Ben Vurich by Snowshoe
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2015 10:41 pmOur first proper outing together for 3 weeks. After all the snow there has been midweek it wasn't entirely sure where the best place to head would be. East looked better than west, but the forecast had us believing there would be 70mph winds by the sunday. Ben Vurich has been on the radar for a while, so I settled on that for Saturday and left the option of a short walk (Monamenach) or a long one (Stob an Aonich Mhoir) for the Sunday. We drove up to Old Bridge of Tilt car park on Friday night and had a frosty overnighter amidst the trees. Saturday morning dawned cold, a light covering of snow on the tent and guy ropes frozen solid. Drove along the single track road to Loch Moraig which was snow covered and came up to the first problem - where to park? The usual place for the Beinn a'Ghlo hills was inaccessible due to piled up snow from the snowplough and another car was already occupying the small space beside the gate at the start of the route. Drove back along the road a wee bit and drove off the roadway onto what I hoped would be solid ground. Decided to take our snowshoes with us for the walk, which I thought was going to be a lot of flat trekking over deep snow.
Campsite
P1050556 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Carn Liath
P1050557 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Chatted to the 3 guys who'd parked by the gate and set off along the frozen tyre tracks. When we turned off the Beinn a'Ghlo route towards Shinagig the snowshoes went on - and stayed on the rest of the day. Wintry sheep eyed us with hostility as they moved away from their cartons of high energy feed to let us pass. Up ahead I could see Beinn Bheag and Airgiod Bheinn - a top I had originally planned to add onto today's route, but conditions dictated otherwise. To our right the long bulk of Ben Vrackie caught the eye.
Ben Vrackie
P1050558 by 23weasels, on Flickr
P1050560 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Snowshoes
P1050561 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Beinn Bhreac & Airgiod Bheinn
P1050562 by 23weasels, on Flickr
and in Pano mode
P1050564 by 23weasels, on Flickr
It was slow plodding progress once we came off the recognisable track. Sometimes the snow was firm enough to avoid the shoes sinking in, at others every step sank deep. It was still better than walking in boots alone. We passed along the south side of Meall Breac's summit and over the wind blasted expanse of Coire Biudhe Mor finding a small gully to shelter from the wind and spindrift while we had our lunch. Unfortunately for Allison she discovered the gully was hiding a wee river, into which her foot plunged
We set about the slopes up Creag nan Ghobar then Carn Dubh where the wind started whislting across us. Over to our left the complexities of the trio of Beinn a'Ghlo were revealed. Eventually we surmounted the summit of Vurich - the trig point in the middle of the cairn completely filled around with wind-driven snow. Allison's 100th Corbett - however she was so knackered with the effort of getting here that she didn't remember her landmark til we were on the way down. Five hours it had taken to this pont - if it took the same on the return leg we'd be finding our way back by torchlight. 
It's a long way to the top when you're on snowshoes
P1050568 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Ben vrackie again
P1050573 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Up Carn Dubh, Vurich to the left
P1050571 by 23weasels, on Flickr
P1050572 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Bheinn a'Ghlo Hills
P1050579 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Final section to Vurich
P1050577 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Looking back to the West
P1050578 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Made it
P1050580 by 23weasels, on Flickr
#100
P1050581 by 23weasels, on Flickr
P1050582 by 23weasels, on Flickr
We headed west off the summit of Vurich and took a route south of the WH route to keep height, coming round the southern rather than the northern side of Stac nam Bodach. This would probably be boggy without the snow, but we were spared the bogs, not that this was much comfort to Allison who was seriously lagging behind and looking somewhat grey of face. She's a determined creature however, so I wasn't unduly worried. I did pass on the opportunity to bag some smaller tops along the way, setting my sights grimly on the western crags of Sron na h-Innerach. Several deer watched us from up on high as we meandered towards the Allt Coire Lagain - fortunately it was shallow and easy to cross even with snowshoes on
heading down, Beinn a'Ghlo ahead
P1050583 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Someone's having fun...
P1050585 by 23weasels, on Flickr
P1050587 by 23weasels, on Flickr
No, snowshoes don't allow you to walk on water
P1050590 by 23weasels, on Flickr
From there we were back on a "track" although still mostly buried by snow. We met a couple of guys who were camping out - they'd tried to do Vurich too but turned back. Also saw a couple of guys who#d been skiing up on Carn Liath. Back to the car without further incident before the daylight completely faded. Was a gruelling day - I felt the strain of the different walking style on my Sartorius muscles which were not used to such toil
Decided to head back to Bridge of Tilt car park and spend another night there.
