Three Lochs Triangular Wander

[weaselmaster]

With only two weeks to go before we embark on the Cape Wrath Trail I was focussed on getting some distance in this weekend. With a forecast for sunny, dry weather all weekend, there was some temptation to go and do some more exotic hills, but I reined in that impulse and kept to the task in hand. Inwardly Ive been cursing all the sunny dry weather recently as I'm convinced that for every fine weather day we get just now, we will get a rainstorm each day we are on the Trail...
Regular readers will recall that I was supposed to be getting hand surgery for a pre-malignant lesion on my thumb, back in March. And I heard nothing. Until last week, when I received a letter summoning me to Stobhill for day surgery on Saturday 7th May. Well, sorry and all that, but I plan to be 3 days into the CWT by that time. I phoned to put back any surgery til the end of the year - one needs to have priorities in this life

2022-04-22_0842 Raw.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Anyway, to return to this weekend - I'd put together a circuit to do two Grahams in the Mamores, along with William's Leap, which came in at 50-plus km - then do one of the Munros we need to tick off in the area on the Sunday. When I suggested the route to Allison she told me it was "a bit nuts" - to which I did not take kindly....I mean - 3 hills and a good bit of track walking with big packs - nice CWT prep as far as I can see. Despite her comments, we drove up to Kinlochleven on Thursday evening, arriving in glorious sunshine about 6.30...as I had planned to camp in the woods behind the Grey Mare's Tail this was way too early, as it would be infested with dog-walkers for a while yet. We had our tea sitting outside the Ice Factory, on some new benches they've installed there, then I suggested we nip in for a pint - seemed like a good way to pass a bit of time. We were the only people in the bar but had a good chat with the barman/instructor who had given up his old life as a truck mechanic and started at the Ice Factory six weeks ago.

After a perfectly ordinary pint of Guinness we got our kit out the back of the car and set off up the An Cumhann path. We elected to go further than the woods, which were still busy with dog walkers and continued up to around 350m, where there are some tussocky spots you can pitch in if you are really determined. We got a nice sunset over Loch Leven and a quiet, dry night.

C800F292-CC93-4EC1-8A18-2125931CF12E_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Next morning we continued along the track, heading to the dam over the Allt na h-Eilde nd taking the track that leads to Meall na Cruaidhe. I'd been up here myself in December, doing Glas Bheinn, and as we passed the cairn I could see Allison was swithering... should we just go up Glas Bheinn since we're passing by? This from a woman who was definitely not doing a third round of Corbetts She replied that my incessant dragging her over Corbetts anyway has made her want to hedge her bets on this topic. It didn't add much distance to the route as we could link the Graham from the end of the Corbett, and was just an extra 250m ascent. So we did that, stopping at the summit, out of the cold wind for lunch. Another couple appeared after a bit and we chatted about hills left and stuff.

B9D21ADE-DEE5-4D19-B94C-B9D9C5BD6A7D_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

C2A89150-135C-48F7-8303-495BAB919206_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

1D08BF39-8230-4BA2-8577-35B45D42BB32_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

We continued along the summit ridge NE for a bit, then dropped down into Gleann Guibhsachan, heading up the flank of Beinn na Cloiche. Good views of the many hills around, most with little or no snow left. From here I had cheekily tagged on the Simm of Meall a'Bhainne with lies parallel to Beinn na Cloiche and misses being a Graham by a measly two metres. It was much of a repetition of the journey from Glas Bheinn to Beinn na Cloiche. From the summit we followed an old deer fence line NW, making for the Abhainn Rath and Staoineag bothy.

BEM with Crowberry Tower visible
8F2BFDC7-91AF-4B72-858B-04696E61F72A_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

The Easains from Beinn Na Cloiche
7FC38E81-A977-4F2A-8DB7-236F696A7F19_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

8F77AFDF-9CDD-4244-A330-5FE092812F70_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Loch Treig from Meall a'Bhainne
61893043-DFB6-40C4-B5D3-CF227C49394B_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

972D62E5-F1C8-45E5-A570-9E5662183483_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

CB68EB77-F4D6-4449-BBFF-B7F83DF5ED5D_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

016A8618-C659-4DA9-A99D-F3556D935144_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

We walked along a deer path towards the bothy, and popped in for a nosey and a coffee. A read through the bothy book revealed it's a well used place, being convenient to access from Corrour and Tulloch stations. Seems a lot of bothy first timers ("bothy-virgins"?) use it. Being a Friday night I wasn't keen on staying there, although it was roomy and inviting. Instead we crossed the Abhainn on the stepping stones outside the door and looked for a spot on the other side of the river to camp, finding one quite a bit to the west. We set up the tent then headed up Creag Ghuanach, which is easily climbed from this side, just a steady grassy slope. Back down to the tent, a well earned evening meal and a seat by the river's edge in the evening sunshine.

FAE13494-B863-4925-9E5B-0A59BAC4E1E5_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Funny
E98C624D-B64F-44DE-B3ED-5DA9B60A371F by Al, on Flickr

5F026FCB-1EEA-4E56-B2FF-BD5736C2BE28_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Creag Ghuanach
F8B5452C-4853-4210-8255-1F857EBC4D68_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

08A92906-635F-427B-8878-B0EA51AD85FC_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

DD627027-7C47-4F54-B326-F45565B990C0_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Has anyone heard a cuckoo yet this year? Normally we hear the first one in the middle of April, but have not so far this year. Allison maintains she heard a brief burst of cuckoo-ing when we were in the tent, but I didn't, just the winnowing of a snipe. Otherwise another quiet night - if there were folk in the bothy we saw/heard nothing of them.

