Sunshine and snow on Creag Mac Ranaich
Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 11:42 pm
Mrs Redrock and I were staying at Balquhidder Station for a couple of days and enjoying gloriously snowy and sunny weather. I couldn't resist the call of the hills and although at first I was tempted to head for the Munros to the north of Glen Dochart, a forecast of deteriorating weather and the possibility that Mrs R might accompany me if I headed for a Corbett rather than a Munro, I decided to tackle Creag Mac Ranaich - a Corbett to the west of Lochearnhead. So we set off at about 9:30am from the chalets where we were staying in Balquhidder station and made our way onto the dismantled railway track (the old Glen Ogle line) on our way to Glen Kendrum. We followed the track all the way up Glen Kendrum to the beallach to the south west of Creag Mac Ranaich. There, Mrs R decided to retreat back down the track while encouraging me to head for the summit. I agreed, knowing that her route back was simply down the track and that I would be following her a short while later.
That's when the weather started to change - the bright sunshine was replaced with a darkening sky and thickening clouds. I reckoned I could make the summit and get back to the track before the weather finally closed in. But the final 200 or so metres proved to be quite a challenge with soft snow and no clear route. The crampons were of limited help in the thick snow but the ice axe proved itself when I needed leverage to get me out of a deep drift of snow. The snow did come on as I descended back to the beallach - but once back at the track the return journey was straightforward. The Walkhighlands route includes the Corbett Meall an t-Seallaidh (and starts from Lochearnhead) but one Corbett proved enough that day for me! The ice and snow made for quite hard going and maybe I'm needing to get into better condition! We did see a couple of walkers descending Meall an t-Seallaidh as we headed up Glen Kendrum - perhaps they had done both! These Corbetts are just as hard work as many Munros, I discovered, but well worth the effort too!