Bare Hill of Calum

[Auld Bagger]

I started the walk a wee bit later than planned at 10.30am but with a walkhighlands guide of 5 to 6 hours and the sun setting at 4.30pm I still hoped that I would complete the walk as I am usually close to the walkhighlands lower estimate.
I parked the car in the layby right at the start of the walk where I reckon would be enough for 4 cars.
I did not start the walk well as I made the wrong decision at the small electric tower. In front on this was a very healthy bog and a burn. The driest way through this heading uphill was to the east side right in front of the legs of the tower. There was a grass path ahead leading uphill towards the bracken. What I should have done was to cross the bog and burn and headed west to pick up the grass track that initially ran parallel with the road before heading up between the banks of bracken. This was the path I used on the descent and it was easier than my ascent route as I could where I was placing my feet.

The photograph shows the electricity tower and I should have crossed the bog and the burn on the left about 5 yards in front of the white rock to get to the good grass path.

Initially a steep ascent but the views east towards the two bookles improved with each step.

Once out of the bracken the ascent eased off and there are some minor summits which I found testing after the initial ascent. I could see the drop towards the base of the next steep ascent to point 848m and I decided not to summit the last one but skirt past it on the west side. This was a wise decision as there was a burn I had to cross before the ascent to point 848m as further east there a small peat hagg.

Once at the foot of the ascent I took my bearing and headed towards the large crag with the pink ribbon of rock beneath it. I could not see any path uphill but with the good visibility navigation was made easier. Even though I do have a GPS as back up, navigation could be a problem in poor visibilty on this hill.

As I got nearer the Crag I headed west for about 150 yards crossing a couple of strips of boulders before heading back uphill bi passing the craig.

The views were improving the higher up. The photograph is the view west to Loch Etive and munro Ben Starav on the left and corbett Beinn Trilleachan on the right.

After passing a couple of false summits I reached point 848m. This was at 12.30. Due to what I thought was slow progress at the start I had decided to review the walk at 1pm. However with a 1 mile to go (so far 2 hours to do 1.5 miles) on improving terrain I decided to go to the summit.

The view of the summit after the initial descent from point 848m.

Compared with the rest of the walk this was a quick traverse and soon I reached the summit just before 1pm.

The twin cairns of Beinn Maol Chaluim.

A summit selfing with Sgor na h-Ulaidh in the background. In the opposite direction the summit of Bidean nam Bian was in cloud.

I didnt hang around the summit too long as I did not want to finish in the dark. At this point I did not realise that I would find a better path through the bracken and it was this last stage of the walk that my main concern.

Heading back towards point 848m

Having safely negotiated my way down off point 848m and across the minor summits I arrived at the point where I would start the steep descent back to the car. I used corbett Stob Dubh as my guide.

Stob Dubh

I soon picked up the grass path and I arrived back at the car for 3.30pm.