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Garbh Bheinn - a leg-stretcher on a rough hill

Garbh Bheinn - a leg-stretcher on a rough hill


Postby DaveSan » Tue Jan 25, 2022 6:39 pm

Route description: Garbh Bheinn, Loch Leven

Corbetts included on this walk: Garbh Bheinn (Loch Leven)

Date walked: 25/01/2022

Time taken: 3 hours

Distance: 6 km

Ascent: 865m

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This was the first day of my 9th Corbett trip in 2021 - six of the previous eight I'd camped, the other two being day-trips to the Southern Uplands from home in Cumbria. This time I had the luxury of a self-catering apartment in Ballachulish for 5 days while Ailsa was on a wild swimming holiday in Mull before joining me for 2 days at the end of the week.

The forecast for the week wasn't brilliant, with some prolonged periods of rain interspersed with some drier days, however, with a warm apartment to return to at the end of the day, at least I had the chance to dry out boots and gear properly. I dropped Ailsa off at Oban ferry-port and then drove up to Glencoe, and on to the B863 towards Kinlochleven. There were no other cars parked in the small lay-by near the bridge just after the Caolasnacon campsite and donning full waterproofs, I set off on the initially boggy path next to the Allt Gleann a' Chaolais. It had been raining for much of the morning but was now just a bit gloomy with thick bands of cloud coming and going.
IMG_20210925_142822783_HDR.jpg
Autumnal shades and a view back down to Loch Leven

After veering left onto a path up to the crags on the ridge, the steep north face of the Aonach Eagach ridge came into view on my right. The clouds suddenly lifted off the bealach between Garbh Bheinn and Meall Dearg (one of the two Munros on the Aonach Eagach). For information, the alternative route of ascent for Meall Dearg, for those not wishing to imperil themselves on traversing the exciting (!) Aonach Eagach, is via the bealach and an easy walk from there up the NE ridge. For comparison, from what I've read, the easiest alternative for the other Munro, Sgorr nam Fiannaidh, is probably via an ascent of the Pap of Glencoe.
IMG_20210925_143229966.jpg
Looking up to the bealach between Garbh Bheinn and Meall Dearg (in the clouds)

After passing the initial set of crags, I traversed a flatter section before the path climbed again between more crags and up to the minor summit at 765m.
IMG_20210925_142808344_HDR.jpg
View from the flatter section with the 765m minor summit ahead and the very top beyond

The final dome of the hill then loomed up ahead of me.
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Approaching the final climb to the top

There was a lot of cloud swirling around as I made my way past more crags until reaching the small summit plateau with numerous cairns. At the highest point I stopped for a bite to eat and caught glimpses of views down to Loch Leven and over to Mam na Gualainn to the north and to the Aonach Eagach to the south. I walked over to the lower but larger cairn to the east and another that was just a bit lower than the high point and then set off back down the same way.
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The cloud level dropped as I descended, accompanied by light rain. With wet rocks, I took my time on the steeper sections and runs of loose gravel. Once past the upper reaches and onto less steep ground I made faster progress and was soon back at the car, a round trip of about 3 hours.
DaveSan
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 61
Munros:36   Corbetts:221
Fionas:10   Donalds:7
Hewitts:131
Wainwrights:194   
Joined: Jun 27, 2017
Location: Tallentire, Cumbria

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