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Almost three years to the day and I've finally climbed a new hill
In that time I've climbed 40 odd Munros, a few Corbetts and some lower hills as well but the umph to drive a greater distance than Auchallater, Glen Doll or Loch Muick (to head into the Cairngorms) just wasn't there. Not sure what caused this seismic shift in attitude, reading a couple of recent reports about walking in this part of the country had grabbed my attention then malky_c's route from about 2 weeks ago just pushed the button in my brain and it was time to go.
It was also three years ago that I climbed the Corbett Stob an Aonaich Mhoir from the western end of Loch Rannoch. That day, I couldn't believe the number of people camping by the loch side and in three years, nothing has changed. At 6am on a Sunday morning you don't really need to use the passing places on the road along the loch side and it's just as well as there weren't many empty ones to be had with cars and vans abandoned around every corner.
Anyway, I arrived at the little parking spot opposite the "Road to the Isles" around 6:20am, I did wonder if it would be camper van city but luckily there was just the one parked up so plenty room.
Flat calm, mild, overcast spells Midge and they were lined up waiting for me as I opened the car door so boots on and away quickly. I found myself thinking back to the last time I walked here. Mrs Gordie12 and I got the train from Rannoch to Corrour then walked back along the "Road to the Isles". When was that? We were in our previous house so that's 21 years, in the end I decided it was probably thirty years ago
The first part of the walk is a very gradual incline up to the point where the route for the loop of the 2 Munros and 1 Corbett splits from the ROW and in truth I still hadn't decided what I was going to do when I reached this point but I was enjoying the walk on the ROW so decided to follow it to Corrour and climb Beinn na Lap.
- Start of the track
- Looking back to Loch Eigheach
- Seems to sneak in to nearly every walk report this one
- The first hint of the sun breaking through the cloud cover
The walk to Corrour was fairly long, somewhere in the region of 9 miles, a steady gradual incline to start off with then an undulating middle bit and a final descent down to Loch Ossian and Corrour. Without climbing Beinn Na Lap I would still have thoroughly enjoyed my day as I'm just as happy (maybe even happier) covering long moorland paths as I am climbing hills. On the descent down to Loch Ossian I saw my first peep of the day, a lady cycling in the opposite direction.
- A distant Corrour Station dwarfed by the surrounding hills
- Suns Out!
- Heading down to Loch Ossian
- Leum Uilleim (I think?)
- Loch Ossian Youth Hostel with Beinn Na Lap in the background
I was exactly three hours from the car to the foot of Beinn Na Lap. I had read various reports on this hill and it sounded like the start could be a bit damp but not today. A few damp patches but the boots were more or less dry when I was through what would probably be the dampest bit in different conditions. Beinn Na Lap isn't complicated, a long straight pull up a grassy surface then when reaching the wide ridge it's a straight right and head for the top over a couple of false tops but very easy walking for the second half of the climb. I think I was just over the hour mark from the bottom of the climb to reach the cairn at the top.
- Loch Ossian
- The lower slopes of Beinn Na Lap
- Views over Rannoch Moor opening up
- View over Loch Ossian
- The top is in sight
- Summit - Beinn Na Lap
- Stared at this view for ages before realising it was Binnein Shuas and Binnein Shios (in the middle of the pic)
- The small lochan at the top of Beinn na Lap
By now the wind had picked up and with a fair amount of cloud cover it was quite cool at the top. I took shelter at the cairn and in another break from the norm ditched the raspberry jam and went for Dairylea and strawberry jam rolls. This is almost as controversial as when Rangers signed Mo Johnston but probably will get less coverage in the press.
Anyway, onwards and downwards as I retraced my steps back down to Loch Ossian. On the drop down I could hear a lot of voices and from having had the hill to myself suddenly there was a gang of Dogplodder proportions (but without the dogs) heading towards me. Three or four adults looked like they had their work cut out with at least a dozen kids spread out on the climb (all competing to be heard). Funny how strange it can be to meet a gang of this size in such a quiet and remote location but they were soon well behind me and I was back to the isolation.
Back at the loch side it was sheltered from the wind and the sun was finally fully out so it was starting to warm up. I considered walking round Loch Ossian before heading back down the track but with the conditions as they were I decided against it as it seemed perfect for the cleg population to feed on my blood. This was probably the right call as I picked up several bites before climbing away from the loch side so I could have been scratching for Scotland if I'd gone round the loch.
After a short climb away from the loch I stopped at Peter's Rock and thought about including Carn Dearg, Sgor Gaibhre and Beinn Pharlagain but it was already going to be a long day and with the temperature still rising common sense prevailed and I continued on the ROW.
I managed to keep a steady pace going all the way back to the car. I was passed by two or three cyclists but other than that there was nobody about.
- The final view before dropping down to Loch Ossian
- Another shot of Loch Ossian Youth Hostel
- Leaving Loch Ossian behind
- And again
- Heading for home
- Schiehallion again
- Looking west
- Round this corner and the end is in sight
Although I picked up a few cleg bites this was a really good day. The sun took longer to make an appearance than I expected but once it did it fairly warmed up. The walk from Rannoch over to Corrour is on a really good track all the way so it means you can cover the ground at a decent pace and is an alternative to jumping off the train at Corrour which then only leaves a short walk (if just doing Beinn Na Lap).
If I continue at my current rate of one new Munro every three years I'm looking at finishing in about 2530 by which time I'll be 570 so I probably need to up the pace a bit............
