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I've knwn that I must have been approaching my 1000 Munro for some time now - being 9 away from a third round and having done quite a number of them four times (or more) meant that I had to be close. However, it was only after climbing Gaor Bheinn lst week that I counted them up and discovered...that Gaor Bheinn had been my 1000. Deprived of the opportunity of celebrating that milestone/millstone at the time, I carried it over to this weekend. Incidentally, I also made the decision last weekend that I wanted to make a "triple triple" completion - regular readers may remember my references to plans to complete thirs Munro, third Corbett and second Graham round all on the same walk in Torridon. Well, for a while, the asymetry of that plan has bothered me - it really ought to be three third rounds all on the same walk. Which means committing to another 219 mountains to climb (ie a third Graham round) before I can complete. I can tell you one person that wasn't unduly excited, or even slightly happy about that prospect. "You're nuts" she said. Well tell me something new. We've agreed that I'll mostly do Grahams that she's already done twice when she's not there.
This weekend I asked how she was feeling, after recent multiple health problems (that we've both had, to be fair). "Quite fit" says she. I knew we couldn't get away til Friday morning, as we were at a gig in Glasgow on Thusday night, so it needed to be something fairly close to home. Some Munros, I thought, maybe with a wee Graham on the Sunday. Weather forecast was the usual - rain and wind - hey ho. Ben More and Stob Binnien (plus tops) on Friday, maybe Oss and Dubhcreag on Sat and a nearby Graham then, reasonable action plan. The Munros would count towards a fifth round for me if I ever get that crazed...
Beautiful sunshine leaving Greenock at half seven on Friday morning, which turned into very heavy rain driving up Lochlomondside. There was an incredible rainbow - a double rainbow with a third arc coming out of the circumference of one of the other two and rising at a different angle. Didn't stop for a picture, which I regret. We parked by the farm at Benmore, several cars there before us, and got kitted up. Clag was down although it was reasonably dry. We planned to get to the bealach between the two hills, but took a different, and possibly better path up than the WH route suggests. I was feeling tired as we reached the bealach and knew there was almost 400m more to ascend. Into the clag - it reminded me of MC Escher's never ending staircase, I'd look up and see Allison some way ahead, then after another 5 minutes I'd look again and she'd be just as far away without there being any sense of gaining height. But we did, thankfully, reach the top. Ha! Munro 1001....A fierce and cold wind was blasting away at us and we sought shelter down to the south of the summit, where we ate lunch. A fine path heads out to the MT of Stob Coire an Lochain, the approach route from Inverlochlaraig, which is quite pleasant as I recall. Anyway, from here we had to pick our way down to the second MT of Meall na Dige. The clag had lifted by this time giving lovely views up to Ben Vorlich /Stob a'Chroin. We retraced our steps back to Stob Binnien then all the way back down to the bealach and all the way up Ben More. At least there's a path is all I can say. Is it the trig point or the cairn that's higher? Allison once had a bit of a ding-dong with Davie Sothern about this, but hill-bagging gives the trig as the highest point so there...The descent was long but reasonable - the path down having improved, or at least become more distinct since I last used it.
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Al, on Flickr
1001
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Al, on Flickr
Nice day in Perthshire
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Al, on Flickr
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I'd hoped to get down about 4pm, which would give us sufficient light to get to Dalrigh and find a spot to camp for the night, but it was nearer 4.45 when we reached the car, already getting dark. By the time we drove to Dalrigh it was dark and the rain had come on. I had fancied there would be a tent spot inside the old pine forest, but it was about a mile from the car park and I wasn't intending to go there in the rain. We had scoped out an emergency spot beside the car park - there's a picnic bench on gravel - flat but not exactly ideal Anyway we opted for that, not being sure wht sort of qctivity the car park would see overnight. One camper van appeared, that was it. And they were German and quiet. All good - the road noise was significant but would tail off as the night wore on. We got to sleep - til just gone 2am when an enormous thundering lorry approached our spot, complete with flashing hazard lights. This was the gritter. I was surprised they were out doing the roads, as it didn't seem that cold and was raining, but they were. They must fill up with grit nearby, because the lorry made another two noisy visits during the night, rendering sleep impossible.
At 8am as we were forcing ourselves out of bed after little sleep the first of the hill-walkers arrived. We were ready to go by 8.45 and set off along the standard route for Oss and Dubhcreag. I was right about there being a pitch spot in the woods - there's a nice one just after the (new) bridge at the start of the woods. We recalled the old bridge that had been here the first time we'd done these hills back in 2013 and how my dog needed much encouragement to cross it
Anyway , we'd not gone far into the trees when Allison thwacked her head on a low hanging branch. She staggered back, having almost knocked herself out (the perils of wearing a peaked cap and having to watch where you place your feet). She'd really hurt herself, but after I administered a quick neuro check I reckoned she was fit to go on. She did say, the following day, that it still hurt to think...
The "path" up through the woods is a real bogfest. The recent rains won't have helped but it could do with some attention. I was still struggling with anything that involved ascent and trailed behind her. The rain was on and clag was down, so the photo opportunities were slender. We got out of the trees and onto the lower flanks of Dubhcreag. And plodded our way up to the bealach/cairn. I suggested we get to Dubhcreag summit then have some lunch, which we did, meeting a large group of maybe 12 walkers coming down from the summit "having the time of their lives" as one wet wag said. Lunch was welcome and we set off across to Oss, which we could sometimes see when the clag briefly lifted. We met the large group coming down. At the summit we met a group of three guys who had taken an "alternate" route up Oss and were going on over a'Chleibh and Laoigh, having left a car at each end. I thought they were chancing it a bit with the light/time but on looking back at my stats, I did the four as a loop from Tyndrum (one car) and covered the 28k in 7hours 45minutes. Ah, when I was fit, back in 2016. As it turned out it would take us longer than that today to cover not much more than half that distance.
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Al, on Flickr
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Dubhcreag
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Al, on Flickr
Oss
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Anyway, having reached to top we set off back to the bealach/cairn, grudging the re-ascent. We didn't see the large group at all, so I don't know where they went to. Maybe swallowed up in the bog. Allison was taking no chances with losing her footing, whilst I managed to slip on exposed roots and have three falls. I'd hoped to get back to the car, pick up the camping gear and head back to the spot we'd found by the bridge but in the end we found one nearer the car park which we reckoned would do as the darkness was falling like the rain once more.
A better night, with the noise from the river blurring the road noise. A few fireworks going off in Tyndrum. No gritting lorries heard
. In the morning (wet again) we headed back to the car, having decided to do Meall Odhar (a third round Graham for me - yippee!). Parked in the village (though we could have parked at the train station which was empty) and set off along the mine path. Heavy rain initially them more drizzle and clag. Picked up the mine zigzags. Allison was out of water and I suggested she fill up at one of the streams coming down the mountainside. She worried about lead poisoning. I told her not to be daft. I asked if she could see any lead atoms rolling around the bottom of her water bladder? She claimed the water tasted funny and burned her tongue. Honestly
We paused for lunch at Drochaid an Droma, she refilled her bladder at a less poisonous looking location and we pressed on to the summit of Meall Odhar. Neither of us could muster the enthusiasm or energy to continue over Beinn Chuirn, so we headed off Odhar to the south making for the firebreak in the trees and thence to the track from Cononish back to Tyndrum
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