The Never Ending Mountain

[inthewildKyle]

What a mountain, what an adventure. Armed with the varying reports from fellow users here on Walkhighlands, i was aware of a certain feature of this mountain - namely the numerous false summits and plentitude of up/down bealachs. I was not prepared for what finally hit me on Meall Garbh, the first of the false tops.

I first set foot on the mountain a little after 7am. I parked in the now-famous tiny car park / lay by favourited by baggers and quickly wandered forth through a gate off the main road, and and then a short walk to a second gate which is handily labelled with the name of the hill ahead, although with a Q instead of a G in Sgulaird (the gaelic speakers among you may know why this is, perhaps?). And then it was a further hike up the forestry road. Now, it was only until i had rounded the lower end of the ridge did i seem to recall some mention of a ridge walk? I quickly checked my directions and... yup, i'd seemingly missed a cairn indicating a path up the ridge. Refusing to acknowledge my mistake i just turned left and slogged up through the open hillside. It was at this point i spotted my hiking companions ahead (who had overtaken me due to my wrong turn).

The ridge ascent was tough but pleasant, as I continually resisted the urge to look behind me at the view i knew would blow my mind. I live in Appin and used to drive over the Creagan Bridge twice a day. So seeing it from the completely different angle from up a sodding hill was quite the spectacle. Of course i looked back, of course i took photographs.

Then i found Meall Garbh (or so i thought, read on readers!). And i was balking at all the comments of false summits. Meall Garbh was a walk in the park! I would be on the summit in two hours! A record!

Fast forward thirty minutes and i found the rather amazing cairn that surely signified the top of the mountain! ALAS no. On reaching the cairn and casting my eyes East - there was the glowering summit, atop a sprawling cliff face and at the end of a string of tops that reminded me of a sine wave on an oscilloscope.

The up / down nature of the following hour and a half was really trying to break my spirit, but i was resolute. The sun was high, there was a slight breeze to stave off overheating and the views all round were stunning. I may have been sweating like an unfit badger and my heart was beating like a kettle drum but i felt like i was on top of the world. Heck, i practically was.

The descents into the bealachs were frankly perilous - loose scree and often two-three foot drops onto slabs of razor sharp rocks, but after that it got even better. The final climb - and it was a climb! - to the summit was about as rewarding as its possible to be. The views in all directions were phenomenal, particularly those down into Loch Etive below. Cruchan was covered in cloud, seemingly to remind everyone that she is the tallest in the area. Or perhaps the Calleach was taking a steam bath.

Now, the descent was a slightly different story. My disdain towards the ups and downs had settled in me a curiosity towards another route - that of down the side of one of the tops towards a forestry road far below (and hopefully a continuation of the one first encountered nearly four and a half hours ago). So after one of the tops i found a solitary sheep path around the side of the hill... and followed that.

Now, i don't really recommend this route. It wasn't hard, but it was winding, and a little fraught with frogs (i'm not kidding). However, on reaching the bulldozed road, i was glad i'd tried this alternative, because the remainder of the walk was on solid ground. And it did, thankfully, lead all the way back to the car.

I even passed the little cairn indicating i should have taken a left turn. It taunted me as i hobbled past, looking forwards to an ice cold can of coca cola and a stop off at Cuil Bay for a nap.