Our plan today was to walk along the track towards Corrour, head up the track to William's Leap then come off the SW into Feith Chiarain, before joining the track along the north side of Blackwater reservoir back towards Kinlochleven. The path is very boggy in places, despite all this dry weather - I'd hate to see it after several weeks of rain...We passed by Creaguineach Lodge, which we once camped behind in one of our early expeditions around the Munros of Loch Treig. We were surprised to see a woman and dog come out of it, heading our way. She was walking quicker than us and I asked her as she passed if the lodge was now a bothy. "Not really, but you can gain access to it" she replied as she hurried off for the next train. A few folk passed us by coming in the opposite direction, before we took the ATV track up An Diollaid, remembering a time we'd come off the evening train at Corrour and had camped high on William's Leap in a storm.

50E22EC1-737A-488B-BD81-46B07401E17D_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Loch Treig
B72BBD4A-A5F4-4727-AF45-922C84DBCD72_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

William's Leap
8A783ADA-BF22-40E6-9839-454EDC4498F5_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Loch Ossian
A78987EA-4BF0-4A49-9303-6DAD7209A1C1_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

It's a fair walk around to the summit, especially with a big pack. We then had to return to Beinn a'Bhric to head off the NW side - some deer tracks to follow, but descending into Feith Chiarain took a while and we played a "songs about..." game to pass the time as we descended over heather. We could see another building in the glen, marked as "bothy" on the map. We crossed the Ciaran Water on stepping stones by the bothy and again went to have a look in - I'd heard of Loch Chiarain bothy but didn't know that it was hereabouts. Another spick and span establishment (apart from the couple of bottles of Buckie in a corner) and less frequented than Staoinaig, though it had had residents the night before. Seems to attract a lot of DoE groups. As it was only 3.45 there was no sense in stopping for the night, although I did quite fancy it.

6C31C69E-0830-40A5-B609-AD6CF7C73681_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

32E63CF7-C706-404E-91A8-1179E9E08F8C_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

Loch Chiarain bothy
9C31BC48-EEC9-46B3-B881-25104CD4F451_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

B3F1FA51-9F87-4B06-B03D-20FB6F4B7BC5_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

E4F28FF0-0F90-4B64-9E33-9D13258B829D_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

We continued on a fairly good path down towards the reservoir, nearing which the path deteriorates (or I lost it). We got to the dam and wondered if you could walk across it - razor wire, bars and CCTV suggest not So we continued along the River Leven, thinking we'd camp some kilometres before Kinlochleven and finish the route in the morning. The water level in the waterfalls was the lowest I've seen. We spotted a likely looking pitch just across the other side of the river on what looked to have been old dam works - maybe the remains of an old bridge and road? Anyway, nice level ground covered in moss, but only about 2" deep before you hit concrete or stone. Fortunately the Niak pitches free standing and we could use rocks to weigh down the guy lines.

No - you can't walk across the dam...
3E0BE721-4841-4B3B-BA21-13CD10AE39FA_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

67F90165-5A98-40B8-9F88-522B55DF04CE_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

You need to add 3.5k and 350m ascent as I didn't start the GPS on our walk in on Thursday evening
06D3991F-1F05-493E-B2B2-774054CA3CBC by Al, on Flickr

A colder night, wonderful views of the stars through the slender beech trees around us. Up and away before 8 for the few kilometres into Kinlochleven. We unpacked what we needed into day packs and drove up to the bridge at Gleann a'Chaolais. This would be part two of "The Aonach without the Eeeegach" - we'd done Sgorr nam Fiannaidh some weeks ago on its own and would now get Meall Dearg using the "Thrill-Avoidant" route. It's actually quite a pleasant walk - up alongside the river on decent track til the bealach with Garbh Bheinn at around 500m. Then there's an old fence line, with the thickest wire I think I've ever seen - to follow to the summit. What could be easier? We clearly surprised a couple who were sitting at the summit as to where we'd appeared from. Chatted for a bit, me saying I just didn't fancy the Aonach ridge again, even in good conditions like today (although Allison was a little tempted I think). Then back by the same route.

2022-04-24_0952 Raw.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

14A82A6D-8C7F-46AA-9243-46021621C0CC_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

938EB12D-F69A-42D3-94C6-6A4091A5B176_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

994EC724-3582-4197-AB70-B372DCD16C76_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

5448D16B-B2CF-4C13-BF21-8F3345A66F66_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

6F8A2CDC-3498-4291-B160-19C31309CCF9_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

73D512AC-F491-4A98-8EB8-8622BBE71A32_1_201_a by Al, on Flickr

E1B48FFF-DDB4-430B-BEDA-E9C62D1FF0DD by Al, on Flickr

So one more weekend before we set off on what I'd hoping will be an exciting adventure. Watch this space

[natubat]

"A bit nuts" - just a bit! Beautiful photos though. I'm heading up to Corrour in June, and wondering whether to include Creag Ghuanach and Beinn na Cloiche. Your report has helped me make up my mind, and maybe Glas Bheinn will also be included.
I did hear a cuckoo recently, in Cannich, and it sounded quite distant.