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Beinn a' Ghlo the 'wrong' way

Beinn a' Ghlo the 'wrong' way


Postby TELDUKE » Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:00 pm

Route description: Beinn a' Ghlò

Munros included on this walk: Bràigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain, Càrn Liath (Beinn a' Ghlò), Càrn nan Gabhar

Date walked: 05/06/2022

Time taken: 8.5 hours

Distance: 22 km

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Studied the options for tackling the 3 Munros taking note that it can be considered a 'strenuous' hike taking in all three. Forecast was pretty good with a light NE wind so decided to avoid the conventional climb up the Carn Laith staircase in favour of taking the long counter-clockwise route to Carn nan Gabhar instead while benefiting from the cooling breeze. But mostly due to my dislike of long slog home at the end of a climb.

My thoughts were to maintain height until later in the evening so that I could descend with a lower sun creating longer shadows across the hills and corries so set off a fair bit later in the day too arriving at the Loch Moraig car park just after mid-day. It seems to be a long drive cross country from any par of the country to reach these Perthshire hills and Archie the westie was quite fed up by the time we arrived. The car park was full but plenty room off the verge of the road to lay up.

2022-06-03 13.02.02.jpg
Carn Liath


2022-06-03 13.26.30.jpg
spot the lamb


2022-06-03 13.34.46.jpg
eastern route


set off with some pace to avoid the midge which were beginning to arrive even though Archie thought he deserved some sniff time after his long drive. Quickly come across come runners that had already completed the route and then a few groups of hikers that were wearily walking past the east side of Carn Laith and had some initial doubts that maybe my tactics weren't the best, this doubt was raised again when a hiker at the bottom of Beinn Bheag quizzed me on my choice of route and said the would be interested to see my report back (I assume she meant on here!!)



had a bite to eat and some carbs before starting the real ascent between Braigh Coire Chruinn Bhalgain and Aigoid Bheinn, taking in the elevation I still had to make was a bit daunting especially having drained some energy walking through the permanent bog in the sides of All Bealach an Fhionda (this was after a particularly dry spell so must be bad after a period of raining)


the push to the top of the glen seemed harder than the contours showed and still had the push up to my first Munro - Carn nan Gabhar - to go. A group coming down pointed out that the true summit was the 3rd cairn which is not usually something you want to hear and I had no pleasure in sharing the same message to 2 groups that were celebrating reaching the first cairn!

2022-06-03 16.23.36.jpg
view south to Braigh Coire Chruinn Bhalgain and Carn Liath from Carn nan Gabhar


At this point the views were great and had full view of the remaining 2 Munros albeit still quite daunting as normally I am home or near the car park by now. The push west up Braigh Coire Chruinn bhalgain looked harder than reality and probably got to the summit in less than an hour.

2022-06-03 16.23.31.jpg
view west from Braigh Coire Chruinn Bhalgain


GOPR0004.JPG
great view to the south of Carn Liath from Braigh Coire Chruinn Bhalgain


didn't hang about too Long before making my way towards the impressive Behind Mhaol ridge, was a bit concerned at the amount of elevation I was losing and it was at this point that it did cross my mind to bail out and take the track back down the north of Beinn Bheag to the easier option back to the car park. I'm glad that I persevered and pushed up the ridge to Carn Liath. The summit was the only time where the cloud dropped a bit and covered the cairn but soon disappeared to leave a fantastic view south and east where the sun was lowering int the horizon. note - need to take into account that this route offers limited opportunity for collecting water once up at height for last 3-4 hrs.

GOPR0009.JPG
view south before descent


Finally, the point my knees dread as I started making my way down the steep front of Carn Liath but was delighted to follow the very well made 'steps' that lead almost all the way down, this was a saviour as I hate descending steeply on loose ground and rocks.

all in all was the choice of time and route the correct one.........absolutely!!

Screenshot 2022-06-14 at 21.04.25.png
Last edited by TELDUKE on Thu Jun 16, 2022 9:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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TELDUKE
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Re: Beinn a' Ghlo the 'wrong' way

Postby jmarkb » Wed Jun 15, 2022 8:44 am

It is odd how some circular routes seem to acquire an accepted direction to do them in. I also like doing this one anti-clockwise (though I prefer to go up and over Airgiod Beinn rather than via the col).
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Re: Beinn a' Ghlo the 'wrong' way

Postby HalfManHalfTitanium » Wed Jun 15, 2022 9:51 am

Great report and photos!

I agree that almost all descriptions of this route seem to do it clockwise. However, if and when I get to these hills, I will go this way round.

I think the views ahead on the ascent will be better in morning light, and also on the way back, it gives the option to bail out and descend from the bealach before Carn Liath if I am tired by that point. I think after a big day, the long walk out would be a bit of a killer without any option to shorten it.

tim
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Re: Beinn a' Ghlo the 'wrong' way

Postby Sgurr » Wed Jun 15, 2022 1:08 pm

Husband did it your way, cycling up the glen on my bike and leaving it for me to retrieve and cycle back down, having done the circuit the "right" way. He got back to the car before me, despite cycling UPHILL on a bike that was too small for him, but that was in 1995 before altitude sickness on Everest seemed to deal a permanent blow to his fitness and reduced him to my pace. On the other hand, it COULD prove that the way you did it was faster.
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Re: Beinn a' Ghlo the 'wrong' way

Postby nigheandonn » Wed Jun 15, 2022 2:34 pm

Doing it the usual way, every hill is higher than the last - there might be something to be said for getting the bulk of the climbing done at the start and averaging downhill from there
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Re: Beinn a' Ghlo the 'wrong' way

Postby jmarkb » Wed Jun 15, 2022 2:58 pm

There is also a good reason for going anti-clockwise in winter - finding the right descent line off BCCB towards Bealach na Fhiodha in snow and poor vis can be "interesting"!
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Re: Beinn a' Ghlo the 'wrong' way

Postby dav2930 » Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:12 pm

jmarkb wrote:There is also a good reason for going anti-clockwise in winter - finding the right descent line off BCCB towards Bealach na Fhiodha in snow and poor vis can be "interesting"!

Yes I remember going down off BCCB towards the bealach and having to negotiate a rim of bulging snow that had almost formed a cornice. It certainly helped to be able to see where I was going - in poor visibility it would indeed have been "interesting". Definitely would be easier in ascent.
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