Perthshire Corbetts

[weaselmaster]

Yet another dismal weekend weather forecast with high winds, rain and a temperature spike making avalanches highly probable. It's Corbett time again then...decided to do the 2 over by Farragon Hill on Saturday and the two at the east end of Loch Lyon on Sunday. Off at 06.30 and a relaxed drive to Perthshire - when we got near the start point for Foss Mine there had clearly been new snow overnight, with some on the road.

Attractive start to the walk

P1000225 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000226 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Waterproofs on and off we set, past piles of stony stuff and earth moving machinery. The track through the trees is steep and covered in fresh snow. We passed a couple of dinky little caterpillar tracked vehicles which had a retro James Bond villain type look to them. A break in the trees allowed some views up to Beinn a'Ghlo hills, before everything was swallowed in clag. As we gained altitude the depth of snow at the side of the road was a reminder about just how much has fallen high up this winter. Still enveloped in clag we came to the turn off point for the brief ascent to Meall Tairneachan but could see nothing on the way up, nor at the summit. Following our own footsteps we descended again to the track and headed down into the mines...

James Bond Villain Vehicles

P1000227 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000269 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Track

P1000228 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Towards Beinn a'Ghlo

P1000229 by 23weasels, on Flickr

A bit desolate...

P1000231 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000232 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000234 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Top of Meall Tairneachan

P1000238 by 23weasels, on Flickr

The stony road that heads down was covered in sheet ice - damn gritters obviously hadn't been doing their job this morning I briefly thought about putting crampons on to get me down but decided that would be being a wuss. Got a bit lost as to which track to take in the quarry - no-one about at all, just an assortment of machines idling around. At one point a snow hare appeared from out of a block of quick-lime bags and scudded off into the mist. Trudging through snow, sometimes with enough of an icy crust to take our weight, sometimes not we headed on out of the mines, still on the track which became rougher before petering out altogether. GPS said we headed approx east into the clag. So we went off...snow drifts, heather and bog with the occasional stream to cross. The wind was steadily strengthening as we approached Farragon Hill and indeed, as we gained the final 50metres to the summit was strong enough to blow you over - I was glad that we'd been sheltered from the full blast for most of the walk. Up at the top we found a whole collection of small coloured stones and beads at the cairn. Ducked round to the leeward side to eat lunch then set about the return leg. As we headed back over the marshy terrain the clag steadily cleared, meaning that we could see where we were headed, rather than pushing blindly into mist. We could also, looking back, see Farragon Hill, which looked quite impressive.


Ice road to the mines...

P1000241 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000244 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Trackless bog in clag...

P1000246 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Top of Farragon

P1000248 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Visibility improving

P1000254 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Farragon Hill

P1000255 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Back to the quarry, and with the mist lifted we could see even more bits and bobs of machinery. Also passed the opening of a mine shaft which we'd completely missed on the way past earlier, and I went in for a wee explore - Allison keeping herself out of bother at the entrance. Back along the track, views to Shiehallion opening up and even some sunshine on the banks of Loch Rannoch. Was turning into a better day than forecast. As we returned to the car, all the new snow along the track had melted and it seemed there was a major thaw on. Drove back to Coshieville then along the Glen Lyon road. Remembered that I hadn't packed any porridge for the morning and, seeing the Post Office / Shop at Bridge of Balgie decided to stop and see if they had any...after all it is described as "Inside an Aladdin's cave of all sorts of food, household items and gifts, as well as a post office. Gallons of tea at a very fair price and delicious almond cake - well deserved whether you have climbed a Munro or not" It may well have been, but a sign outside said "closed 5th November" so we didn't find out. Porridgeless we drove on along Glen Lyon, and very pretty it was too. Arriving at Pubil we could see a huge jet of water coming from the Hydro dam at Lubreoch Power Station. We parked in a layby just before the dam itself and found a suitable place for the tent, then walked down to investigate the dam. Great roaring as the water spewed out of the overflow. met some of the collies from the farm nearby, who effortlessly vaulted their fence to come and greet us. Headed back to the tent for noodles and chickpea curry.

