It seemed like a perfect day for a walk. The weather forecasts (Met Office and MWIS) suggested that light showers in the morning would die out in the afternoon, that winds would be moderate and that clouds would be mostly above the summits. Mrs R and I had walked Beinn a'Chochuill and Beinn Eunaich just to the north of Ben Cruachan on the 22 August and thoroughly enjoyed the day. Now it seemed to be just the right time to tackle Ben Cruachan itself along with Stob Diamh - to complete the Cruachan Horseshoe. It sounded great. But it turned out to be one of those days when things didn't turn out quite as you'd hoped!

It all started quite well as we set off from the station at the Falls of Cruachan and made our way up the heavily vegetated and occasionally awkward path towards the Cruachan Reservoir.
We even took time to pause at the waterfalls on the way.
But it was as we were approaching the dam that disaster struck!



It's okay - I took the photo with her permission. She reckoned it might help her to remember to avoid bogs and other such traps in the future!

I set off towards the Cruachan Reservoir with a clear view of Ben Cruachan - but missing he company!

Soon I had climbed up the steel ladder onto the dam (an odd bit to do on a walk - I suppose I could have avoided it but it did save time

But it wasn't long before the cloud began to thin and I was getting hopeful of a cloud-free summit. I met a walker on his way down at this point - an early starter. He had been disappointed that he had been in the clag when he was at the summit. I was pinning my hopes on the forecasts of clearing clouds in the afternoon - but maybe I was being over-optimistic!

I soon reached the beallach at the head of Coire Dearg with it's tiny lochan.
By this time I was feeling quite confident and progress was good so I decided to take a short detour and visit Meall Cuinal - the Munro Top (918 metres) to the south of Ben Cruachan (those who know me will know that I like to bag Munro Tops as well as Munros - when I can!). I reckon the view of Cruachan was worth the extra effort - but by now it looked like the cloud was descending again!

With the cloud just swirling round the summit of Cruachan I set off down to the beallach again and headed off on the steep path up the mountain itself. I was able to take in some of the view before the cloud closed in.
Soon I was in cloud and clambering over boulders all the way to the summit (If there was a path through the boulder field, I failed to find it!). At times it felt like I was simply climbing a huge heap of boulders! But eventually I reached the cairn and the broken trig pillar with some relief - it had been hard going!

I did like this summit though - just a small area amongst the boulders - but there was no doubt that it was the very top! On a clear day I'm sure the view would be spectacular. But I was in thick cloud and it didn't look like clearing! I found a nice sheltered place just below the summit - and had a bite to eat. I had been concerned for a little while that I hadn't heard from Mrs R and had tried to send her a text but still got no reply. Suddenly I realised that the cloud was clearing so I jumped up, stood on a boulder and took a couple of photos. It soon became clear that I was actually looking down on clouds - it was quite an amazing feeling!

It was then that the text came in from Mrs R saying that she was back at the car getting dried out (it had been sent a while ago) and at the same time a group of three walkers arrived at the summit! Everything seemed to be cheering up - but it turned out to be a false dawn - the clouds soon rolled back in again and this time they brought trouble!
The picture taken by my new friends at the summit, before I headed off down the ridge to the east (behind me) shows that the mist was as thick as ever again. But the photo is fuzzy for another reason - my camera was refusing to focus - I think moisture must have found its way into the mechanism.
Then it began to rain! And not the light intermittent rain that had been forecast. This was heavy rain that would last for a good hour or so. With waterproofs on I clambered down the ridge - my fuzzy photograph giving a good impression of the view as I saw it with my misted-up glasses.
I clambered down the rocky ridge and was soon approaching the section where you have to either cross slabs or descend a steep bypass path. I was concerned about crossing the slabs in the wet. But I needn't have worried - the rock was coarse and gave good grip in the wet. It was easy enough to find good footholds along cracks in the rock. I imagine these slabs would be much more of a challenge when frozen though! I was very comfortable on all the rocky sections of the ridge - it was the wet grass and soil that I found slippery and treacherous at times!
As I made my way along the ridge I realised that I had a camera in my mobile phone which was in my rucksack. By now I was below the main cloud-base but it was still a dismal and very wet scene.
As I approached the Munro Top, Drochaid Ghlas, a rainbow appeared that gave me some hope of better weather - but it heralded only a brief break in the rain.
The sun was shining on the reservoir below though.
Soon the cloud was rolling in over the ridge again.
I visited the rocky top of Drochaid Ghlas - which is offset a bit to the north of the main line of the ridge (but it is a Munro Top - so definitely worth a visit!


Heading south, Stob Garbh (another Top!

I was back in the cloud again when I reached the cairn.
The route south from Stob Garbh required some care navigating in the fog. But it all became clear when I descended below the cloud and the way back to the reservoir could easily be seen.
The path was rather wet and boggy - and ill defined at times - but it eventually took me back to the dam and from there I made my way back to the car where Mrs R was waiting. She had been to Oban for the day.
It had been one of those days where things didn't work out as well as you had hoped. Just one or two things going wrong took the gloss off the day. I much prefer sharing walks - though sometimes go on my own. I don't mind rain - but resent it most when I haven't expected it! And I have to say: I like to see the views - and not the mist! I guess I ended up in a gloomy mood and it spoiled the fun a bit! I'll have to do the Cruachan Horseshoe again some day - and maybe I'll include Stob Dearg and Sron an Isean (the Munro Tops I left out

