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This is my last 'legacy' report involving Munros (I've only climbed 60 so far, but was so lazy writing them up that I was starting to think I would never catch up). It was a very good day with a *very* high start (549m!), and the weather improved through the day, like it so often seems to do on the hills.
I was running against the clock however, as I had a child to look after so I had to be back for 4.30pm at the absolute latest. There was no time to waste.
Driving into a cloud is always an auspicious start. I don't think the whole route has a path (surely the detour to the Corbett is at least partially pathless?), so I'm hoping this lifts at some point.
The OS map shows a random track at first, leading up to the col just over 600m. In reality it's a path, but at least it's there.
Then oh dear.
Right. Eh, is the whole day like this then aye?
After a few tricky peat hags, the route started to develop a bit more clearly. There are old fenceposts (sans fence) leading the whole way up from the col, and a rough path (probably beaten manually by Munro-baggers) started to develop as the ground got steeper.
Some ghostly sheep guard the way.
Ok, getting there. Bit of a false summit but there's a good rocky path by now. Is that the real summit behind?
Phew.
1hr 25mins after leaving, I was at the top of Meall Corranaich. Probably the only time I'll ever be on a Munro summit at 9.30am...
One Donnie (Munro)!
Ah, there are the sheep again. They seem to be leading the way to a path, and the cloud is clearing behind them. Am I finally going to get some views?
The guidebooks etc. say to take care here, because the ridge splits in two a few minutes after the summit (take the right-hand ridge). But from memory (i.e. Flickr) the path was good between the two Munros.
Slowly but surely the cloud was starting to lift. And there's a proper path here. This was a good stretch between the two Munros.
A human stands down there, leading the way to Meall a' Choire Lèith.
I think that's the Corbett starting to appear, through there to the West?
Voila! 1hr after leaving Meall Corranaich (and 2hrs 25mins from the lay-by), I had reached the summit of Meall a' Choire Lèith. My second (and last!?!) Munro of 2019.
Two Donnies (Munros)!
The Eastern slopes are very steep and rocky, but the summit itself is a bit of a flat dome, in the Perthshire tradition.
Ok, now we're going to get some views. The route leads straight down into this hollow, where most Munro-baggers carry on straight back to the lay-by (the new WH map says there's a path the whole way). But I wasn't done yet. I had reached the second Munro at 10.30am, and I figured if I was back by 2.30pm I'd have more than enough time to get home.
There's the intake marked on the OS map. And behind it, the final goal: Meall nam Maigheach.
A second stream to cross. The time is approaching 11.30am. It's just bizarre that I'm (technically) on the home straight after two Munros and it's still morning. But then it was a high start, and I did have to leave home at Stupid O'Clock.
Finally, a view of the hill what I've just climbed (Meall a' Choire Lèith).
Yeah, this bit's pathless, no doubt about that.
An unusual view of the Tarmachan ridge.
And at last, the views started to open up back towards Lochan na Làirige.
We're here! Just before 12.45pm so about 4hrs 40mins from leaving.
And A Ronnie (Corbett)!
I wasn't expecting to see anyone on Meall nam Maigheach, but on the way down I randomly passed somebody who I think is the oldest hillwalker I've ever seen(?) She was quite an inspiration to be honest: she had an ever-youthful attitude as she bounded up this random Corbett that doesn't really have a path (from memory?)
I passed straight over Meall nan Eun on the way down, as it was only an extra 21m from the col.
Yaaaasssss that's a view.
Finally I picked up the original path from the morning.
When I got back to the car I hit "Finish" on Strava (this was the first time I had used it for a Munro climb), so frustratingly it says I climbed "2,995ft" that day (how dare you?
) But afterwards I noticed this massive cairn up on the hilltop, so took an extra trip up there.
The sheep keep guarding things all day. Here they are acting as temp security for my motor.
One more view of the lochan from the cairn.
It was a great day, and because I was back at the lay-by well before 2pm I wasn't quite as stressed about the time as I'd expected. These were Munros No.51 & 52, and annoyingly they ended up being my only Munros of 2019. Still, I'm sure nothing bad will happen in 2020, so I'll have a clear run at them next year...
