free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Thanks to Walkhighlands for pointing out the Loch Lomond National Park boundary sign immediately south of the parking space. Without that it would have been easy to drive past on a busy A82 with nowhere to turn. It's on a high column of black stone so hard to miss, even if the parking space is! There was only one other vehicle parked when we arrived so plenty of space.
We set off along the track, soon to be joined by the WHW coming in from the right. We were heading for Beinn Mhanach, which Ian had climbed before but a new one for me. It had been on my short list since Huff_n_Puff recommended it for the lovely walk up Glen Auch. A couple of dates had been pencilled in but the weather didn't play ball and it's a long drive for a day with no views, so it didn't happen. This time I was determined and had packed sandals if boots had to come off for the river crossings.
Keira and me (Ian's photo)
Walking with Keira reminded me of the day almost exactly 5 years earlier when I walked this stage of the WHW with recently adopted Callie, using it as a training day for her non existent lead walking skills. She made good progress that day which brings a lump to the throat as we were so soon to lose her.
Beinn Dorain and happy Callie April 2018
Beinn Dorain April 2023
Enjoying the morning sun
I remembered the stone bridge from 5 years earlier and this is where we made the mistake. The directions said we would reach a cross-roads, that the WHW continues over a bridge and to continue for Beinn Mhanach we turn right alongside the Allt Kinglas. For some reason I interpreted that as the track going right AFTER crossing the bridge, not before it. So we crossed and I got a photo of the bridge from the far side. I checked where we were in relation to the downloaded map, showed it to Ian and we agreed we were on the right track.
Bridge we shouldn't have crossed
The mistake I made was not checking again once we'd walked on a bit. I did wonder why the track turned into a grassy path as we neared the viaduct but assumed we'd pick up a better track soon.
Wrong side of the Allt Kinglas
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As we walked under the viaduct Ian said we were on the wrong side of the river. We could see the track we should have been on on the other side. Just at that point there was a gate through the fence separating us from the river so we went down to investigate crossing possibilities. Thanks to helpfully placed rock it was possible to cross almost completely to the far side. Ian who has longer legs than mine got across with only one awkward step on rock a bit below the water. The trouble was the rock was green which usually means slippy and the water was gushing strongly around it. Ian confirmed it was slippy. I figured there was a reasonable risk I would slip on it and fall headlong and that would be game over for Beinn Mhanach. I felt a wimp but said I wouldn't risk it. So we had a choice of continuing on the north side until we found a place I could safely cross or returning to the stone bridge and getting on to the right track from the start. We decided to go back.
When we reached the turning we missed I could say in our defence that the correct track looks like an entrance for heavy vehicles to a work site further along. No excuse but it may have added to the confusion. We reckon that mistake added about 2 miles to our route.
Correct track goes through work site
Once clear of the work site it is a pleasant riverside track which gave much easier walking than the other side.
On correct side of the Allt Kinglas
Under the viaduct
The slippery green rock that was my nemesis is out of shot by the nearside bank. From here it's hard to see what the problem was. Our next challenge was crossing the various ford points which I expected after rain and snow melt might need a paddle.
Keira demonstrating how easy it was at first crossing point
The water level was low enough to cross with boots on and this was the case at each crossing.
Up glen to Beinn a' Chuirn and Beinn Mhanach
Another crossing point
And another
For much of the glen Keira was on the lead owing to the presence of sheep. Near where the track bends to the right I let her off for a dip in the river and hoped once we started the hill ascent she could be off. But that didn't happen as there were sheep for most of the way up.
Beinn a'Chuirn ahead with Beinn Mhanach behind
Auch Glen looking back, Ben Lui now visible
Bridge over Allt a'Chuirn
Where Allt a'Chuirn flows down to Loch Lyon
Leave track here
Immediately after crossing the bridge we left the track and climbed steeply to reach the grassy slopes of Beinn Mhanach. There was a faint path to start with but it was mainly a case of every man for himself, keeping the burn on one side and the fence on the other.
