Tarmachan Ridge
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:19 pmParticipants: Joe
Weather: Cloudy with some sun. A bit windy up top, getting colder now summer passing
Route: Made footpath, Worn path along ridge, faint path across corrie to quarry, well made track from quarry.
The new car park is on the Tarmachan side, with a new path to join the existing path up the side of the hill to the top. It is also sign posted.
Very windy and a bit chilly so kept moving on to the ridge itself.
Meall Garbh certainly is the best bit and once I reached the top, found this was the most sheltered part, so had my lunch there. By now sunny and a bit warmer out of the wind. Took my time.
Then out over the narrow ridge to the scramble. Like others who have reported this walk it can be a bit unnerving to see the path cut across the face of a steep drop. Some erosion of the 'path' made it pretty much rock all the way down and also mentioned here, bums on rock are good to keep balance. Hands are necessary so had my walking stick through rucksack straps. Once down and heading up the other side it doesn't look so bad looking back, but that's perspective for you.
The next top brought me back out into the wind and didn't loiter. Another steep drop but much more manageable to the bealach where there is a faint path heading across the corrie to the quarry. A bit boggy here but path misses worst parts. I stayed high when path dropped down the last part and contoured over to quarry road. Just seemed easier and a bit drier.
The long walk back from here has also been mentioned and it does get tedious, feels like you are never getting back. Once the car park comes into view you realise that you will walk away from it to rejoin the path you took going up, but eventually you make it back.
Weather: Cloudy with some sun. A bit windy up top, getting colder now summer passing
Route: Made footpath, Worn path along ridge, faint path across corrie to quarry, well made track from quarry.
The new car park is on the Tarmachan side, with a new path to join the existing path up the side of the hill to the top. It is also sign posted.
- Looking back down the path from the minor top before Tarmachan
- From Tarmachan over to Lawers
Very windy and a bit chilly so kept moving on to the ridge itself.
- On the way over to Meall Garbh
Meall Garbh certainly is the best bit and once I reached the top, found this was the most sheltered part, so had my lunch there. By now sunny and a bit warmer out of the wind. Took my time.
- Looking over the front of Meall Garbh to Beinn nan Eachan
Then out over the narrow ridge to the scramble. Like others who have reported this walk it can be a bit unnerving to see the path cut across the face of a steep drop. Some erosion of the 'path' made it pretty much rock all the way down and also mentioned here, bums on rock are good to keep balance. Hands are necessary so had my walking stick through rucksack straps. Once down and heading up the other side it doesn't look so bad looking back, but that's perspective for you.
- Lookng back to Meall Garbh and the scramble, the crag just right of centre.
- Looking back along the ridge to Meall Garbh and Tarmachan from Beinn nan Eachan
The next top brought me back out into the wind and didn't loiter. Another steep drop but much more manageable to the bealach where there is a faint path heading across the corrie to the quarry. A bit boggy here but path misses worst parts. I stayed high when path dropped down the last part and contoured over to quarry road. Just seemed easier and a bit drier.
- From the quarry road, the ridge from Beinn nan Eachan to Meall Garbh, left to right.
The long walk back from here has also been mentioned and it does get tedious, feels like you are never getting back. Once the car park comes into view you realise that you will walk away from it to rejoin the path you took going up, but eventually you make it back.
- With the car park in sight, Tarmachan from the track.
