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Meall Mor and Beinn Chabhair

PostPosted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:01 pm
by weedavie
This is my first report – I know you guys like photographs so I’ve nicked a couple of my friend Gordon’s from our trip round Chabhair and an Caisteal in December – I’m allergic to cameras myself. That day was sub zero as opposed to the boiling I took this time.

I parked at Inverlochlarig. I should definitely have taken a bike. The 5 k out on the track seemed like 10 k back and it stretched the day to 8+ hours. Half way along the track you cross the Ishag Burn, presumably pronounced Ishak like tissue but I sniggered anyway. If you’re on the bike turn left just before the burn to get the bridge. If you’re walking it’s only needed when the burn’s in spate.

Quit the track at a gate near 403179. Cut across the flats to the bend in the burn and go straight up Stob an Duibhe. It’s quite a steep pull. From there it’s an undulating round, with outcrops to negotiate at first, to Meall Mor. I’m not going to over-advocate this but it’s peaceful, you’ve got it to yourself, it’s untracked though you keep encountering an old fence and you get unfamiliar views down Loch Katrine.

The picture from an Caisteal gives an idea of the bumpiness of the ridge which is the first one in silhouette.
Meall Mor from an Caisteal.jpg

There’s now 4 kilometres north west then north to the bealach below Beinn Chabhair. On the way you cross one of the many Bealach nan Corps that litter this area.

This photograph from Beinn Chabhair (Gordon’s clearly more interested in Ben Lomond) has the Bealach in the right foreground.
Bealach nan Corp from Beinn Chabhair.jpg

Parlan Hill which I bypassed has a height of 666 which has always worried me. It’s about the only bit of this route I’ve seen activity on. I’m not sure whether it’s witchcraft or just that at this point I was coming on to the watershed.

If you do see patterns in numbers Stob an Duibhe is 737 metres Meall Mor is 747 and the intervening top is 727 which gives you a whole family of Boeing aircraft.

There are major outcrops on the 1.5 k to the summit of Chabhair but they’re easily bypassed and the gradient’s none too challenging. I’d been thinking of going on to Beinn a’ Chroin and couldn’t think why I was feeling knackered until I saw the length of my shadow. It had been a long pull and completely unpathed since leaving the track.

Instead I dropped east towards the bealach with a very impressive line of crags on my right. I found a breach around 375180 and clambered down.. I’d actually ignored a wider ledge just before because I couldn’t see where it went. From below it looked a far easier option.

Then it was a dive for the burn, as I was parched and contour round the south west spur of Beinn a’ Chroin to get the start of the track

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Re: Meall Mor and Beinn Chabhair

PostPosted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:17 pm
by malky_c
:thumbup: I like this line - a pretty unconventional way onto a very popular hill. Hoping to get up Meall Mor myself at some point in the not too distant future too.

Re: Meall Mor and Beinn Chabhair

PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 12:20 pm
by Graeme D
malky_c wrote: I like this line - a pretty unconventional way onto a very popular hill.


Yep, nice. I had some plans for this summer to do something similar but looks like it'll have to be another time. :lol: