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11 & 12 Meall Buidhe & Stuchd an Lochain 8th August 2009

11 & 12 Meall Buidhe & Stuchd an Lochain 8th August 2009


Postby Tenbob » Thu Jun 23, 2011 11:01 pm

Route description: Meall Buidhe

Munros included on this walk: Meall Buidhe (Glen Lyon), Stùcd an Lochain

Date walked: 08/08/2009

Time taken: 6.25 hours

Distance: 15.8 km

Ascent: 1342m

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Looking in my munro book for my next target I happened upon Meall Buidhe and noticed it was listed as very short - 3hrs 5mins, and on the next page was another short climb - Stuchd an Lochain at 2hrs 55mins! This is because the car takes you to the head of the dam of Loch an Daimh, at a height of over 400mtrs. It seemed pointless to just take on one of these Munro's and, indeed, these two are often climbed together.

As has been the case with my recent climbs, the weather wasn't great and because of this I ploughed on and didn't pause too often for photographs. Anyway, I parked up just past the information board, a hundred metres or so away from the dam at Loch an Daimh and set off for Meall Buidhe. Follow a rough track north from the information board for a couple of hundred metres or so then strike off for a path up the hill which takes you to the wide summit ridge.

03 Stuchd An Lochain from Meall Buidhe ascent.JPG

04 Meall Buidhe summit cairn in view.JPG


From here it is an easy walk to the summit cairn. Just after I set up the camera for the shot the mist rolled in and weather got worse.

06 Me on the Meall Buidhe summit cairn before the mist rolls in.JPG


For the descent I just reversed the route and took a photo of Loch an Daimh en route, when I got below the mist.

08 Loch an Daimh from Meall Buidhe descent.JPG


Once back to the car I paused for lunch and a few cuppa's, freshly brewed using my indispensible Trangia while keeping my fingers crossed that the weather would get better... which it didn't. I could tell it wouldn't be pleasant at the summit.

09 On way to start Stuchd An Lochain ascent.JPG


The path up the hill starts not long past the dam and though initially a small gradient it does get quite steep and along with the wet weather causing the rocky path to move a lot underfoot it's certainly interesting! At one point the path resembled a fast flowing stream.

11 Looking down the initial steep ascent of Stuchd An Lochain.JPG


You emerge just below the minor top, Creag an Fheadain and there's a small cairn, which is handy for the navigation on the return leg with the mist beginning to get quite thick, so you know where to head back down. You come across some old rusty fence posts and follow these all the way to the sumit cairn of Stuchd an Lochain. Although I took more photo's before reaching the cairn I didn't bother including them as, well, they are pants.

17 Me at the summit cairn of Stuchd An Lochain.JPG


I only stayed long enough for the photo at the summit then headed back down as there was no point in sight seeing when I could only see yards in front of my face! Once I got near the base of Stuchd an Lochain I noticed some sheep were blocking the path and they tried to stare me out for quite a while til they eventually buggered off.

19 Sheep blocking descent of Stuchd An Lochain!.JPG


Once back to the car I noticed that the sheep were the least of my worries. I took a photo of a young highland coo and her mother at the information board but the mother who stood in front of the gate with her young 'uns blocked my way out and waited for a long time before moo-ving on (groan!)

21 Highland Coo and baby Coo at Information baord.JPG

23 Highland Coo and her babies blocking my way home!.JPG



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Tenbob
 
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Re: 11 & 12 Meall Buidhe & Stuchd an Lochain 8th August 2009

Postby skuk007 » Fri Jun 24, 2011 11:54 am

Well done for getting out in that rain. Must have been tempting after the first one to just jump in the car and head home. Like the wildlife shots, would rather have to stare-down a sheep than a big-horned coo!
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skuk007
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Re: 11 & 12 Meall Buidhe & Stuchd an Lochain 8th August 2009

Postby L-Hiking » Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:37 pm

Well done Sir!!

Me and my mate are heading up here in Septemberand Ican convince the sassenach that its not too tough hope the coooo's are gone then.
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L-Hiking
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Re: 11 & 12 Meall Buidhe & Stuchd an Lochain 8th August 2009

Postby Tenbob » Fri Jun 24, 2011 6:23 pm

Cheers chaps.

Aye Skuk007, it was tempting when back in the car to just head home but I knew that just a few more hours and I'd bag another so just cracked on. I'll admit it wasn't pleasant however!

And Luvhiking, these two aren't hard at all and imagine are wonderful in the sunshine. Apart from some steep rocky paths on Stuchd an Lochain the going is easy and there's nothing technical. Hope you have better weather than I did!
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