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Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 9:37 pm
by dooterbang
It was time to hook up with my good friend Woodsy for some Northern hill bashing this wekend :D
Woodsy will be doing the New York marathon this year so i persuaded him that 2 big walks over 25k each would enhance his running prowess :wink:

We decided to hit the Munros SW and N of Loch Laggan.
Saturday we would tackle the 3 Munros SW of Loch Laggan - Ardverikie Munros
Sunday would leave the 5 Munros North of Loch laggan which form the Creag Meagaidh Circuit.

Picked Woodsy up Saturday Morning 6am sharp and started our mini adventure.....headed up the A9 with Pantha Du Prince blasting from the stereo, Woodsy was still in a coma and didnt appreciate some German Minimal Techno :? 8) :lol: :D

Parked at Moy and good to go at 9.10am.


The first and last 4k of this walk can be cycled on a very good path, but we would be walking it all.

Cross the bridge and be razzle dazzled by the view West down the river spean and mountains of Lochaber
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Follow the track and remember to turn and check out that view
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The 4k walk is very pleasant with the views in all directions stunning.
I took time out to capture this....
A flower in Scotland
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Busy Bees
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After an hour you reach the stunning Lochan na h-Earba
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From here cross a small bridge and head up the track for 1k before striking South.
Head up the south face of Coire Mor a Chlachair to a plateau then SW 300m and finally West 300m.
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The pull up this face and plateau is very rocky, so be careful.....
You have successfully reached Munro No 1 Beinn a Chlachair.

Summit with views to Geal Charn & Creag Pitridh
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View west
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I had reached the summit 15 minutes before Woodsy and met the lovely Mags, who turns out to be a fellow walker who uses these sites and a member of Paisley Hillwalking Club. You know Doogz....who dosnt i reply :wink:
We would meet Mags at every summit for some chat. She sure could motor up them hills, she keeps good company :)

Off again across the rocky plateau and a 5k hike NE to Geal Charn
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The only difficulty was getting to Bealach Leamhain. We traversed down the West pathless face of Coire Pitridh.
In no time at all we had reached the summit
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Looking back to Beinn a Chlachair
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At this summit we met another fine lady from London who remarkably knew a walking friend of mine :shock:
Im beginning to realize us walkers are all connected in some way - insanity :lol:
Which brings me to the older gentleman who got the train to Tulloch then cycled to the walk. Did the walk then cycled to Newtonmore to catch a train back to Glasgow :shock: What a guy :D

After another 30 minute summit break Woodsy and i set off for Munro No 3 Creag Pitridh
Head west 1.5k then 0.5k NW to reach the summit
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Summit views over Loch Laggan
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From the summit head SE for 1.5k over boggy pathless ground to reach the well defined path.
The walk out is lovely and takes in the beautiful Lochan na h-Earba once again
Woodsy - now changed into trainers for the walk out
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The sun was beating down now and the wind was non existent, the wind on the summits was a brisk 25mph and did a great job of keeping the midge at bay, it was now time to relax and enjoy winding down.

Final look up the river spean with the sun glittering over the water.....bliss :D
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Back at the car park 2 fellow walkers introduced themselves and said hello, turns out they also use the sites and recognized me from previous TR. Its a small but wonderful world in hillwalking land :D :D
Nice to meet you guys - enjoyed your TR from your day.

After a cream cake each we drove to Newtonmore, we had booked a night in Craigower Lodge.
Dinner would be had in the Glen Hotel. Woodsy was knackered and didnt want to stay out late so we left early after dinner and a pint each....hardcore eh :shock:

Luckily we had a room to ourselves....just as well because Woodsy was in some sort of snoring Coma and im sure would have been suffocated if others had to listen to him. Luckily i had industrial strength wax ear plugs, phew 8)

Day 2 - Creag Meagaidh 5 to follow......

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:05 pm
by Johnny Corbett
Lochan na h-Earbe never ceases to amaze me, it's up there with the best of them and the 2 Grahams are just crying out to be climbed. When i did this with Mountain Thyme we cycled and took longer than you guys but then again Mountain Thyme is quicker walking than cycling :D

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:12 pm
by pollyh33
Smashing stuff DB.

