Beinn Mhanach from Glen Lyon

[Sspaterson]

Beinn Mhanach from Glen Lyon - Bike n hike

With Covid lockdown we were running out of hills to do in our county so this was bagged from the Perthshire side. My friend had done it a couple of weeks previously and said it was quite quick, 4.5 hours car to car so with increasing decrepitness putting in most of the distance by bike seemed a very appealing option.

It's a long drive up Glen Lyon, on a twisty, turny road, but we got to the foot of the dam and parked up among a few other vehicles.

Set off about 11am to see how far we could get up the stinking wee hill at the start before getting off and pushing. Needless to say I made it about 10 feet, with a rucksack and my boots in my pannier there was no way. But once at the top, it's an easy ride along the side of the loch with magnificent views towards our goal.

That pointy one in the distance

Turn left off the road at the obvious dog leg in the loch and skoosh down the wee hill towards the river. With hindsight, we should have left our bikes here. The stepping stones are good with one giant step (leap if you've got short legs) in the middle. But with bikes it was a hassle and not worth the effort because we only cycled a further 100 metres before leaving them to head up the hill.

Ford another little burn then just pick your line and begin to plod. There is a slight path off the track to the left of the burn. Start here then cross the burn and keep it and the gully to your left. The path soon peters out and you just have a springy squelchy walk.

The semblance of a path

It wasn't too muddy as it's mainly grass and moss. There were a couple of very old shillings but then not much to navigate by so you'd need your compass in bad weather.

The shielings near the start

It's an easy enough walk gaining height quickly and lovely views back along the loch.

Views back along loch to dam

The route levels off a bit and you get sight of your destination.

The summit looms

So it's just more plodding keeping this nobble on your left (Creag Bhuidhe I think).

Nobbly bit

Eventually we reached snow patches and the views open up more.

Mair views

Even mair views

Gawped a bit at Beinn Sheasgarnaich and Creag Mhor which we'd done back in November. Easy to see why we were knackered - that's a long doonhill in between them.

Beinn Sheasgarnaich and Creag Mhor

It's an easy climb from here to reach the top and a wee cairn. Though the top itself is a bit featureless, the views are amazing.

Yours truly at the top

After a quick bite, we just retraced our steps back. About 1.5 hours up and 1 hour back down. With an hour each way to cycle this was an easy way to do it with only one river and one burn to cross.

Had to get off and push up that last wee bit again but a grand wee day out.

Wheeeeee!

Look where we were

Driving home, hubby says those immortal three words "Fancy a curry" and my day is complete

[McMonty]

Think we crossed paths as you were heading in and I was walking back along Loch Lyon towards the dam. Done much the same route though walked round the back & up the north west side before descending the way you came up. Don't envy you taking the bikes over the river as that's a fairly big step in the middle!
Mhanach was a bit of a bonus as I had never noticed PKC went quite so far west. Decent walk all in.

[Sspaterson]

Yes the step in the middle was a right hassle with bikes. It was a right hassle for me without bikes, my bottle has gone a bit with increasing old age. Thankfully having an extremely tall husband who could just about straddle the gap, made getting the bikes across possible. There was a couple of folk way ahead of us on electric bikes (much heavier) which I'm curious to learn how they got across, if indeed they went that way. They may of course have been heading up Glen Cailleach to see the little folk.