Beinn Chorranach - it bites

[davidsda]

Beinn Chorranach tries in on!.

Decided to give this hill a go as I have done most of the others in the region this year. So I arrived at 8:30am and set of from Butterbridge car park up the road with Beinn Luibbean in front of me, Beinn Chorranach to my left.

Route back up road from Butterbridge car park

I had asked for some route info but the only reply was get up between Chorranach and Ime - straight up the south face.

Route back up road from Butterbridge car park

Just past the road sign there is an access and it was onward past the ruined building up the left side of the stream.

Beinn Chorranach

Well here is the token sheep shot.

Phil the sheep looks at his next conquest - Beinn Luibean

Arty photo time

Icicle with Beinn an Lochrain in the background

River of ice

I proceeded up the south side when I looked back and saw Beinn an Lochrain doing it's impression of a major mountain with cloud streaming from the top, very nice to sit and watch for a few minutes.

Beinn an Lochrain from Beinn Chorranach looking west

This Corbett top has a nasty aspect which I was just about to find out, the way the snow was lying kind of drove me more to the west slope and before too long I found myself looking at a very nasty slope of very hard snow and ice which I had walked into without paying a great deal of attention (mistake No 1). It did look ok to carry on up as there was a lot of rocks to get a good footing and it was only a very short distance to get through it, this is where I now realise I am stupid and there is nothing worst the watching ignorance in action - well that was me, I got about 20 steps before I just stopped "this is not good" I had a look around and was again in the sh!t, left was a no-no, right was yuk and a no-no, going back down was out due to slidding on trying. I stood there cursing my inexperience and stupidity - this is exactly what not to do on a mountain, bad bad decision to allow myself to be pushed off my intended route.
Time to came down

Nasty slope but my way back to south slope

Left of me and way out of my skill level

I decided the only way out was to head up and right via the rocks and it took me a very long time to get back to good ground, up was easiest way to get a good footing.
Lesson learned - pay attention and assess everything all the time, I was stupid to even consider crossing the hard slope without the proper equipment, it was just as well I had a hard sole on my boots to cut good steps and used my poles to stab into the hard snow - It is all about learning and this was a major learning experience. Enough of my stupidity, and I am probably being a bit harsh on myself, may be it was not as bad as I thought but I should not have been there.
I got around to where I should have been and proceeded to the top in some nice weather with fantastic views,

Vista of Ben Vane to the left and Chronis with Ben Lomond in the background

Summit of Chorranach looking at Beinn Ime

A different Look at Ben Lomond

View looking North

Had a good long visit to the top and enjoyed the views, my tea and some food - very civil indeed, it was strange though being able to hear the odd voice even though they were over on Beinn Ime!!!!
Started my decent and again this hill is a nasty sucker, even looking at the map to check for the gentle way down as I was not going back the way I had come up! I kept finding the easy way blocked by sheets of snow which being on the south face were softer and with a good stamp i could get a solid footing in it. I tried to keep to the grass as much as possible but everywhere I went I found a wee bit of a scramble. I did get down ok and found it all very exciting.

North face of Ime

Once on the harder grass I found my ankle was being turned over and stopped to discover an alien object growing out from under my boot - "On Chorranach no one can hear you scream"

Alien pod growing under my foot

I never felt this all the way down so I dont know how long it had been there, I had to find a rock to break it off!

It was then a simple walk back to the car with a quick look back to Beinn Ime

Ime

and reflect on how a planned easy route could turn out to be such a learning experience. I have learned a valuable lesson today and one I will never forget. safety must come first and continual assessment of where your going and why is vital. I assumed I would find a way rather than going back down a hundred meters and making my way to the south side, next time I will do just that.
i do hope people read this and use it as a learning tool to never assume and as the old saying goes measure twice cut once; think and think again before going forward.

Take care

D.

[gaffr]

I've never been closer to Chorranach than the Bealach between it and Ben Ime on a traverse between Luibhean and Vorlich.
I think probably most of us have been in similar situations on winter slopes with only poles for support. Slopes with boulders sticking out do seem to concentrate the mind especially if the boulders have a good ice glaze covering them....which limits the chance of using them for a bit of respite from the frozen surface. Are you thinking about some winter hardware....ice axe and crampons? Chorranach, unless I am behind the times, as does happened with me, is perhaps a few metres short of having the 'wee ronnie' status? Not that this in any way undermines a good day out where useful experience can be gained on any winter hill. Safe travelling.

[davidsda]

Yes I think for next year some investment in proper winter gear is required if I am to continue winter walking. I have enquired at Tiso with regard to winter courses but none suit to attend this year due to travel/work etc.
I have been picking hills with good sunny south slopes as I have been finding these slopes have a safe route up and down and the snow and ice is soft. I just got off track on Saturday and never had the sense to appreciate how fast a shaded slope can turn into an ice field. If I had slipped I always had a large boulder beneath me - I planned my escape route to allow for a falling aid to be there.
I will buy an ice axe next weekend as it would have been just the thing to aid me.

Anybody suggest a general walking axe?

D.

[billgerrie]

You don't mention anywhere about the wind or wind chill.
Was it not as bad as all the forecasts?
The BBC showed -8 C and 50mph hour winds which put me off for the whole weekend.
Excactly a year ago, 31st Jan 2009 I got to within 200metres of the top of Ben Vorlich (Loch Earn) and couldn't stand up even though it had been fine at the car.
That experience combined with the forecast made it a shopping/cycling weekend.

[davidsda]

Hi Billgerri

No not a drop of wind until the very top and then hardly worth talking about, I was at the top around mid day. There was a bit more activity with the weather as can been seen on Beinn Ime but that is 123M higher up, same on Lochrain across the valley, at 888M it was ok. I was well wrapped up so never noticed the cold except on my fingers when taking the photos. Sometimes you just dont know until you get there?

[billgerrie]

I better not mention your report to my walking partner.
If its not good this weekend he'll be watching football, and looking for another partner.
Maybe Sunday wasn't as good!
Bill.

[Milesy]

I had asked for some route info but the only reply was get up between Chorranach and Ime - straight up the south face.

I gave you a different route up Chorranach

[davidsda]

Hi Milesy

Just goes to show how I can get it wrong, I thought that is what you meant, sorry if I misunderstood you or offended you with my reply, no offence meant just stating it a bit too directly may be.

Please keep offering the advise as I need it.

D.

[kevsbald]

The shoe-hugger? They mostly come out during the snow...mostly.