Tarmachan Ridge
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 7:19 pm
Participants: 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.
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.