Quarry road

P1000257 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000258 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Mine opening

P1000259 by 23weasels, on Flickr

inside

P1000260 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Sick "Scaredy-Cat Kid"

P1000261 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Windfarm in blue

P1000263 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Meall Tairneachan

P1000265 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Shiehallion

P1000266 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Loch Rannoch

P1000267 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000271 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Shop with helpful opening hours...

P1000273 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Dam

P1000275 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000279 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000280 by 23weasels, on Flickr

A very wild and windy night indeed - was worried that the tent might try to get airborne at points, but of course it stayed put. Didn't get much sleep however with the tent walls quaking under big buffets of wind. Managed to find some hot & spicy couscous to have for breakfast and prepared for our walk. Up by the head of the dam and then up steep grassy slopes to join the track...to find that most of the height we'd gained was to be lost again as the path wound downward - don't you just hate that...More steep grassy slope ascending brought us up to flattish boggy area with big patches of soft wet sugary snow. The occasional deer watched on as we waded slowly forward. Got to the head of Coire nan Aighean and bum-slid down to the line of fence posts that would guide us up Meall Buidhe. Steady ascent over grass, becoming snow as we gained height. The wind also got up, with rain blasting into our faces it was goggles time. The final 30m up to the top of MB was entirely in white-out clag, where it was impossible to distinguish snow from sky. Finally sighting the cairn and posing for a pic, Sick Kid pipes up - "why does that cairn look higher?" and indeed there was another cairn a few metres higher up - just as well she spotted it. So summit selfie take two.

Dam

P1000282 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000284 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Up the slopes

P1000285 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Watcher

P1000287 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Meall Buidhe

P1000290 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Towards Gleann Daimh

P1000291 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Summit MB

P1000292 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000296 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Heading back down to the bealach for lunch we could make out something of where we had to head next. Re-traced our tracks up to the 709m spot only to realise that we should actually have headed down into the valley rather than ascending Creag a'Chaorainn...ach well what's another hundred or so metres of unnecessary ascent over potentially avalanche prone terrain Looking back over to Sron a Mhill Bhuidhe was could see a sizeable avalanche that had fallen. another bit of dodgy terrain coming over the north crags of Ca'C before starting on the slopes up to Sron a'Choire Chnapanaich - looked like we'd get most of the way up without having to track over dodgy snow. And the ascent was gentler than it had looked from lower down - just a steady pull up to the summit. Views to Loch an Daimh and the steep cliffs surrounding it. The it was just an easy stroll down the south shoulder of SaCC, little snow, quite a bit of bog. At one point we could crumbling cornice on Meallan Odhar, looking towards Stuc an Lochain. A pleasant saunter took us down to the Allt Phubhill and back to a concrete track, then through the settlement of Pubil itself. A short walk back along to the car, water still jetting from the dam overflow and a quiet drive back home. Quite pleased with the weekend - Saturday's hills were a good choice for bad weather, Sunday's were just a good walk.

Avalanche

P1000298 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Sron a'Choire Chnapanaich

P1000299 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Nearing the top

P1000302 by 23weasels, on Flickr

To Meall Odhar & Stuc an Lochain

P1000304 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Loch an Daimh

P1000305 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000306 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000307 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Descent route

P1000308 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Collapsing cornice

P1000310 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Allt Phuibhill

P1000312 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Pubil

P1000314 by 23weasels, on Flickr

Gate ornament

P1000315 by 23weasels, on Flickr


P1000316 by 23weasels, on Flickr

[scoob999]

See what happens when you do Corbetts, nobody is interested

nice report by the way hoping to do the glen lyon ones soon

[Graeme D]

Looks like it was still a quiter, calmer night under canvas than the last one I spent below that dam! Nice to see the scrap metal is still there too!