walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)

The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)


Postby 2dalmatians » Sun Mar 18, 2012 10:46 am

Route description: Meall Buidhe

Munros included on this walk: Meall Buidhe (Glen Lyon)

Date walked: 17/03/2012

Time taken: 3 hours

Distance: 7.5 km

Ascent: 551m

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

Kicked out of bed at 3am by Mrs 2d - apparently I was already walking up the hill in my sleep. She indicated that I was seriously disrupting her beauty sleep!! :lol:
I went down stairs to have a cup of tea, and after half an hour I thought I might as well just get ready and go and I might get the chance to see a sunrise in the hils if mother nature co-operated.

So we (Ruby and me) set off just after 4am, heading towards Killin and the Lawers reserve finally reaching the parking spot at Loch An Daimh. As we arrived just before dawn we were treated to the magnificent sight of a large herd of deer.
P3170242.JPG
. (I suspect the first people to arrive at the car park each day have a fair chance of seeing this herd). After a brief staring contest the herd slowly moved off across the hillside. Phew! I dont think either us fancied walking through the middle of all those stags!!!

5 minutes later we were off and heading up the hill. At this point conditions were just perfect. Only one or two clouds in the sky and very little wind. That would soon change :shock: :shock:

The initial climb up the steep hillside was a real drag with boggy and very slippy conditions underfoot. However the views as the sun broke the horizon more than made up for this. I was delighted to see An Stuc in the Lawers range basked in early morning sunshine - the climb from the previous week. I got a better view from 15 miles away than I did from 15 feet last week!! :lol:

P3170247.JPG


As we gained height I started to get a great view of Stuc An Lochan across the otherside of the Dam. I can't wait to get back to tackle this one!
P3170265.JPG
Stuchd an Lochan panorama


Just as we pulled up out of the first climb and I settled into my walking rythmn I noticed a storm moving in from the west. If the walk had been more difficult with scrambles or steep climbs I would have seriously considered turning around at this point. However I knew from the map and reports that there really wasnt anything too difficult ahead and so we carried on. 20 minutes later it felt like we were in the middle of a full scale hurricane with a mixture of snow and sleet lashing us in the face and we pushed on up the hill.
P3170274.JPG
An Stuc quickly disappearing from view


As we reached the summit ridge the wind and the windchill was absolutely ferocious and I was really thankful for the marker cairns dotted along the top.

I think at the point Ruby would gladly have called it a day! :lol:
P3170276.JPG
summit ridge

P3170277.JPG


As we pulled along the ridge the clouds began to clear although the wind was still as bad as ever. Probably the worst I have felt so far on a summit ridge and I guess because I happened to be there just as a squall hit the mountain.

P3170278.JPG
First view of the summit cairn as the clouds begin to clear

P3170280.JPG


And after 1hr 50 minutes we reached the summit, staying just long enough to take a few pictures. At this point I think we were both starting to get frostbite on the tips of our noses!!!
P3170287.JPG
summit cairn panorama

P3170289.JPG
another one for Rubys scrapbook!

P3170291.JPG

P3170292.JPG
Summit cairn looking over towards Stuchd an Lochan



Once back down off the summit ridge the wind dropped to almost nothing and the sun came out again. It was almost warm enough to sunbathe!!!

P3170301.JPG
Ruby with the new collar Mrs 2d bought for her. Think I will remove this for future photo's - she is a Tomgirl Dog afterall!!


The walk back to the car was uneventful although we did stop and have a brief chat to the only 2 other people we had seen all day - a couple of guys who had driven up from Edinburgh to tackle this munro. Nice chaps.

A final glimpse over to Stuch An Lochan - we will be back soon to walk that one. It looks like a superb day out!
P3170304.JPG
Stuchd An Lochan


We also saw this beast in the distance - not sure which one Nevis, Starav???? anyone confirm.
P3170307.JPG
Ben?????

So after almost 3 hours we were back at the car just around 9am with the whole day still ahead of us. Unfortunately plans back in Stirling meant no more walking though!!

Still a brillian way to spend Saturday morning :D :D
User avatar
2dalmatians
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 341
Munros:38   Corbetts:3
Fionas:2   Donalds:2
Sub 2000:7   
Joined: Aug 16, 2010
Location: Stirling

Re: The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)

Postby scoob999 » Sun Mar 18, 2012 11:28 am

Good report 2d :D
Ruby must be difficult to see at this time of year up the hills :shock: same colours as the Ptarmagins i keep seeing
As for the hills? Meall a'Bhuiridh and Creise possibly? if i remember correctly you also get a good view "weather permitting"
Of the Big Bookil from the summit of Meall Buidh?
I am ready to be corrected though :lol:
User avatar
scoob999
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1708
Munros:143   Corbetts:222
Fionas:151   Donalds:89+52
Sub 2000:145   Hewitts:27
Wainwrights:7   Islands:22
Joined: Aug 8, 2011
Location: Birnam/Dunkeld. i think?

