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Geal Charn, A'Mharconaich, Beinn Udlamain & Sgairneach Mhor....and The Sow of
Atholl
Date: Saturday 15th August 2009
Drive time: 1hr 45 mins
Start time: 9am
Finish time: 5pm
home time: 7pm
Walking distance: 27km
Ascent: 1500m or so
fun: loads!
Feet: sore!
Skin: drookit!
Saturdays trip up the hills was to Drumochter. An area I've driven through I
don't know how many millions of times between Edinburgh and Inverness, and
always been amazed at the hills. But this will be the first time I've stopped
EVER! At this point in the route I've usually been stuck behind a Tesco lorry
for a good twenty miles and getting desperate to getting cracked on to get
somewhere.
What a relief this time for the somewhere to be the where where I'm usually
trying to get through from.
Parked up at the car park in front of Balsporran Cottages, not in front of the
cottages, but the big flat car park just off the road. Only one car there, so
was thinking already that there isn't going to be a lot of people up the hills
today....not with the weather forecast being as rubbish as it had been
overnight. Did no one tell anyone that this was supposed to be summer and not
monsoon season?
- choo choo!
Anyway another first for me today as I was going to use a gpx route
from...whisper....munromagic. Now in my defence the only reason I was using it
guv was that walkhighlands doesn't have a route in one go for these four hills.
If Paul did have a route it would have been used. And I'm going to get this out
of the way now, I aint using a route from munromagic again cos it was SHITE,
UTTER SHITE, waypoints weren't what you'd describe as waypoints, in wrong places
and not enough of them. Paul's routes are usually pretty special in that there's
a waypoint at all the appropriate places,,ie when you need to make turns. Not
this one, stank of being done off of a map without actually having walked it.
Ok onto the walk so its a quick belt down the path past Balsporran cottages to
the railway.
- sign at balsporran
- balsporran
Big sign saying only authorised people can cross, ach I thought no
one about I'll cross over. Naturally making sure no trains coming either way and
making sure to close both gates safely behind me. I mean theres so little people
about here (ie nobody) who was gonna know? One of the things I like about the
hills in that there's no busybodies just waiting to tell you off if you do the
slightest thing you maybe politically correctly shoudlnae dae.
Now here's where I made my first mistake as I took right hand path which took me
up towards Creagan Mor, whereas I should have turned left and headed up the
ridge for Geal Charn, still views were pretty spectacular up here, looking back
towards Balsporran and to the A9 and the Munros on the other side thinking
you'll be mine, bwaah haa haaa!
Anyways dropped back down over the heather and up the flank of Geal Charn to
pick up the right path, did I say I was cursing the gpx route already?
- views across a9
Geal Charn is an easy push up the hill on a no bad at all path, bit muddy but
considering amount of rain overnight not that bad. And weather was no bad at all
mist had lifted a bit allowing me to take some snaps, which I quickly took as I
must admit I didn't think was going to stay dry all day.
Getting towards summit of Geal Charn I noticed a BIG cairn, in fact more like a
wee cylindrical tower of about 5 foot. Get close to it and on it it reads:
- memorial cairn
- view of memorial cairn
"This Cairn is dedicated to Mick Costello Ice Climber Extraordinaire, erected by
Andy Roxby, 3rd August 2009"
I know a lot of people won't appreciate these kinds of things, me I don't mind
and won't judge, its there its part of what I'll take in on the day, let and let
live. Wouldnae mind knowing who this guy was and why someone took so much effort
in putting this up,concrete and all?
Anyways off to summit which wasn't that far ahead, wind picking up a bit now, so
thankfully a nice wee shelter of stones to hide behind, and have a wee snack.
Had bought a pack of Maryland Cookies, rather blooming good they were as well,
tempted to finish them there and then but no, held off the temptation!
Time so far 1hr 20mins
And this is when the mist starts to kick in big time, so vision gets down to
about 20-30 metres or so, but wind is fair battering on so clearing at times. So
at any point it does clear out with the old camera to snap away whatever I can
see!
And what I did see on EVERY summit (or round about) was two blooming sheep!
Looked like same two as well (or was that me just getting high off the maryland
cookies?) I've heard of Munro bagging dogs, but Munro bagging sheep? That's a
first for me! But genuinely true that I did see a pair of sheep at or roundabout
the top of each hill. Granted its probably not the same two but hey it lightened
up my day!
Offf now along broadly flat route to A'Mharconaich. Quick pace along here as its
nice and easy and thankfully vision wasn't so bad for a while. Well for a while
I mean 2 minutes so grabbed a few snaps of the views including across to
Sgairneach Mhor.
- enroute to beinn udlamain
From here hard to describe much of what was happening as mist was in, rain was
in, wind was in so head down and batter on to Beinn Udlamain.
Now because vision was so rubbish finding the actual summit itself was a pain,
as was pretty flat and broad up here. Loads of little cairns.
On via instruments again as drop down a bit for turn to head up and ascent to
Sgairneach Mhor.
- sgairneach mhor
- theres a summit up here somewhere, please god let there be a summit!
Was cursing the gpx again as not really enough waypoints for a
misted out condition with flat terrain with no that much features to use as
guides if I had reverted to map.
Bit boggy here as well, and for first time ever feet starting to get wet, reckon
was wind and rain as had decided couldnae be bothered with my waterproof
trousers and gaiters as they make me sweat and restrict my movement to batter
on.
- rainbow at summit of sgairneach mhor
Hit top of Sgairneach Mhor and meet first two people today, who were trying to
catch some shelter from the rain, they'd just been up The Sow of Atholl and were
going to do Bein Udlamain and A'Mharconnaich before heading back down.
- loch ericht!
They were the only two people I saw all day! The weather really ahd put people
off being out today!
Some nice cliffs alongside the summit of Sgairneach Mhor, but again didn't see
them for long in mist.
Descent back down that heads towards The Sow of Atholl. Now I hadn't planned on
doing this today but as it was 2pm and was well on track though, ach its only a
wee Corbett and its there would be daft no to do it!
Really nice drop between the first bit and the hill itself as you'll see in
picture below.
- looking back towards a'mharconaich and geal charn
- sow of atholl bealach
- enroute to sow of atholl
Not that much of a path up here at all and I was estimating only
four hundred metres or so of ascent so wasnt that concerned. Did pick up
vestiges of a path further up, and on reflection if I'd just battered up in a
straight line up the south flank of the hill would have been a better idea. The
path veered round the left of the hill along the steep bit, and never seemed to
go anywhere to the top. In the end got fed up, following it and just struck for
the top! Had a look at the north flank and looked a bit steep for heading down.
As I say I hadnt planned this one, so if I had I'd have seen it was perfectly
doable. Instead I played it safe and headed back down the way I'd came and
headed for the stream at the bottom of the hill that runs alongside the railway
line and the A9.
Still thats me first Corbett bagged so well worth it!
Now how to cross the stream, if I'd still been on route then no bother, but as I
was off plan, just jumped in and waded across so soggy feet! Stopped at other
side and wrung me socks out, yeeeuch!
Then its pretty much go under the railway at the bridge and a swift batter along
the path back to Balsporran for a 4 1/2 km walk. Definetely one I'd recommend
stowing a bike in the fields to save time at end! Nice layby with a cracking
aerial map of all the hills, now this would be good for at the start path of all
the Munros in my opinion, nothing on the hill, but at start would be a nice
touch.
And weather turned a lot better at end as well, so views were restored and sun
even came out for a wee while!
Still thats Munro's 40-43 bagged, and Corbett no.1 done.
- aerial picture map
- theres rain in that clkoud I tell ya, not a word of a lie!