Ton up on Carn Mor Dearg
Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 7:16 pmI always kind of knew that this walk was going to become very personal for me. Not because it was 100 munros. Not because it was CMD, or the arete across to Ben Nevis or anything like that. Events of recent months had put such grand ideas of my own successes into perspective. The achievement of 100 munros simply brought things into sharp focus for me and as I set off from the North Face car park thoughts of some special people to me were very much to the forefront of my mind.
Recently my trips have been long on miles, with long walk ins to get the muscles warmed up. Imagine my shock when, almost immediately leaving the carpark the recently renovated track heads right, up a steep path toward the alt a Mhuillinn. That certainly got the blood pumping and gave the calf muscles an early burn
Walking through the forest there were some nice views back toward Forth William and eventually my first view of the Ben
The track up to the Alt a Mhuillinn is excellent. After crossing a style it was a short trip along the track to the North Face and eventually leaving this track for the path up onto the CMD ridge. Luckily, what with the dry weather recently this path wasn't too bad. I can imagine it would be a bit of a bog trot in wetter conditions. It was another steepish one, which had me taking plenty of 'photo stops' which gave me an opportunity to get my breath back. Rather than hit the ridge at its bottom end the path skirts round to the right and after a short levelling heads back left up a slippery, eroded gravel path to the ridge just below the minor top of Carn Dearg Meadhoach. This gave an opportunity for a short rest at the summit cairn to enjoy the views of the North Face, as well as the view up to CMD itself. So far the day was turning out to be ecellent 
As you can imagine on such a fine day there were a few people about, but is was all good. At the minor summit a few off us were taking the chance to enjoy the views and get a bit of a rest. After a short stop admiring the views it was off on the short, easy walk up to CMD itself. I was after a little space between myself and the other walkers for a few moments; a short time for reflection as I headed up to the CMD summit before the hub bub took over.
As I say, the walking was easy. Just before the summit I stopped. Standing in such magnificent scenery my thoughts were of those special people that were such an influence on my life. For me this was their time, before the euphoria of attaining the summit. Even then, they were first in my thoughts. I was so, so glad that the guys behind me on the hill were just far enough back to enable me this short private moment on the way to and at the summit itself
From the start of the walk there had been a bit of a breeze. At the CMD summit this breeze had turned a touch gusty and so any thoughts of an immediate attempt of the arete was put on hold until the gusts died down. This just gave me the chance to admire the views.
Oh, and what views
Stashed away in my rucksack was a wee bottle of beer, which I had intended to crack open on CMD to raise a toast to others, but a quick look at the arete suggested a clear head might be better Given the gusts of wind, steady legs would also be needed too So it was an easy decision delay the toast until getting myself on the summit of the Ben.
Eventually it was time to tackle the arete. On the initial section leading down from CMD there are bypass paths on both the right and left hand side, but I wasn't there for bypass paths. I wanted to experience the joys of the arete And what joys!! Until this moment I hadn't thought I had a head for these types of heights, but this was some of the best fun on the hills I have ever had. I was aiming to keept to the crest of the ridge all the way, and at no point ever felt any sense of exposure, even with the strength of the wind. I was taking my time, but only because I was enjoying it so much.
Apart from cracking my shin a beauty when scrambling over the rocks on the final section
the arete passed for me without incident. On the very final, steep, section I was hoping to remain on the crest, but the wind was just a touch too strong and so I succumbed and dropped down onto the path for the final push to the base of the Ben.
Then it was a slog up shocking path and boulders onto the summit plateau of the Ben. To be fair, I got there reasonably quickly, but it probably wasn't the best part of the walk. The only compensation was some of the views available.
And then I was on the summit of Ben Nevis.
Ah, what to say about the Ben! Sadly a victim of its noteriety. Which for me is a shame, as I quite like the hill. Given it was a super day there were always going to be crowds on the top (leaving litter all over the place), as well as a steady flow of ill prepared and ill equipped 'ants' up and down the highway on my descent. But today I wasn't going to let this get to me. I decided to drop into a wind break away from the summit hullaballoo and seek a bit of solitude amongst the madness.
Got a good view of the Grey Corries, scene of an epic for me two days before
And it was time to crack open that bottle and raise a toast or two
I had a wander round the summit and along the cliffs. Better views than I had perhaps expected, given how big the summit plateau is. Heading down and there was a last look back at the jumble of the summit
A couple of nice views heading off the summit and down toward Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe as compensation for being on the tourist highway.
Luckily I was leaving the ant trail at the lochan, heading back toward the North Face car park. I chose to take the path to the end of the lochan and then head down the easy ridge leading off Carn Dearg. Nice dry, spongy ground (better than the zig-zags I had just endured) made easy going back to the track at the Allt a Mhuillinn, with some great final views of the Ben
Then it was a short trip back down to the car.
