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Creag Meagaidh's window needs demisting

Creag Meagaidh's window needs demisting


Postby EmmaKTunskeen » Tue Feb 22, 2022 8:06 am

Munros included on this walk: Creag Meagaidh

Date walked: 25/09/2021

Time taken: 7.4 hours

Distance: 18 km

Ascent: 927m

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Creag Meagaidh was a hill on my fella's list. He said he'd headed up it when working at Ardvereckie but the conditions were dreadful so he'd got as far as the lochan pretty much, then turned back. Today wasn't much better, apparently. But we had no other plans for the day, so tough!

It didn't look too bad to begin with in fact, but the forecast wasn't promising...

Image003 Moon in the morning over CM by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

The path up is easy and pleasant, and it was a real shame that when we got to the lochan the clag was down and hiding the headwall. We'd had a black grouse fly-by though, so that was a bonus.

Image005 Gentle rise NW above Loch Laggan and Ardvereckie by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image008 Ardverikie House by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image009 Allt Coire Ardair - after black grouse fly-by by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image008 Even more claustrophic lochan than usual by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image009 Towards the Window by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image010 Cowberry and blaeberry by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image013 Meall nan Eagan - Graham - moment in the sun by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image011 The Window today by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image013 Window needs demisting by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

So into the abyss we went, the window looking very un-window-y, and curled round at the top until it seemed about the right point to strike off to the summit. In the clag it was just a plod, for the most part over boggy grass to a ring contour, and then on to the cairn.

Image014 Above the corrie and still smiling by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image015 Half a claggy hour later at the summit cairn by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image017 Discovering a Grey Man of Meagaidh mimetolith by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

My fella was up for making it a circular rather than simply plodding back, andI had one of my navigating-with-another moments. On my own I'd have stayed high I think, but in company (with me map-n-compass navigating) I listened to the request to get down towards the loch. So we had a bit of a brutal healther-bash. :lol:

Image018 Sight restored on steep heathery descent by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image019 Loch Laggans smaller beaches by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image020 Just how much more of this is there by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image022 Lochan na h-Earba and Moy Burn above Loch Laggan by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image023 Feel that pain by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Others were quite enjoying the conditions though :D

Image025 Bog asphodel and fox moth by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Back with our sight restored and the worst over, we made for the burn with its joyful birches and finally followed ATV-chewed up mud back, through the woods, to the start.

Image027 Down the Chomharsain Corrie burn by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image028 Horsehoof tree by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image030 Old woodland by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

The next day we were up at Loch Fleet near Dornoch, enjoying a beautiful sunrise, talkative seals and preening merganser.

Image033 Euans Loch Fleet pano by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image040 Noisy seals by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Image038 Merganser by Emma Kendon, on Flickr

Little did I know we wouldn't be back up this way until March 2022. Weather and work!
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EmmaKTunskeen
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 391
Munros:31   Corbetts:29
Fionas:14   Donalds:17
Sub 2000:6   Hewitts:50
Wainwrights:41   Islands:28
Joined: Aug 19, 2016
Location: was West Sussex, now Ayrshire

Re: Creag Meagaidh's window needs demisting

Postby HalfManHalfTitanium » Tue Feb 22, 2022 3:41 pm

Great report and beautiful photos! - including the fox moth caterpillar and the plants/trees.

And lovely wildlife photos of the coast too.

I was lucky enough to (re)visit this hill on a sunny spring day (https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=81131) and it was truly marvellous to see the regeneration of the wild habitat in the nature reserve. A magical place.

I think you did a similar descent route to my first visit. I recall that the corrie and lochan to the south of Puist Coire Ardair was very fine (if not quite in the Coire Ardair league), but due to the mist you may not have seen it!

Tim
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HalfManHalfTitanium
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 3398
Munros:119   Corbetts:28
Fionas:6   Donalds:6
Hewitts:152
Wainwrights:103   
Joined: Mar 11, 2015

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