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We first climbed Meall Mhor in spring 2016 (my old report is not displaying properly for some strange reason, need to fix it) and I never gave this Graham a second thought until recently. While looking for easy routes for short winter days, I remembered this modest hill, hidden behind the bulk of Ben Wyvis. It offers great views to the aforementioned Munro and the route we took (from Loch Glass) should not be a problem in winter conditions. We took advantage of the existing forest tracks up to the first col (544m); the upper section requires some peat hag jumping but walking is generally easy. The views might be spoiled by the close proximity of the wind turbines but we have already grown used to these structures popping up everywhere over Scotland. If you can't bring yourself to love them, just ignore them.
Monday morning offered us a frosty morning with low winds, which was a nice change from the blowy experience of the two previous days. We started from the road near Elleanach Lodge and took the track on the left side of River Glass, walking in Narnia-like landscape:
This was a longer route than the previous two festive outings (17.5km) so we started much earlier to give ourselves plenty of time to enjoy the winter wonderland.
- Panther in the shades of black and blue
We crossed the weir on River Glass...
...and continued on the track along the loch for a short distance, passing a large area of felled forest:
Ben Wyvis across the Loch:
This track used to be a nice walk in the woods... Now it is more like a road through devastation
Today Kevin stuffed his pockets with several sets of spare batteries, to avoid the nasty surprise and now he was showing off by photographing every icicle en route
After roughly 3km of walking through mixed landscape of forest and what used to be forest, we emerged on the open slopes below Meall an Tuirc, only to face more icy conditions:
The track now zigzagged up to the first wind turbine, but we were distracted by the superb views across Loch Glass to the mighty Wyvis, Most walkers know Ben Wyvis as a simple "coffin lid" shape when approached from Garbat, but the less popular side of this Munro is definitely more impressive (and worth exploring!):
- Panoramic view of Wyvis and Loch Glass
More icicles:
We left the icy track below the line of turbines ant walked across the wide col, negotiating a few peat hags en route. In wet conditions these could be a real pain in ***, but today the ground was frozen solid:
Kevin in the windfarm wonderland:
From the col it was an easy climb over grass and short heather (we didn't bother looking for paths) to the first top on the ridge (656m). From here, we could see the rest of the route, and of course the nightmare of every obscure hill bagger - more peat hags!
This time of year no peat hag would look appropriately without an icy decoration:
- Icicles forever
Past the second set of hags, it was now easier ground all the way to the summit:
We were so glad that the wind has dropped so we could spend more time on top, enjoying the views of wintry hills in the distance. I'm writing this on a mid-January day with my digital thermometer showing +10*C. I saw Ben Wyvis earlier today from the hills above Beauly and it is completely bare. So nice to go back to that frosty Monday three weeks ago. It was a whole different world!
- Photo session time for Kevin (again)
The distant Fannichs:
Lucy on the trig point (her 106th Graham), Cairn Chuinneag in the background:
The far north of the country must have enjoyed a nice cloud inversion...
...but we were more interested in much closer views, especially south to Wyvis. It looks so majestic:
Hopefully 2022 is going to be a good year... I was ready to end 2021 on a high. We were generally happy with our progress, despite not doing any new Munros, but over 20 new lower hills including some really remote Corbetts and Grahams (hills for connoisseurs) plus 18 plane crash sites! We got back on track after a dismal 2020 so I have a good reason to smile!
It is worth continuing past the summit trig to the edge of the cliffs above Loch Glass for the amazing views of Ben Wyvis and the loch below:
- he wouldn't miss such opportunity, would he?
Panorama:
The western end of the loch and Wyvis Lodge:
Looking back east:
Wintering rigs in Cromarty Firth:
We spent over half an hour on the summit before packing up and retracing our steps to the windfarm. This time, we passed just below one of the turbines. They always make me feel so uneasy, especially when working. The whoooosh sound is disturbing
Sgurr Mor in the distance:
Loch Morie and a whooshing turbine:
It is possible to descend to Loch Glass from the windfarm, taking a steeply dropping track (we did exactly that the previous time), but today we didn't fancy the alternative descent - it looked too icy to our taste. Instead, we returned the way we came up. Down in the glen, the world was quiet and peaceful:
- Peace and tranquility
Tuesday forecast was probably the best of the whole long weekend, so we couldn't miss the chance and headed for one of our favourite Grahams! TR in progress.