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And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:13 pm
by shelbyandamonkey
Pretty new to the hillwalking chat, although been a walker for a while, and having used this website for ages thought I'd submit my first report in celebration of finally getting my ass up a munro! My other half (the lovely Mike) has been at it a while, and so for my birthday we headed up to Killin for a few days.

We didn't have a car until very recently so have spent the last year backpacking and public transporting about Scotland and the trip to Killin was no exception...always makes it seem more of an adventure! After arriving in Killin via 4 different buses and a gorgeous drive up from Callander the forecast, athough still crap, looked best for the next day so we decided to head for Ben Lawers then. In the meantime had a great time wandering up Sron a'Chlachain and Creag Buidhe and out to Loch Tay in the rain :)

The next day managed to hitch out to the main road down from the Ben Lawers area ( massive cheers to the lovely Jenna who kindly picked us up!) so didnt get the nice 400m start from the car park but had to walk up to there to start...nice wee warm up!

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hiking up to the car park afterhitching in from Killin

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gorgeous old stone bridge


Headed up through the nature reserve in dry and still conditions, with the middle to upper part of Beinn Ghlas sadly covered in cloud, but we got some fab moody views over to the Tarmachan Ridge. We lost the view from about half way up the zig zags.

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Final view before entering the clouds

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no much to see on the path nearing Beinn Ghlas summit


Made the summit of my first munro, Beinn Ghlas in good time, and after a quick celeration of a drink of tea and some jumping up and down, headed off along the ridge towards Ben Lawers in the cloud and drizzle with a giant grin never leaving my face!

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Woo, made my first Munro, the rather underwhelming summit of Beinn Glas...onwards and upwards to Lawers...




The climb to Ben Lawers was steep in bits and rocky but fairly straightforward and great fun, but as soon as we hit the summit the wind was suddenly really strong ( my first experience of having bodily fluids blown from my nose and eyes...lovely!) and we thought it would be wise to head right back down. Gutted I never got a summit pic :(

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Looking back up to the top of Ben Lawers after getting off there quick sharp due to atrocious winds, 2nd Munro completed...I'm on a roll now :)


We descended by the same route we had come, and seen the first souls of the day, 3 guys heading up,also soaked But grinning like us! After a quick warning aout the sneaky summit wind we were off again, and made it back to the car park pretty quickly but with aching knees, then down to the road and managed a lift back to Killin, a roaring fire and an ale.

Such a fantastic day of bagging 2 munros, despite getting no views from the tops! Definately will be back soon, hopefully with clearer weather...got my eye on that Tarmachan Ridge...think I've got this hillwalking bug :D

Re: And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:20 pm
by Mountainlove
Well done for your first 2 Munros! Beinn Glas was my second Munro many moons ago and I still remember it well :-) And well done for using public transport and hitching...the latest isn't practiced enough I think

Re: And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:29 pm
by dogplodder
You enjoyed this with no view and ferocious winds :shock:

Imagine how much you'll love it when the weather is perfect! :thumbup:

Re: And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 3:51 pm
by mrssanta
Here's to the next 281!!

Re: And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 4:58 pm
by Graeme D
mrssanta wrote:Here's to the next 281!!


Yep, that's what you've let yourself in for by the sounds of it! Bloody marvellous it is too! :D

Re: And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:01 pm
by jonny616
Well done. Much fun ahead 8)

Re: And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 8:04 pm
by morag1
Glad you enjoyed yourselves, hope you manage another soon :D

Re: And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:15 pm
by RicKamila
Well done. We're hoping to pop our Munro cherries in the next two to three months.

Re: And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:30 pm
by mrssanta
RicKamila wrote:Well done. We're hoping to pop our Munro cherries in the next two to three months.

Go for it! looking forward to hearing about it

Re: And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:05 pm
by skuk007
Congrat to those first two, no stopping you now, hope you don't get that weather on all the rest!

Re: And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:58 pm
by quoman
well done on your first 2 munros wait till the better weather come's well it might :lol: you will enjoy them even better.

Re: And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 3:19 pm
by basscadet
Well done on popping the cherry, and what a great report :)
Theres no better feeling than getting nose dreep blown all over your face.. This bagging lark is ace :lol:

Re: And so it begins....popping the Munro cherry

PostPosted: Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:18 pm
by iainwatson
congrats on your first(and second) Munro!

shame about the weather,as others have said just wait till its a clear,sunny summers day and you get the views,

there is no feeling like it! :D