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Driving up to Dingwall from Stirling and on the A9 with a bit of time, so stopped at Dalnaspidal to check out the two corbetts here with a view to walking one. Parked beside the cottages where there is a better car parking area. The weather looked variable, so opted for the Sow of Atholl, being the easier one. Meall na Leitreach had a longer walk in deeper snow from my viewpoint. So set out in sunny but cold and windy weather.
Sow of Atholl, Dalnaspidal by
Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
Loch Garry, Dalnaspidal by
Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
Walked down the road to the lodge and crossed the railway. Funny how they make you walk diagonally across it rather than straight across. The footpath to Rannoch leads over to Loch Garry. Across the dam and just before the bridge over the river, turn up the hill onto a new track, still being laid.
Loch Garry by
Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
I followed it as far up and as high up as it went on the sow, ignoring one branching off to the left. There are faint vehicle tracks going further up to grit boxes for the grouse. From here just marching through the heather to the top.
Loch Garry Stitch by
Joe Kincaid, on Flickr
The view back over to Meall na Leitreach and Loch Garry.
On reaching the snow line, the cloud thickened and held back till I started to approach the top then unleashed its wrath. Horizontal snow and drifting with it. By the time I got to the top the view had disappeared completely and visibility was 20 metres. The snow hitting my jacket was making a tremendous noise in the high wind and I was getting blown about a bit.
- The top, view disappearing fast
Tried to get a view over the A9 from there but walking against the snow not good. Headed back down and once past the snow line, the shower stopped and later on the sun came back out. Talk about bad timing. A good walk though and I still had time to get to Dingwall.
