free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
What we had really wanted to do was drive down the A82 and walk along Glen Auch to climb Beinn Mhanach. But on the day we were both free the weather was poor in the west and better in the east. We didn't feel like a repeat of the roller coaster trip over the Lecht to Braemar so soon after the last one, so down the A9 it would have to be. The question was what should we do down the A9?
Moira much prefers a path to no path, which rules out a lot of Corbetts and Grahams... and took me to Beinn a' Ghlo, known by its scar of eroded path visible from the A9. It would be my fourth time but Moira had never been so would be pastures new for her. I knew there were paths and they would give us different options after climbing Carn Liath.
We arrived at the familiar parking spot about 8.30am, which I thought being midweek would be early enough to find a space. I was wrong. It was crammed full of cars, campervans and a family sitting round a table having a leisurely breakfast. My heart sank, but what can you do? There's no sign saying no overnight parking so there's nothing to stop campervans from having a free overnight stop and in the process clog up parking spaces intended for walkers wanting to climb the hills which they only want to look at.
They got here the night before
With a bit of skillful manouvering Moira managed to tuck her car into a tight space between campervan and electric fence. We booted up and were quickly on our way along the track and through the gate by the forestry plantation.
The name Beinn a' Ghlo derives from the old Gaelic word 'glo', meaning veil or mist, probably due to the mountain range's tendency to catch and hold on to passing clouds. So we were fortunate to be here on such a beautiful blue sky morning with just the occasional white fluffy cloud like the ones children paint.
Carn Liath ahead
It was good to be back. The first time I was on Carn Liath was the May weekend of 1998, but don't let May deceive you. It was bitterly cold and felt like winter. We had permission to drive up Glen Tilt as far as Marble Lodge and make our approach from there. My memory is of a steep pathless heather-clutching climb with horizontal sleet in our faces and much relief to top out on the ridge from where it should have been an easy stroll to the summit. But the wind was strong and about 10 minutes from the summit, one of our group, a slightly built girl with an over-sized rucksack, was knocked off her feet in a ferocious gust, causing her to panic.
She was shivering with fright and cold so we made a human shield round her and gave her a warm drink and something to eat. Once she was calm we agreed our priority was to get her off the ridge and out of the blast of the wind. Someone took her rucksack and two of our more solidly built blokes each took an arm and walked her safely off. It meant none of us reached the summit that day.
This beautiful July morning felt very different with the blue sky mirrored in the loch and just enough breeze to keep midges away.
Loch Moraig
Left fork for Carn Liath is here
When I returned to Beinn a' Ghlo the following year it was to mark my son Doug's return from Thailand and friend Donald's imminent departure to China. Donald and I were the only ones from the original group in 1998 and this time we approached by the more usual route from Loch Moraig. I vaguely remembered the ground after leaving the track being rough and boggy where now in 2022 there's a good path and no need for diversions to keep feet dry.
Well built path with drainage channels
As we gained height we had great views west
Zoomed to Schiehallion and Glen Lyon Munros
I couldn't help but marvel at the work that's gone into building this stone staircase, heaving massive stones into place and embedding them so they won't budge. I've met path builders on Beinn Alligin - and by the Fords of Avon where the midges were so relentless they'd taken temporary refuge on the roof of the shelter. It's not for the faint hearted.
Stone stairway and look at those clouds
It's a steep ascent made easier by the excellent path. I could see areas on either side which had previously been badly eroded through hikers' boots not sticking to the path. The wide ugly scar previously seen from the A9 is gradually healing as vegetation grows there again.
View west from (almost) the summit
I've come to associate wind with Carn Liath and true to form it was windy so we hunkered down by the summit shelter for a bite to eat.
Carn Liath summit and a new tick for Moira
By the time we left the summit there had been a dramatic change in the weather. The previously blue sky with white clouds had darkened into threatening grey. But as predicted the cloud was high and we could still see the whole of the 15 square mile area that makes up Beinn a' Ghlo. It's a complex area boasting 19 corries and legend says that a rifle shot in any one of them can't be heard in any of the others. I'm not sure if anyone has put that to the test or not.
Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain left, Carn nan Gabhar right
From Carn Liath we followed the ridge snaking its way NE to Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain then east to Carn nan Gabhar, the highest of the three. That view from the A9 is only the tip of the iceberg.
Carn Liath ridge as it leads over the gentle rise of Beinn Mhaol
Looking back up to Carn Liath summit
View north west
In 1999 we continued along the ridge as far as the summit of BCCB and made a pathless descent by its SW ridge. We could have included it today but Moira said she was very happy with what we had done so the plan was to take the path from the col between Carn Liath and BCCB which connects with the approach to Carn nan Gabhar that Anthony and I had used in 2011.
Path up Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain
Our descent path from the col
It was a pretty decent path which only became briefly less distinct on the level ground above where it steepens to cross the Allt Coire na Saobhaich. Or at least that's where we wandered off it, before finding it again.
Our descent to cross the Allt
Ahead of us we could see recently made paths, clearly visible in the sun, and conveniently the path we were on connected with one of them before continuing to traverse round the eastern slopes of Carn Liath at a higher level than we wanted to be. We followed the new path down to a junction with another new path, which was an upgraded version of the path Anthony and I had used to reach Carn nan Gabhar in 2011.
Junction of new paths
Our path in 2011
The new path led to the track we had started on, but further east. It made for easy walking apart from one part requiring nifty footwork where it was flooded. As we passed Loch Moraig and approached the parking area, we could see it was almost deserted, making the positioning of Moira's car look odd. The middle of the afternoon the day before is obviously the time to come to be sure of parking if you want to climb Beinn a' Ghlo!
Farewell Carn Liath
As a hill walk with good paths, great views and a new Munro for Moira, Carn Liath ticked all the boxes. The paths had surpassed themselves and I was impressed by the improvements that have been made over the past 24 years, although to be fair I didn't have much opportunity to sample any paths on that wild May day in 1998.
For various reasons we never got down to Beinn Mhanach and after the deluge of the past few days and rivers running high it's probably not such a good idea right now. Everything in its own time and all that.