Re: The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)

Postby jonny616 » Sun Mar 18, 2012 1:20 pm

Nice report 2d. Imust start getting up earlier in the morning, although i was lucky enough to watch the sunset from Meall Buidhe while cooking my tea. 8)
User avatar
jonny616
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1621
Munros:282   Corbetts:14
Fionas:2   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:1   Hewitts:17
Wainwrights:8   Islands:8
Joined: Aug 19, 2009

Re: The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)

Postby 2dalmatians » Mon Mar 19, 2012 2:18 am

scoob999 wrote:Good report 2d :D
Ruby must be difficult to see at this time of year up the hills :shock: same colours as the Ptarmagins i keep seeing
As for the hills? Meall a'Bhuiridh and Creise possibly? if i remember correctly you also get a good view "weather permitting"
Of the Big Bookil from the summit of Meall Buidh?
I am ready to be corrected though :lol:


Scoob - aye your right about the dug...when we stop for lunch in the snow I can't see her and then I look round and my sandwich has been demolished - think she was trained by the viet cong!!!- if you look close you will see she is a bit of a pudding :lol: Think you might be right about the hills. Had a look on the map and it makes sense but... Please correct if incorrect!
Last edited by 2dalmatians on Mon Mar 19, 2012 2:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
2dalmatians
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 341
Munros:38   Corbetts:3
Fionas:2   Donalds:2
Sub 2000:7   
Joined: Aug 16, 2010
Location: Stirling

Re: The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)

Postby 2dalmatians » Mon Mar 19, 2012 2:27 am

jonny616 wrote:Nice report 2d. Imust start getting up earlier in the morning, although i was lucky enough to watch the sunset from Meall Buidhe while cooking my tea. 8)



I bet that was some view j616. Had my first wild camp (Meall Greigh) last summer. Waking up on a hill without the telly the traffic or the trashmen with their bin lorry is a magic moment (no offence to the recycling professionals who do a fabulous job - in our area anyway). Mrs 2d thinks waking up without my slobbering chops 6 inches away is a #%#*%#! great moment too! :thumbup: :lol:
User avatar
2dalmatians
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 341
Munros:38   Corbetts:3
Fionas:2   Donalds:2
Sub 2000:7   
Joined: Aug 16, 2010
Location: Stirling

Re: The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)

Postby Graeme D » Mon Mar 19, 2012 5:06 pm

2dalmatians wrote:We also saw this beast in the distance - not sure which one Nevis, Starav???? anyone confirm.


Which direction???
User avatar
Graeme D
 
Posts: 3993
Munros:251   Corbetts:123
Fionas:75   Donalds:22
Sub 2000:59   Hewitts:36
Wainwrights:28   Islands:6
Joined: Oct 17, 2008
Location: Perth

Re: The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)

Postby 2dalmatians » Mon Mar 19, 2012 6:50 pm

Graeme D wrote:
2dalmatians wrote:We also saw this beast in the distance - not sure which one Nevis, Starav???? anyone confirm.


Which direction???

Graeme

As you walk back towards the walk start it is off to right if that makes sense. It would be to the right of the second last picture of stucdh an lochan. So I think west or northwest? Or maybe south or south east lol!
User avatar
2dalmatians
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 341
Munros:38   Corbetts:3
Fionas:2   Donalds:2
Sub 2000:7   
Joined: Aug 16, 2010
Location: Stirling

Re: The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)

Postby scoob999 » Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:13 pm

2dalmatians wrote:
Graeme D wrote:
2dalmatians wrote:We also saw this beast in the distance - not sure which one Nevis, Starav???? anyone confirm.


Which direction???

Graeme

As you walk back towards the walk start it is off to right if that makes sense. It would be to the right of the second last picture of stucdh an lochan. So I think west or northwest? Or maybe south or south east lol!


Sooo thats where my faulty Sense Of Direction went :shock:
:lol: :lol: :lol:
User avatar
scoob999
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 1708
Munros:143   Corbetts:222
Fionas:151   Donalds:89+52
Sub 2000:145   Hewitts:27
Wainwrights:7   Islands:22
Joined: Aug 8, 2011
Location: Birnam/Dunkeld. i think?

Re: The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)

Postby quoman » Tue Mar 20, 2012 2:04 pm

Hi 2D
Youve got some fantastic photo's there i like the one's of ruby ave said it defore she blends into the background to good.
User avatar
quoman
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 960
Munros:282   Corbetts:10
Fionas:1   Donalds:5
Sub 2000:2   
Joined: Nov 14, 2011
Location: larbert

Re: The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)

Postby Graeme D » Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:54 pm

Beinn a' Chreachain????? :?: :?:
User avatar
Graeme D
 
Posts: 3993
Munros:251   Corbetts:123
Fionas:75   Donalds:22
Sub 2000:59   Hewitts:36
Wainwrights:28   Islands:6
Joined: Oct 17, 2008
Location: Perth

Re: The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)

Postby monty » Tue Mar 20, 2012 7:36 pm

Jeez you start early :lol: Nice report. How quickly the weather can change eh. :D
monty
 

Re: The Lyon, the walk and the windchill...(Meall Buidhe)

Postby smiffysmc » Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:23 pm

Great report. As you said, similar weather to us just up the road. I had this hill on the GPS as number 7 at weekend but couldn't find the energy :lol: Love the hills about this area.

Cheers
User avatar
smiffysmc
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 204
Munros:25   Corbetts:8
Fionas:6   
Sub 2000:6   
Joined: Sep 10, 2011

1 person thinks this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 29 guests