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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.
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.
Emerging from the mist to a blue sky above
Full of the joys at the start of a walk
Pipeline to be crossed
Glen Lochay looking east
West to Meall Glas and Ben Challum
The dog has found a bone
Caravan ahead
Ben Challum closer
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.
Craggy Sron nan Eun
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
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!
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.
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
Beinn Heasgarnich from east side of Sron nan Eun ridge
First view of Creag Mhor appearing
Creag Mhor zoomed
Stob nan Clach and Creag Mhor from Sron nan Eun ridge
Scout dog returning to whistle
Rare moment when I'm ahead of Ian
Dazzling view SW
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.
Creag Mhor summit 1048m
Celebrating with the mutt
Ian admiring the view north
Beinn Mhanach and Loch Lyon
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
Trying to figure out where to put feet with spikes on and no snow
Ian doing his own more elegant thing
Snow melting into lochans
The winding River Lochay and the long walk out
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
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.