by cjchristie » Tue Nov 11, 2008 2:38 am
Corbetts included on this walk: Beinn a' Choin
Date walked: 11/11/2008
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Walking the WHW with a friend from Spain in August 2008 we tried to spice up the route with some detours up to the higher ground along the way. From Rowardennan we hoped to climb Ben Lomond and carry along the high ground all the way to to Crianlarich; a tall task even for a Buchan hero. A call to the appropriate number on the 'Hill Phone website' assured us we wouldn't be shot at by Deer hunters whilst crossing the country.
Low cloud forced us to follow the shoreline of Loch Lomond til shortly before midday when we arrived at Inversnaid. Cutting east inland up the steep tarmac road for half an hour we reached the RSPB reserve by some ruined barracks. The cloud was starting to lift tho the high tops were still under cloud. Leaving the road we turned north following a track to some disused corrals and then continued up the broad valley for a short way before turning east and starting to climb steeply without paths through tall grass and not boggy but springy turf. Some long horned black goats munched nonchalantly as we puffed straght up the hill to a coll filled by peat hags.
Beinn a'Choinn's summit still lay shrouded in wispy lifting mist and so we swung north again and chose a route as best we could towards the summit by the easiest looking way. Half an hour later we were at the peak with a gale force wind having cleared the panorama so as we were able to see all the way back to Ben Lomond, The Campsies and even some of the high rise blocks of Glasgow! Continuing due north we passed a couple of medium sized lochans causing me to curse for not having brought my telescopic rod. We also surprised a herd 30-40 strong of red deer does with their young which bounded down the hillside a mile or two until we lost them to the walkers on the WHW! The views west also started opening up with the peaks on the NW shores of Loch Lomond beckoning invitingly from under the white mantle.
As the day was drawing on ,we carried on due north dropping gradually until meeting a high tension overhead wire we turned our backs on the high ground and started dropping back down to the had of Loch Lomond. We scaled a deer fence next to the impressive Grey Mares Tail Falls and dropped into the bar at Beinglas farm for a well deserved pint before calling a taxi to the YH in Crianlarich.
All in all a day's climb that didn't go according to the original plan, and perhaps for that exceeded all expectations.
Of course I should add that not a soul was seen and there wasn't much in the way of well trodden paths to make you think that it would ever be otherwise.
