by J888ohn » Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:40 pm
Date walked: 15/07/2011
Time taken: 2.75 hours
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Was planning to do the whole Drumochter Circuit but a combination of tired legs and quickly changing weather (I really didn't feel the need to get wet today!) made me do just the two.
Park at Balsporran Cottages B&B, cross the railway and follow the bulldozed road. Turn right to head up Geal Charn. You'll be able to see it's first false summit all the way. The path is pretty boggy and slippy until you are 3/4 of the way up and it hasn't rained for a while so I'd hate to do it after some wet weather. Keep going and you will come onto the summit plateau next to a wind shelter and cairn, not the summit much to my disappointment. The summit is another 10mins away to the west but you can see it all the way.
From the summit of Geal Charn go roughly south and follow the path that leads to the back of A' Mharconaich. All the way you get cracking views of Loch Ericht. There is a fork to the left that takes you up to the summit plateau then turn left and walk along to the cairn and the wind shelter. Not the most scenic way to do this hill as all it's features are on it's eastern side facing the A9. If you are wanting to do the whole circuit you need turn round and head back the way you've came along the plateau and head for Beinn Udlamain.
If you've had enough you can see the path back to the B&B in front of you going down the ridge from the summit. You need to traverse round to the north away from the steep eastern cliffs or you'll go down a little too quick! Cross a small rock field then follow this path all the way back. It gets very wet and boggy towards the bottom through the heather.
According to the walkhighlands website this is 11.5k and takes 5 - 7 hours. I've no idea how. It didn't feel that long and I wasn't going as fast as I could've. Maybe taking that left hand fork up A' Mharconaich cuts out a bit of the normal route but that can only be a good thing.