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Meall Ghaordaidh - A bit of a trudge

PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 3:45 pm
by Gordie12
The forecast was for rain in the morning hopefully clearing to leave better weather in the afternoon but probably with the top in clag and that's exactly the way the day panned out..

Arriving at Glen Lochay for 12.30 the rain more or less stopped as I parked the car so a promising start.

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Parking 50 yards beyond the start of the walk I headed back and through the gate in to the field beside the road. I then followed a good track over to the right of the field where I passed through another gate in to a larger second field where the track started to climb. Following the track until it turned to a faint grassy track it was just a case of following it to the top of the hill where a locked gate can be seen with a stile over the wall about 20 yards to the right of it.

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Once over the stile I followed an obvious track uphill with a couple of zig zags before reaching a small cairn to the left of the track (there is also a large pole about 40 yards off the track).

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Looking back


Leaving the main track at the cairn the trudge begins. The track climbs the wide south east ridge and with the tops all shrouded in cloud there wasn't much to see other than the climb ahead. The track is a bit damp in places but not too bad. Probably due to the weather it was just a case of head down, engage my trudge gear and head upwards.

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Looking back from the south east shoulder of MG


After a while the last large climb comes in to view (or at least the lower part of it does with the top completely in cloud).

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Clag time approaching


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Looking down to Glen Lochay


Although the gradient increases on the last climb it's now drier underfoot and it doesn't take long to reach the top. The climb from the car to the summit took just under 2hrs.

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Clag summit


Half way down I caught my first glimpse of blue skies to the west and for a brief couple of minutes the sun came out.

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Looking west up Glen Lochay


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Looking east up Glen Lochay


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The tops clearing


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Sunshine and dark clouds


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Looking west again


Not my best day out on the hills this year but better than sitting in the house.

Total time was 3hrs 20 mins with 3hrs on the move and 20 minutes having breathers. Might have to go back to this hill on a better day.

Re: Meall Ghaordaidh - A bit of a trudge

PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 5:56 pm
by Silverhill
That’s good going 3 hours! Shame that you didn’t get any views from the summit, but as you say, better to be out in the hills than sitting indoors. :D If you are going to revisit this hill on a clear day, I can recommend the approach from Glen Lyon, which is very scenic.

Re: Meall Ghaordaidh - A bit of a trudge

PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 6:00 pm
by PerthAlly
I was up BG in June in similar weather. It's an OK day out as you say

But you managed good photos.

Re: Meall Ghaordaidh - A bit of a trudge

PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:39 pm
by jmarkb
Combining it with Beinn nan Oighreag makes for a more satisfying day out!

Re: Meall Ghaordaidh - A bit of a trudge

PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:45 pm
by Fife Flyer
Good effort :clap: :clap: Been plenty of low cloud recently, not fair after all the effort that we put in :(
Don't remember much about this hill either just checked my records, climbed it in 2000 :lol:

Re: Meall Ghaordaidh - A bit of a trudge

PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 11:29 pm
by Gordie12
Silverhill wrote:That’s good going 3 hours! Shame that you didn’t get any views from the summit, but as you say, better to be out in the hills than sitting indoors. :D If you are going to revisit this hill on a clear day, I can recommend the approach from Glen Lyon, which is very scenic.


Hi Silverhill

Couldn't decide whether to start from Glen Lochay or Glen Lyon - if I head back I'd go for Glen Lyon, I've read it looks more impressive from the north.

Re: Meall Ghaordaidh - A bit of a trudge

PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 11:34 pm
by Gordie12
PerthAlly wrote:I was up BG in June in similar weather. It's an OK day out as you say

But you managed good photos.


Seem to always get this sort of weather in this part of the world. Never saw a thing on Meall Corranaich and Meall a Choire Leith a couple of months ago or Meall nan Tarmachan last summer.

Re: Meall Ghaordaidh - A bit of a trudge

PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 11:38 pm
by Gordie12
jmarkb wrote:Combining it with Beinn nan Oighreag makes for a more satisfying day out!


If I had a bit more time that would have been the plan but I had a PC to pick up in Dundee so with a late start to avoid the rain I didn't have enough time. As you say, would have ben more satisfying to have climbed Beinn nan Oighreag as well.

Re: Meall Ghaordaidh - A bit of a trudge

PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2014 11:39 pm
by Gordie12
Fife Flyer wrote:Good effort :clap: :clap: Been plenty of low cloud recently, not fair after all the effort that we put in :(
Don't remember much about this hill either just checked my records, climbed it in 2000 :lol:


I've a feeling in 14 years time I won't remember this hill either.