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Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mhor

Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mhor


Postby dogplodder » Fri Apr 22, 2022 5:49 pm

Route description: Creag Mhòr and Beinn Heasgarnich

Munros included on this walk: Creag Mhòr (Glen Lochay)

Date walked: 19/03/2022

Distance: 24.5 km

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What do you do on short winter days when big hills are off the agenda? Scheme up routes to reach hills you had previously thought you couldn't do, like this pair in Glen Lochay! I didn't like the sound of all the bogs around Beinn Heasgarnich and the tale of jonny616's near dice with lingering death had he been on his own with no mates to pull him out. It had pushed Beinn Heasgarnich pretty much into the "don't do" category and for a while had ruled out Creag Mhor as well, until I saw that Creag Mhor could be climbed as an out and back by Glen Lochay without going anywhere near a peat hag or bog. :wink:

It was in that surprising week of good weather in March when Pete and I just happened to be down in Tyndrum. Expecting gales and horizontal rain I'd not thought I'd be climbing any big hills. But MWIS said 90% chance of cloud free Munro summits - a chance too good to miss. Ian had come down for the weekend to climb Corbetts but was happy to include a second visit to Creag Mhor which he'd done from the west side the time before.

Visibility was good as we left Tyndrum but from Crianlarich to Killin we were in fog which continued along Glen Lochay to the parking spot east of Kenknock. I wasn't too bothered as assumed we'd soon climb above it. Once we'd made the right turn up the zig zags towards the gate leading to the hydro track it wasn't long before we were walking above a white layer of cotton wool in the glen with the protruding mountains looking rather splendid. :D

Emerging from the mist to a blue sky above
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Full of the joys at the start of a walk
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Pipeline to be crossed
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Glen Lochay looking east
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West to Meall Glas and Ben Challum
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The dog has found a bone
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Caravan ahead
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Ben Challum closer
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It was five and a half miles of easy walking on an undulating track and didn't seem that long before we got a sight of Sron nan Eun which we had to climb to reach Creag Mhor. But on the way back it felt every inch of the five and a half miles. :lol:

Craggy Sron nan Eun
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The track descended to reach a junction with the one coming up from the glen (our return route) and after going through a gate in the fence we turned sharp right and followed it up.

Following the fence
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We saw a guy on the other side of the fence and when we converged at the gate went through to join him. On reflection we should have stayed on the west side but the effect of meeting someone else is to assume what they're doing must be right! :roll: After about 10 minutes of climbing on that side of the fence we all agreed we should be on the other side but hadn't the heart to waste our effort by going back down to the gate and kept going in the hope there would be a gap under for the dog if we needed to climb it.

There was no dog-shaped gap but with great good fortune (for us, not the deer management of the estate) there was a section of fence flattened by snow where we were able to easily cross (along probably with all the deer for miles around). We then continued climbing while scanning Sron na Eun for an easy way up on to its ridge. 8)

As far as possible we weaved our way between the snow patches and the ones we had to cross were no problem, being soft enough to kick steps into. Seeing snow patches ahead on Creag Mhor I put my spikes on, but to be honest didn't need them as was mostly walking on rock or grass.

Negotiating snow patches
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Beinn Heasgarnich from east side of Sron nan Eun ridge
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First view of Creag Mhor appearing
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Creag Mhor zoomed
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Stob nan Clach and Creag Mhor from Sron nan Eun ridge
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Scout dog returning to whistle
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Rare moment when I'm ahead of Ian
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Dazzling view SW
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Nearing the top we met a group doing the same as us, an out and back to Creag Mhor. I think if it had been summer conditions I'd have been tempted to include Beinn Heasgarnich and take my chances with the bogs, but once at the top was very happy with what we'd done. It's a great viewpoint and seeing such beauty on a day like this made reaching it rewarding enough without trying to add anything more. :thumbup:

Creag Mhor summit 1048m
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Celebrating with the mutt :clap:
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Ian admiring the view north
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Beinn Mhanach and Loch Lyon
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After the usual photos and something to eat we started our return, retracing our steps to the Sron na Eun ridge.

Heading back to Sron nan Eun
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Trying to figure out where to put feet with spikes on and no snow :lol:
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Ian doing his own more elegant thing
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Snow melting into lochans
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The winding River Lochay and the long walk out
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We followed the faint path along the ridge but lost it around the top of the crags. We could see the gate in the deer fence below but not an obvious route to reach it so backtracked slightly to the west and found a way down on grass between rocks. I saw sheep below so put Keira on the lead (can't take chances) as we neared the fence that led back to the track.

Steep descent off Sron nan Eun
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We had decided for variety we would walk out by the lower track so turned right at the junction and zig zagged down past some buildings and then left along by the river. I wanted to let the dog have a swim in the river and waited for a sheep-free spot to let her off to go in. She's so obsessed with water I doubt she'd have bothered with sheep anyway but you never know for sure. There were a lot of sheep in the glen, which there weren't on the higher track, a point worth noting for folk with dogs. The walk out did feel longer than the one above the inversion had been, but was still very pleasant with the sinking sun on our backs. No photos taken as too busy concentrating on fast walking back to the car!