Beinn Dorain and Beinn an Dothaidh
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I found it harder work than the ascent of Beinn a' Chrulaiste the previous day. That had a path to follow which makes a big difference and this grassy slope was softer and lumpier than some grassy slopes. It felt like walking through brose with the occasional streak of black treacle, which my dad had for his breakfast when I was a kid. For the uninitiated, brose is made from good quality oatmeal (preferably toasted under the grill), a sprinkling of salt and just enough boiling water stirred in to give a stiff consistency, with a dollop of black treacle added for sweetness and cream from the top of the bottle (back in the days when you got cream at the top of the bottle). It probably doesn't have most people salivating but my dad loved it and ate it with a fork. So to be accurate (and fair to brose) this slope was more like walking through porridge which has a softer consistency than brose and didn't provide a firm launching pad for each step. I don't like holding folk back so said to Ian to go on at his own pace but to wait for me at some point before the top as the day before he got chilled waiting for me in the strong wind at the summit and I didn't want him getting hypothermia due to my slowness.
He was planning to include the Munro top Beinn a' Chuirn, so suggested instead of doing it on the descent he would do it first and meet me at the Beinn Mhanach summit. That gives a fair idea of the difference in speed between him and me! So off he went. For a while I wasn't too far behind but inevitably the distance increased as I watched him crossing the burn and disappearing up the far side.
Ian out of sight
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Keira wasn't happy. Along with all my previous hill walking dogs she doesn't like her pack splitting up. If off lead she would run between me and any spread out members of the group, clocking up a vastly greater distance than us mere humans would do. There were sheep dotted about this hillside so Keira was on the lead. This meant she couldn't do her usual thing of periodically checking on Ian before returning to me. In any case I didn't want her running between us when he was going quite a distance away. Even she would have been exhausted with that, so apart from the sheep I would have kept her on. This meant she was straining ahead, not enough to be a problem to me but enough to have her making that half choking sound dogs make when they're straining at the lead. So all in all it wasn't as relaxed and enjoyable an ascent as it might have been. I had no spring in my legs, sat down three times for a break, ate a cereal bar, looked at the view and wondered if the top would ever come.
View down Auch Glen
Tip of Loch Lyon appearing
When the gradient eased and lumpy grass turned into solid ground I miraculously recovered. This was the top of Beinn Mhanach and there were views on every side which made all the effort worth it!
Almost there
Beinn Mhanach summit 953m
Young lad glad to have arrived
Dogs are strange. Quite often on a hill Keira adopts a protective role and barks when "strange men" approach, specially if she doesn't approve of what they're wearing! She's funny about hats or anything unusual. So when this young guy approached the summit cairn with arms spread wide I assumed she'd tell him off. But no, she greeted him with delighted tail wagging and he wrapped his arms round her (turned out he had a lab at home). Keira was possibly still worrying about what had happened to Ian and may have thought this was him approaching. There will be some explanation known only to dog psychologists.
So what had happened to Ian? To my chagrin I have to confess he had climbed Beinn a' Chuirn and STILL reached the Beinn Mhanach summit before me! I knew he would as could see him streaking down the ridge to the bealach between the two while I was still floundering in porridge. He wasn't there much before me but he did beat me and when I arrived at the cairn he was out of sight taking photos. I did the same and the strange thing was while every step was an effort coming up it was no effort at all to walk all round the wide flat summit taking photos.
View north to snow topped Ben Nevis in centre
Beinn a'Chreachan
East to Loch Lyon and Ben Lawers
Zoomed to Ben Lawers
South to Creag Mhor, Beinn Challum and Crianlarich hills
The descent was a civilised affair with Ian taking Keira's lead so I could use my poles to negotiate the lumpy surface without twisting an ankle. We crossed over the fence about half way down and picked up a bit of a path near to it which I hadn't found on the way up.
Start of the descent
Zoomed west to Ben Cruachan
Beinn nam Fuaran, Auch Glen, Beinn Dorain
Once down on the track it was just a case of retracing the outward route over the river crossings but without the extra wee excursion on the wrong side. Once we joined the WHW I felt that was us almost back at the car but there was still a bit to go and uphill too. The legs were tired but it had been a great day out among old pals with fond memories of climbing them, like Beinn Dorain, impregnable from this side but easily reached from Bridge of Orchy.
Beinn Dorain from WHW
I still don't have a photo of Beinn Mhanach, a retiring hill that offers good views of many others!
