A big day out from Loch Ossian
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 3:26 pm
by The Rodmiester
The Big Day walk in had arrived, leaving the Loch Ossian Hostel at the back of 0600hrs, we walked along the South shore of Loch Ossian and yes this is where I found out my temporary repair of my 3L platypus had not held, with the bottom half of my Rab pants distinctly wet. Knowing this was to be a long day on the hill and that not much opportunity of topping up when on the summits and after another unsuccessful patch repair was tried with a spare compeed plaster, it was sharing water supplies until back at low level.
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- View from the Loch Ossian Youth Hostel (£22.00 per night, no fridge, no showers, no microwave a bit pricey I think!)
- An early start was called for leaving just after 0700hrs with a slight frost on the ground
- View down the loch, where we were headed
- Beinn na Lap mirrored on the Loch
- After reaching the end of the loch take the track on your left at the buildings to head on over the bridge over the outflow of the Loch. After passing over take the right track which has been recently laid with rough road metal on your right and not the one which continues past the modern archtectural styled house enclosed with railings on top of a high stone wall. This newly laid track is a bit of an eyesore to say the least and takes you over another bridhge crossing where there is heavy machinery. There are signs that you are entering a construction site, but no signs to say where the long established path is adjacent to the burn as it is partly covered up in spoil and rocks. (all part of some hydro scheme being installed by the estate, but at least it's not a windfarm, although with the amount of disruption to the local habitat it's nearly as bad, in fact it's a bit of a disgrace!)
- After finally finding the small path which runs along on the North side of Uisage Labhair we walked about another 1 1/2k and after crossing the Allt Feith a' Mheallain walked up through pretty wet undefoot conditions up Creagan na Craoibhe
- Further up the South shoulder of Creagan na Craoibhe looking back towards Loch Ossian
- The Summit of Beinn Eibhinn is up and around a corner to your right at the far end of the ridge, but after you have made this initial climb that is most of the hard work done apart from the other two climbs which are not nearly as long as what has been already climbed
- Before that there is the slight diversion for this cornice which has been identified on the map route. Under normal conditions the path takes you over the edge and directly up the adjoining slope
- Looking back the way we had come and at the snow cornice where I grabbed myself some snow to eat as my platypus was totally out of water by this time
- Looking ahead towards Aonach Beag and Geal Charn
- Summit cairn comes into view with signs of a cornice about to break away
- Looking back to the lower cairn on Beinn Eibhinn
- The path to follow where in places the corniced snow and encroached
- Two other walkers who we had met previously heading towards the summit of Beinn Eibhinn
- Geal Charn summit cairn
- Summit Geal Charn
- Cornice
- From the summit we retraced our steps to the coll and headed down into Coire a' Charra Bhig taking care at first as it is quite steep on grass then rocks followed by a soft snow field which was very welcome as it still held our weight in most places and saved the old knee joints from jarring
- There was this ruin which made an ideal place to have some more refreshments before tackling the extremely long walk back to the hostel via the rather winding undulating boggy path next to the Uisge Labhair
- Looking back to the rear of Ben Alder from the path where we spoke to a few other walkers and also a group of five lassies from Gordonstone School doing a PE award, so if any of you are still reading this report, Hi again, nice to have met you!
- Still a very long way to go to the end of Loch Ossian, but what a fabulous day, to be finished off with a Pint of Corrour Gold and a few whiskys back at the YH with the other AMC members