All in all a fabulous day. :clap:
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby HalfManHalfTitanium » Sat Apr 23, 2022 5:19 pm

What wonderful photos!

i think this was the day I was nearby on the Ben Lawers range.

this is the way i will go if I ever climb Creag Mhor - that is, by itself!

Looking at the map, there is an easier and probably more interesting approach to Beinn Heasgarnich using the track along the south side of Loch Lyon and then the NW ridge (which looks quite fine and well-defined) to the top.

Thanks for sharing!

Tim
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby dogplodder » Sun Apr 24, 2022 2:37 pm

HalfManHalfTitanium wrote:
this is the way i will go if I ever climb Creag Mhor - that is, by itself!

Looking at the map, there is an easier and probably more interesting approach to Beinn Heasgarnich using the track along the south side of Loch Lyon and then the NW ridge (which looks quite fine and well-defined) to the top.



That sounds like a plan.... The winding path along the lochside might be a negative but worth checking out. If you pull it off and can recommend it I'd certainly consider going that way. 8)
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby shredder » Tue Apr 26, 2022 5:13 pm

That deep blue sky against the dazzling white - what a day you got! :mrgreen:
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby malky_c » Wed Apr 27, 2022 11:46 pm

That was a fantastic week (and a half?) of weather 8) . Rarely have those hills looked so good!
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby Huff_n_Puff » Thu Apr 28, 2022 5:15 pm

Beautiful place to be - well done on making the most of the weather. I really like the views of Ben Challum from Glen Lochay, especially covered in show! :D :D
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby Graeme D » Fri Apr 29, 2022 12:27 pm

Ah yes, I'd forgotten about Mr M's experience on that walk! Could have been front page news! Man swallowed by bog! :shock:

Some nice photos (the ones without a Black Labrador are pretty good too! :lol: ). And don't write off Heasgarnich just yet. I feel a prolonged period of sub zero temperatures coming on next winter to freeze all those bogs over. :D
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby dogplodder » Sat Apr 30, 2022 10:34 am

shredder wrote:That deep blue sky against the dazzling white - what a day you got! :mrgreen:


Considering what it's been like for much of April it's almost unbelievable we got a day like that. :D
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby dogplodder » Sun May 01, 2022 6:28 pm

malky_c wrote:That was a fantastic week (and a half?) of weather 8) . Rarely have those hills looked so good!


This is why we do it - to get the occasional days like these! :thumbup:
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby dogplodder » Sun May 01, 2022 6:32 pm

Huff_n_Puff wrote:Beautiful place to be - well done on making the most of the weather. I really like the views of Ben Challum from Glen Lochay, especially covered in show! :D :D


To be honest we'd have gone if it had just been a day without rain or too much cloud. What we got was pure bonus.
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby Gordie12 » Sun May 01, 2022 8:08 pm

Hi DP

That looked like a brilliant day and you have some great photos to go with the memories.

The only time I've been up the far end of Glen Lochay was for the Corbett Meall nan Subh which from memory was decent but no comparison to your walk.
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby dogplodder » Tue May 03, 2022 12:43 pm

Graeme D wrote:Ah yes, I'd forgotten about Mr M's experience on that walk! Could have been front page news! Man swallowed by bog! :shock:

Some nice photos (the ones without a Black Labrador are pretty good too! :lol: ). And don't write off Heasgarnich just yet. I feel a prolonged period of sub zero temperatures coming on next winter to freeze all those bogs over. :D


It's often after I've written hills off I end up doing them. :eh:
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby dogplodder » Sat May 07, 2022 3:56 pm

Gordie12 wrote:Hi DP

That looked like a brilliant day and you have some great photos to go with the memories.

The only time I've been up the far end of Glen Lochay was for the Corbett Meall nan Subh which from memory was decent but no comparison to your walk.


I'd never been further up than for Meall Ghaordaidh which must have been a while ago as Pete came with me. You really don't see Glen Lochay in all its glory only going that far and then again the conditions were perfect. :D
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby Sgurr » Sat May 07, 2022 6:38 pm

Had to climb this for a second time to erase the experience of doing it mid August with added midges.In laws had given us a couple of days off coming north and minding the kids. Ended up lying in the river to avoid midges..but they got our noses, and then boiling alive in the dormobile with the windows shut. Had to drive home in the end. Yours is a 400% better experience.
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Re: Sun, snow, inversion and spectacular views from Creag Mh

Postby dogplodder » Mon May 16, 2022 11:03 am

Sgurr wrote:Had to climb this for a second time to erase the experience of doing it mid August with added midges.In laws had given us a couple of days off coming north and minding the kids. Ended up lying in the river to avoid midges..but they got our noses, and then boiling alive in the dormobile with the windows shut. Had to drive home in the end. Yours is a 400% better experience.


That sounds like torture. :shock:
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