Walked down to the Tyndrum Lower station, across the line and through the trees towards Cononish. Dark firs allow glimpses of white hills and I eventually make out Ben Lui up ahead. Although there is a sense of gaining height going along the forest path, I note that the altitude when I at last move out of the trees and get to the river Cononish is precisely the same as when I left Tyndrum. On my left are Oss & Dubhcraig. Ben Lui is looking beautiful up ahead - it's very hard to drag the eye away from Coire Gaothach. I'm seriously tempted to head over there rather than get my Corbett, but I reckon the snow looks a bit thick on the corrie walls and it might not be the safest thing to do.
Ben Lui through the trees
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Lui, Chuirn to the right
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Chuirn
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Lui
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River Cononish
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Lui & Oss
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Looking at Beinn Chuirn over to the right of Lui, I see that I could have left the snowshoes in the car, as there's only the lightest covering. I get to the farmhouse, marvel at the view that the lucky occupants have from their home, and say hello to a skittish young collie that comes over to investigate me. Past the famr for a short way then leave the track and head up the grassy slopes - initially at around 45 degrees for a couple hundred metres then onto a much flatter boggy landscape that heads west for a bit. Up ahead, near the top of Beinn Chuirn, I can make out half a dozen walkers. I continue to head westward, gently climbing as I do so to reach the shoulder of the hill. As I do so I see Ben Cruachan raise its white pointed peaks and Beinn aBhuridh sitting to the north of the horseshoe - I remember climing those hills on a blisteringly hot May afternoon - there's not much warm about today as the wind steadily increases, blowing behind me fortunately, but setting off little flurries of spindrift that get into eyes, boots, where ever there's a tiny gap. I walk up to the first cairn, take my time to gaze around at the surrounding hills then press onto the summit cairn. The wind is really strong by now, and after a few pics at the tops I hunker down behind a rock on the leeward side of the summit and eat my piece. It's cold even out of the wind and I'm forced to put on a fourth layer...
Nearing top Chuirn
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Orchy hills
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Spindrift - or cloud - on Ben Oss
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More & Stobinien
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North again
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Cruachan
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Cruachan zoomed
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Summit of Chuirn
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First cairn
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To Orchy hills
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Summit Panorama
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Looking NW
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I begin to descend from Chuirn - the snow is hard and frozen, the wind pushing me around like an icy bully, chilling my face. I head over to where my route takes me down eastwards - however I get to an edge and don't like what I see - more snow on the north facing side and I think I may be meeting with cornice if I go this way. Over to my right, the rocky face of the mountain rises up from Coire na Saobhaidhe and with the wind still blowing a hoolie it's all feeling a little precarious. I decide that I will just go back down the way I've come up and start back to the summit, but cross the prints of the party I'd seen earlier heading down. They've gone a bit further south into the rim of the coire itself. I can't see any bodies below, so I reckon they've probably survived it, the snow's not very deep and is crisp enough to make me think avalanches unlikely, so I press on. it gets very steep indeed and I retreat to don crampons and axe. Slowly, steadily make my way down the icy slope. I think on a carefree day I might have dared to glissade down, but on my own and with the strong winds I'm taking it easy. I'm onto softer snow and grass and head over to the north east making for Meall Odhar. That was a bit of fun!
Coire na Saobhaidhe
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The walk over to Meall Odhar is easy going, with the worst of the bogs frozen over. I make for a linear gap in the treeline up the side of Meall Odhar, having to climb a deer fence on the way. I see that the party ahead have come the same way and follow their prints in the soft snow up to the shoulder of Odhar, with a wee diversion to the summit cairn - not that I'm consciously bagging Grahams, but seems silly not to
Beinn Chuirn from Odhar
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View of Ben Oss
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To summit of Odhar
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Oss & Dubhcraig from summit cairn
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From the summit I headed NE making for the bump of Drochaid na Droma - this could be a boggy route in less icy weather. From here I get a view back over Odhar & Chuirn
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From here there's another bit of ascent I wasn't expecting up to Sron nan Colan. I can see the group of 6 walkers at the top of this, not far ahead of me now. The wind's lessened, but the sky looks heavy with snow to come later. Pushing on I make the easy pull up to the cairn then begin the descent down the north side, past the old lead mine workings which are fenced off. I finally meet up with the other group and we have a pleasant chat was we walk down the zigzag path back into the forest. A short walk along the path beside the railway and it's back to the crossing gate at the station. A good day out, with enough of the winter variety to keep interest whetted.
DSCF2393 by 23weasels, on Flickr
IMAG0052 by 23weasels, on Flickr
