We were lucky enough to see 2 juvenile Golden Eagles here which made our day.
Eventually we made our way back to the original track and back to the car.
- The car park finally back in sight
There are some great views to be had here, though it was quite busy. You could go back the way you ascend which would knock an hour off the trip as the way we desended was quite hard going......