A great walk. In fact an excellent walk - well, I did have amazing conditions If you can overcome the hullaballoo of the Ben Nevis summit then I would highly recommend it
Recently my trips have been long on miles, with long walk ins to get the muscles warmed up. Imagine my shock when, almost immediately leaving the carpark the recently renovated track heads right, up a steep path toward the alt a Mhuillinn. That certainly got the blood pumping and gave the calf muscles an early burn
Walking through the forest there were some nice views back toward Forth William and eventually my first view of the Ben
- View west
- First sighting of Ben Nevis
The track up to the Alt a Mhuillinn is excellent. After crossing a style it was a short trip along the track to the North Face and eventually leaving this track for the path up onto the CMD ridge. Luckily, what with the dry weather recently this path wasn't too bad. I can imagine it would be a bit of a bog trot in wetter conditions. It was another steepish one, which had me taking plenty of 'photo stops'
which gave me an opportunity to get my breath back. Rather than hit the ridge at its bottom end the path skirts round to the right and after a short levelling heads back left up a slippery, eroded gravel path to the ridge just below the minor top of Carn Dearg Meadhoach. This gave an opportunity for a short rest at the summit cairn to enjoy the views of the North Face, as well as the view up to CMD itself. So far the day was turning out to be ecellent - CMD from Carn Dearg Meadhonach
As you can imagine on such a fine day there were a few people about, but is was all good. At the minor summit a few off us were taking the chance to enjoy the views and get a bit of a rest. After a short stop admiring the views it was off on the short, easy walk up to CMD itself. I was after a little space between myself and the other walkers for a few moments; a short time for reflection as I headed up to the CMD summit before the hub bub took over.
As I say, the walking was easy. Just before the summit I stopped. Standing in such magnificent scenery my thoughts were of those special people that were such an influence on my life. For me this was their time, before the euphoria of attaining the summit. Even then, they were first in my thoughts. I was so, so glad that the guys behind me on the hill were just far enough back to enable me this short private moment on the way to and at the summit itself
- CMD summit cairn
From the start of the walk there had been a bit of a breeze. At the CMD summit this breeze had turned a touch gusty and so any thoughts of an immediate attempt of the arete was put on hold until the gusts died down. This just gave me the chance to admire the views.
Oh, and what views
- Ben Nevis North Face from CMD
- First view of the arete
- The Mamores from CMD summit
Stashed away in my rucksack was a wee bottle of beer, which I had intended to crack open on CMD to raise a toast to others, but a quick look at the arete suggested a clear head might be better
Given the gusts of wind, steady legs would also be needed too So it was an easy decision delay the toast until getting myself on the summit of the Ben.Eventually it was time to tackle the arete. On the initial section leading down from CMD there are bypass paths on both the right and left hand side, but I wasn't there for bypass paths. I wanted to experience the joys of the arete
And what joys!! Until this moment I hadn't thought I had a head for these types of heights, but this was some of the best fun on the hills I have ever had. I was aiming to keept to the crest of the ridge all the way, and at no point ever felt any sense of exposure, even with the strength of the wind. I was taking my time, but only because I was enjoying it so much.- Heading onto the arete
- View along initial section of the arete
- Route to the Ben
- View back to CMD
- Mamores from the arete
- The Ben from the arete
- Looking back
- The final section
Apart from cracking my shin a beauty when scrambling over the rocks on the final section
the arete passed for me without incident. On the very final, steep, section I was hoping to remain on the crest, but the wind was just a touch too strong and so I succumbed and dropped down onto the path for the final push to the base of the Ben.Then it was a slog up shocking path and boulders onto the summit plateau of the Ben. To be fair, I got there reasonably quickly, but it probably wasn't the best part of the walk. The only compensation was some of the views available.
- View back down the Ben Nevis 'slog'
And then I was on the summit of Ben Nevis.
Ah, what to say about the Ben! Sadly a victim of its noteriety. Which for me is a shame, as I quite like the hill. Given it was a super day there were always going to be crowds on the top (leaving litter all over the place), as well as a steady flow of ill prepared and ill equipped 'ants' up and down the highway on my descent. But today I wasn't going to let this get to me. I decided to drop into a wind break away from the summit hullaballoo and seek a bit of solitude amongst the madness.
Got a good view of the Grey Corries, scene of an epic for me two days before
- Grey Corries from the Ben
And it was time to crack open that bottle and raise a toast or two
- To absent friends
I had a wander round the summit and along the cliffs. Better views than I had perhaps expected, given how big the summit plateau is. Heading down and there was a last look back at the jumble of the summit
- Looking back at the summit of the Ben
A couple of nice views heading off the summit and down toward Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe as compensation for being on the tourist highway.
- View from the Ben
- Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe
Luckily I was leaving the ant trail at the lochan, heading back toward the North Face car park. I chose to take the path to the end of the lochan and then head down the easy ridge leading off Carn Dearg. Nice dry, spongy ground (better than the zig-zags I had just endured) made easy going back to the track at the Allt a Mhuillinn, with some great final views of the Ben
- The Ben in decent
- The Ben from the Allt a Mhuillinn
Then it was a short trip back down to the car.
A great walk. In fact an excellent walk - well, I did have amazing conditions
If you can overcome the hullaballoo of the Ben Nevis summit then I would highly recommend it 
Some very detailed photos to help those who follow in your footsteps. No wonder you're "cock a hoop" at completing these two.