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I woke up in the passenger seat of my car in Inverlochlarig on Monday morning. Bed would've been more comfortable but at least I wasn't at work today! As Sunday's walk had ended much later than originally planned, I had a lie-in until 7:30 am, something which possibly cost me my 5th hill of the day. I drove over to Glen Lochay in low cloud which gradually cleared.
I'm not entirely sure what the status of the road over to Glen Lyon is. Last time I went over it (about 9 years ago), it was ungated, but shown as a track on my OS map. Later editions of the map now show it as an unclassified road, but the Kenknock estate had been busy with new deer fences, gates and 'no unauthorised vehicles' signs in the meantime. The gates were unlocked so I drove over anyway. Whatever the official line is, the road surface is now terrible! I had to drop into first gear to negotiate some of the potholes.
Walk 1:Corbetts: Meall nan Subh.
Date: 08/07/2013.
Distance: 3 km.
Ascent: 310m.
Time taken: 1 hour.
Weather: Hot and sunny.
I parked at a bit of hardstanding just past the high point of the road and hit the hillside at 9.30 am. It didn't take long for me to reach the summit area, which was lumpy with several possible tops. The highest one was obvious after a little.
Sgiath Chuil:
Beinn Heasgarnaich:
Beinn Challuim and Beinn Heasgarnaich:
Meall Buidhe with Ben Nevis behind:
Sron a Choire Chnapanich and Glen Lyon:
Not bad views at all, and the top was very attractive. I had a quick stop and second breakfast - it was rapidly warming up.
Ben More, Beinn Cheathaich and Beinn Challuim from the summit:
An easy trot back down to the car by a similar route. A lot of construction traffic was using this road to renew some power line poles at Pubil. Luckily I didn't get sandwiched in it.
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Walk 2:Corbetts: Meall Buidhe, Sron a'Choire Chnapanich.
Date: 08/07/2013.
Distance: 14 km.
Ascent: 995m.
Time taken: 4 hours 10 minutes.
Weather: Very hot and sunny.
I parked up just past the dam road and topped up with water from the river. I only like to carry a litre at a time with me, so I topped up on at least another 3 occasions around the walk!
Meall Ghaordaidh and Glen Lyon from near Pubil:
I headed up the tarmac dam road before realising that it was the wrong one - doh! A climb over a fence and a quick climb up a grassy slope put me on the right track, which I left shortly afterwards to climb the steep nose of Meall Phubail. By coincidence, Frigate had done this route
the day before in the same conditions, so what follows is exactly the same photos backwards
.
Lyon Dam:
Great views down Loch Lyon and onto the wild northern side of Beinn Heasgarnaich. Easier walking led me up to Creag a Chaorainn, then down to the foot of Meall Buidhe. There is a choice of ridges here. I took the more westerly one, which gave me a chance to fill up with water. I sweated my way up the final slopes and across a rogue area of quartzy rock to the summit cairn.
Beinn Mhanach and Loch Lyon:
Beinn Heasgarnaich:
Down Glen Lyon:
Beinn Dorain, Beinn Mhanach and Loch Lyon:
Meall Buidhe from Creag a Chaorainn:
I was immediately impressed with the outlook over Rannoch Moor to Glencoe, Glen Nevis and the rest. Something this Meall Buidhe shares with the other one just to the east. Another break to dry off a bit.
Rannoch panorama: Black Mount, Buachaille Etive Mor, Mamores, Ben Nevis to the Grey Corries:
Black Mount and the Buachaille:
All 5 of the Bridge of Orchy Munros are in there somewhere:
Black Mount again:
Stob na Cruaiche with the Easains and Chno Dearg behind:
The route onward to Sron a Choire Chnapanich doesn't follow a straightforward line. After an easy stroll across the Meall Buidhe plateau (where I strayed a little off the edge for the views of Loch an Daimh), it is a steep traversing descent to the Feith Thalain, then a contour out to the peat hagged col. The views of Stuchd an Lochain and Loch an Daimh more than compensate though.
Loch an Daimh and Stuchd an Lochain:
...with Sron a Choire Chnapanich in the foreground:
Descent from Meall Buidhe:
Across Gleann Daimh to Meall Cruinn:
After the peat hags, the ascent of Sron a Choire Chnapanich was easy. I was getting rather knackered though, and thoughts of the next Corbett duo that I had planned were getting pushed out of my mind, to be replaced with a swim in the river somewhere down in Glen Lyon.
More great views off the steep nose of Sron a Choire Chnapanich, and another break. Then it was down into Coire Phubuill to pick up the track back into the glen. Back in the car, my hands almost melted to the steering wheel.
Loch an Daimh from Sron a Choire Chnapanich:
The other Meall Buidhe:
Stuchd an Lochain:
I got a bit of a rest while driving down Glen Lyon. It was a great afternoon - too good for walking, I was starting to think
. I stopped to take some photos of the north side of Meall Ghaordaidh, and wondered again why anybody bothers going up it from Glen Lochay (shorter drive from the west aside). My only other sunny day in Glen Lyon had been a hike up onto Creag Laoghain and over Meall Ghaordaidh. I almost included Beinn nan Oighreag that day, and have been kicking myself ever since for missing it. Particularly as I was planning to miss it again
Creag Laoghain. More people should go up Meall Gheordaidh from here!
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Walk 3:Corbetts: Meall nam Maigheach.
Date: 08/07/2013.
Distance: 4 km.
Ascent: 340m.
Time taken: 1 hour 40 minutes.
Weather: Very hot and slightly overcast.
Odd that Frigate had just done the same route as me - one of his earlier reports of a circular route on
Beinn nan Oighreag and Meall nam Maigheach had been my intended plan for today's last route. Why do a quick up and down onto Meall nam Maigheach when you could make a proper walk of it? Strangely, by the time I had parked up on the Ben Lawers visitor centre road, my thoughts on this had changed dramatically
. Quick bash up Meall nam Maigheach it was then, leaving Beinn nan Oighreag for a circuit with either Meall Ghaordaidh or Meall nan Tarmachan in the future. There was a very small parking area where I wanted to start. Room for two cars if squeezed in.
My ascent started from here:
I followed the wall up onto the summit. Nothing to say about the route really. It took me a little longer than expected - I really wasn't in any shape to be adding a 5th hill on afterwards!
Beinn nan Oighreag. Best left for another visit:
Back of the Tarmachan ridge (or the front if you prefer):
Good views of An Stuc and Lawers from the summit. I lay down for a good 15 minutes up there, before wandering over to the slightly lower Meall Luaidhe. Glad I did, as the views over Glen Lyon were much better from here. Great to see all of those summits that I'd been up with no views in the past.
An Stuc and Ben Lawers:
Stuchd an Lochain and Loch an Daimh:
Cam Creag. Some whiteout fun was had on this in 2011:
Meall a Mhuic and Beinn Dearg:
Carn Gorm to Carn Mairg:
Then it was back down to the car by a similar route. I didn't fancy driving back down to Glen Lyon for a swim so I settled for a wash in the burn next to the car. It was a pity not to get all 5 of the hills I'd planned - there are only a handful of places you can do 5 Corbetts in a day without some serious fellrunning effort. Still, as I had thought earlier, it was too nice a day for walking
.
