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Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Sat May 03, 2014 6:18 pm
by Gordie12
Did my usual research for these hills by reading some reports. Most recent report, Basscadet (wow!!), Graeme D adding on Ben Tee in a circular (interesting).

Beautiful morning as I parked up at Laggan Locks and I was on my way by 8.15. Flat calm at this point and a bit of heat in the sun even at this time in the morning. The walk from Laggan Locks to Kilfinnan and on in to the woods is really enjoyable with good views down Loch Lochy.

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A gentle flatish start


Into the woods along the Great Glen Way and it's not long before the track breaks off from the GGW.

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No need for a map - then I wondered if there were other Munros here.............


Leaving the GGW the track is still really good and climbs very gradually before reaching the point where the hard work begins and the right turn is taken and the gradient steepens. It's a bit dark as the track heads up through tightly packed fir trees but it doesn't take long before the trees thin out and before long the open hill is reached.

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Clear of the trees and heading for the bealach


Arriving at the bealach I decided to turn left and head for Meall na Teanga first. I wasn't sure if there was a track to this 1st Munro but there was so no probs. Initially quite steep heading away from the bealach but the gradient eases and the target comes in to view.

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Meall na Teanga


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Looking over to Sron a' Choire Ghaibh


From a distance I could see the point where the track was crossed by a massive lump of the white stuff and close up there didn't seem to be any way through and bearing in mind the gradient and the drop it was an easy decision to bypass rather than try and cross.

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A white barrier


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The chicken detour


The grass close to the snow was frozen solid and there was little in the way of grip so it was easier to keep a couple of yards away and use my hands as well to work my way round. Once past the snow drift it didn't take very long to reach the summit.

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Looking down to Loch Lochy from the summit


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Looking down to Fort William


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At the top, when the sun was out it was quite warm, when the sun was behind a cloud and the wind was blowing it was time to put the gloves on.

Back down to the snowy bit it was as usual harder to get down so a bit of care was required to avoid a bum slide on the wet grass.

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Zig zag track on Sron a' Choire Ghaibh


After the bealach the zig zag track helps to ease the climb. After the ZZ's it's a straight forward walk up the grassy slope before turning and heading for the summit.

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Looking over to Meall na Teanga


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Looking over to the Corbett Ben Tee from the summit


Mulled over my options, loads of time, great day, the walk over towards Ben Tee looks straight forward and the walk from Ben Tee back to the start looks fine so decision taken, back to the tourist trail and head the same way back down off the hill (sorry Graeme D - I've let you down again!).

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Looking over to Ben Tee


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Something I can't remember seeing ever before. The grassy slopes of Sron a' Choire Ghaibh were de-frosting after an overnight freeze and with the heat of the sun the steam was rising off the hill.

Back to the bealach and down the track. Out of the wind the sun was warm and short sleeves were the order of the day - 1st time this year.

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Looking down to Loch Lochy


It had been a rubbish wildlife day, a few hundred tadpoles, 4 ducks and 1 crow but at least before coming out of the woods I heard my first cuckoo............cuckoo.....................cuckoo.

Back at Laggan it was time for a few pics.

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Just a great great day, absolutely loved it - definitely different weather from Basscadet's day.

Re: Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Sat May 03, 2014 6:37 pm
by Fife Flyer
Nice one with some great photo's :clap: :clap:

That snow barrier looked interesting, safety first all the time with me :wink:

Thanks for the report, I hadn't thought about these 2 hills, will definitely get them on my radar :lol: :lol:

Re: Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2014 10:26 am
by PeteR
That's an interesting approach to these two. I'd done them from the suggested WH starting point.

Some nice photos you got there too :D

Sron a' Choire Ghairbh was a nemesis of mine. Three attempts to bag that one for some reason, and it's so easy too :roll:

Re: Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2014 6:39 pm
by robertphillips
nice one, some nice photos there ,always a good walk this circuit. :clap:

Re: Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2014 11:02 pm
by Gordie12
Fife Flyer wrote:Nice one with some great photo's :clap: :clap:

That snow barrier looked interesting, safety first all the time with me :wink:

Thanks for the report, I hadn't thought about these 2 hills, will definitely get them on my radar :lol: :lol:


Thanks FF - really enjoyed these two and while I didn't include it, Ben Tee would make it a really good circular.

Re: Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2014 11:07 pm
by Gordie12
PeteR wrote:That's an interesting approach to these two. I'd done them from the suggested WH starting point.

Some nice photos you got there too :D

Sron a' Choire Ghairbh was a nemesis of mine. Three attempts to bag that one for some reason, and it's so easy too :roll:


Thanks Pete - starting at Laggan Locks just adds on about 30 mins but having a nose around the canal and boats adds to the day.

Assume your failures had to be in poor conditions for it to be 3rd time lucky - impressive determination, I'd probably concede defeat.

Re: Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Sun May 04, 2014 11:11 pm
by Gordie12
robertphillips wrote:nice one, some nice photos there ,always a good walk this circuit. :clap:


Hi robertphillips

Sometimes you do hills and say to yourself you will never go back there (like Geal Charn the following day), with these two I'd love to go back and do Ben Tee 1st then head on to the two Munros. Looks like a really good circular route.

Re: Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2014 1:18 pm
by The Rodmiester
Just passed these two a couple of hours ago on the way back from Knoydart, if my left foot not been in agony (soft corn between the toes) I might have attempted them as a couple from the club were doing them, looks like a good way to do these two and different from the time I did them before :D

Re: Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2014 5:54 pm
by Gordie12
The Rodmiester wrote:Just passed these two a couple of hours ago on the way back from Knoydart, if my left foot not been in agony (soft corn between the toes) I might have attempted them as a couple from the club were doing them, looks like a good way to do these two and different from the time I did them before :D


Ouch.............hope you had a good time apart from the foot problem Rod.

Re: Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2014 6:02 pm
by bar72
looks like you had a great day geordie, 2 munro's i may attempt on the way back down the west coast this summer. nice pics. i can agree with you on the snow as i don't have crampons and anything over 45° gradient, i steer clear and find an alternative way round.

Re: Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Mon May 05, 2014 6:31 pm
by Gordie12
bar72 wrote:looks like you had a great day geordie, 2 munro's i may attempt on the way back down the west coast this summer. nice pics. i can agree with you on the snow as i don't have crampons and anything over 45° gradient, i steer clear and find an alternative way round.


Hi bar72 - days like that make up for what felt like a miserable winter where every walk seemed to be grey and wet. Hope you enjoy these two as much as I did.

Re: Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2014 10:56 am
by BlackPanther
Hi, we did these two on Easter Sunday, but I'm so far behind writing my TR's that you overtook me with yours :lol:
Back then there was no way around the big snowpatch on MnT so we had to cross it - no problem with that, luckily.
We're keeping Ben Tee for a winter outing, looks like a cracking shorter day!

Re: Loch Lochy Munros from Laggan Locks

PostPosted: Tue May 06, 2014 8:16 pm
by Gordie12
BlackPanther wrote:Hi, we did these two on Easter Sunday, but I'm so far behind writing my TR's that you overtook me with yours :lol:
Back then there was no way around the big snowpatch on MnT so we had to cross it - no problem with that, luckily.
We're keeping Ben Tee for a winter outing, looks like a cracking shorter day!


Hi BP - looking forward to your report on these two. You might be right about keeping Ben Tee for the winter.