Your photos are fantastic, everything looks perfect - so magical! My fave is the flower and buzzy bee one. Pity you were still hearing the buzzing drone of Woodsy's snoring later!!! :( :(

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:19 pm
by dooterbang
pollyh33 wrote: Pity you were still hearing the buzzing drone of Woodsy's snoring later!!! :( :(


and his bottom burping :shock:

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 10:37 pm
by pollyh33
dooterbang wrote:
pollyh33 wrote: Pity you were still hearing the buzzing drone of Woodsy's snoring later!!! :( :(


and his bottom burping :shock:


And thus answers the question of why I'm not staying in the bunkhouse at Kintail :eh: :eh:

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:50 am
by Graeme D
Beats the pants off the day I had for these three. Lochan na-h Erba is a superb place - I will camp on that beach one day and do the two Grahams if it's the last thing I do. :lol:

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 7:49 pm
by PeteR
Sorry, reading your reports in reverse :lol: Love this walk, which I did earlier in the year (although I took the long route up Beinn a Chlachair, taking in the ful ridge. B****y hard work I found it on those rocks :lol: Fantastic area though, and you look like you had great weather there, which always helps :D

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 8:22 pm
by Steve B
Hi. Did these 3 the following day and had a brilliant day. You certainly move quickly with extended breaks and only 7 hours. I thought I was moving OK with a longish break on top of Munro 2 and still it was 8 hours.
Good report too. Always entertaining. 8)

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 11:22 pm
by mountain thyme
Johnny Corbett wrote:Lochan na h-Earbe never ceases to amaze me, it's up there with the best of them and the 2 Grahams are just crying out to be climbed. When i did this with Mountain Thyme we cycled and took longer than you guys but then again Mountain Thyme is quicker walking than cycling :D


im blaming my bone shaker of a bike for the time!

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 9:52 am
by kevsbald
Love the photo of the bees - it looks like the other one pushed the other one and it's falling to its death - aieeeeeeeee....bzzzbzzz

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:01 pm
by dooterbang
Johnny Corbett wrote: When i did this with Mountain Thyme we cycled and took longer than you guys but then again Mountain Thyme is quicker walking than cycling :D

Shes very slow is MT :)

kevsbald wrote:Love the photo of the bees - it looks like the other one pushed the other one and it's falling to its death - aieeeeeeeee....bzzzbzzz

Yeah turned out a great wee photo - maybe its not falling but twirling upwards, just for a buzzzz like :lol:

mountain thyme wrote:
Johnny Corbett wrote: When i did this with Mountain Thyme we cycled and took longer than you guys but then again Mountain Thyme is quicker walking than cycling :D


im blaming my bone shaker of a bike for the time!


Alawys on about bones is MT :D

Graeme Dewar wrote:Beats the pants off the day I had for these three. Lochan na-h Erba is a superb place - I will camp on that beach one day and do the two Grahams if it's the last thing I do. :lol:

sounds a fab idea Graeme. Stunning place.

Thanks Steve and Peter.

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 10:06 pm
by mountain thyme
dooterbang wrote:
Johnny Corbett wrote: When i did this with Mountain Thyme we cycled and took longer than you guys but then again Mountain Thyme is quicker walking than cycling :D

Shes very slow is MT :)



i allowed you to just get ahead before the summit of the 2 munros we climbed.... as i know you like to pose for a few photos on your todd

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 11:10 pm
by dooterbang
mountain thyme wrote:
dooterbang wrote:
Johnny Corbett wrote: When i did this with Mountain Thyme we cycled and took longer than you guys but then again Mountain Thyme is quicker walking than cycling :D

Shes very slow is MT :)



i allowed you to just get ahead before the summit of the 2 munros we climbed.... as i know you like to pose for a few photos on your todd


Hey i would have posted a TR of the Forcan ridge we did but i was trying to protect your street cred as a roughty toughty female mountain woman....no one wants to see photos of a big girl crying :D

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Thu Jul 28, 2011 11:20 pm
by mountain thyme
Hey i would have posted a TR of the Forcan ridge we did but i was trying to protect your street cred as a roughty toughty female mountain woman....no one wants to see photos of a big girl crying :D[/quote]

hey me and mgmts recollectionof the forcan ridge.. is we did the climbing and you 2 did the skirting round the sides!!!!

Re: Loch Laggan Weekender - Day 1

PostPosted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 7:02 am
by andrewdoggett
Stunning photos; especially those across Loch Laggan, love it :)