Stats
P1050592 by 23weasels, on Flickr
After a long day out there was no question of trying to do another 28km walk through snow to reach Stob an Aonich Mhoir, so the quick option of Monamenach was chosen. It was a milder morning, with a little rain and much snow melt. I was worried about the state of the little single track roads up into Glen Isla, but I found all the roads well cleared and gritted. Parked up by the bridge near Auchavan and walked back towards the houses, passing through the field on the track which was somewhere under the snow. Some footprints made post-holing the way to go until the snow firmed up, and it was a steady pull up the eastern aspect of the hill til the flatter area at around 600m was reached. Clag was down which meant no visibility and it was simply a matter of point upwards and stop every 100 paces to check the direction. The summit section has deep grooves of footfalls or tracks and the cairn was reached. Hoping for substantial edifice to shelter from the wind and drizzle we were disappointed by a carin that was about 3 feet high. Oh well. Ate our lunch and turned around, following our footprints in the snow. I was dismayed to find there were hardly any places that had enough incline to bum slide down
Didn't take long before we were back at the car, dried off and heading back down the road for an early tea.
P1050593 by 23weasels, on Flickr
P1050594 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Auchavan
P1050595 by 23weasels, on Flickr
The mighty cairn
P1050597 by 23weasels, on Flickr
P1050598 by 23weasels, on Flickr
P1050599 by 23weasels, on Flickr
P1050600 by 23weasels, on Flickr
Campsite
P1050556 by 23weasels, on FlickrCarn Liath
P1050557 by 23weasels, on FlickrChatted to the 3 guys who'd parked by the gate and set off along the frozen tyre tracks. When we turned off the Beinn a'Ghlo route towards Shinagig the snowshoes went on - and stayed on the rest of the day. Wintry sheep eyed us with hostility as they moved away from their cartons of high energy feed to let us pass. Up ahead I could see Beinn Bheag and Airgiod Bheinn - a top I had originally planned to add onto today's route, but conditions dictated otherwise. To our right the long bulk of Ben Vrackie caught the eye.
Ben Vrackie
P1050558 by 23weasels, on FlickrP1050560 by 23weasels, on FlickrSnowshoes
P1050561 by 23weasels, on FlickrBeinn Bhreac & Airgiod Bheinn
P1050562 by 23weasels, on Flickrand in Pano mode
P1050564 by 23weasels, on FlickrIt was slow plodding progress once we came off the recognisable track. Sometimes the snow was firm enough to avoid the shoes sinking in, at others every step sank deep. It was still better than walking in boots alone. We passed along the south side of Meall Breac's summit and over the wind blasted expanse of Coire Biudhe Mor finding a small gully to shelter from the wind and spindrift while we had our lunch. Unfortunately for Allison she discovered the gully was hiding a wee river, into which her foot plunged
We set about the slopes up Creag nan Ghobar then Carn Dubh where the wind started whislting across us. Over to our left the complexities of the trio of Beinn a'Ghlo were revealed. Eventually we surmounted the summit of Vurich - the trig point in the middle of the cairn completely filled around with wind-driven snow. Allison's 100th Corbett - however she was so knackered with the effort of getting here that she didn't remember her landmark til we were on the way down. Five hours it had taken to this pont - if it took the same on the return leg we'd be finding our way back by torchlight. It's a long way to the top when you're on snowshoes
P1050568 by 23weasels, on FlickrBen vrackie again
P1050573 by 23weasels, on FlickrUp Carn Dubh, Vurich to the left
P1050571 by 23weasels, on FlickrP1050572 by 23weasels, on FlickrBheinn a'Ghlo Hills
P1050579 by 23weasels, on FlickrFinal section to Vurich
P1050577 by 23weasels, on FlickrLooking back to the West
P1050578 by 23weasels, on FlickrMade it
P1050580 by 23weasels, on Flickr#100
P1050581 by 23weasels, on FlickrP1050582 by 23weasels, on FlickrWe headed west off the summit of Vurich and took a route south of the WH route to keep height, coming round the southern rather than the northern side of Stac nam Bodach. This would probably be boggy without the snow, but we were spared the bogs, not that this was much comfort to Allison who was seriously lagging behind and looking somewhat grey of face. She's a determined creature however, so I wasn't unduly worried. I did pass on the opportunity to bag some smaller tops along the way, setting my sights grimly on the western crags of Sron na h-Innerach. Several deer watched us from up on high as we meandered towards the Allt Coire Lagain - fortunately it was shallow and easy to cross even with snowshoes on
heading down, Beinn a'Ghlo ahead
P1050583 by 23weasels, on FlickrSomeone's having fun...
P1050585 by 23weasels, on FlickrP1050587 by 23weasels, on FlickrNo, snowshoes don't allow you to walk on water
P1050590 by 23weasels, on FlickrFrom there we were back on a "track" although still mostly buried by snow. We met a couple of guys who were camping out - they'd tried to do Vurich too but turned back. Also saw a couple of guys who#d been skiing up on Carn Liath. Back to the car without further incident before the daylight completely faded. Was a gruelling day - I felt the strain of the different walking style on my Sartorius muscles which were not used to such toil
Decided to head back to Bridge of Tilt car park and spend another night there. Stats
P1050592 by 23weasels, on FlickrAfter a long day out there was no question of trying to do another 28km walk through snow to reach Stob an Aonich Mhoir, so the quick option of Monamenach was chosen. It was a milder morning, with a little rain and much snow melt. I was worried about the state of the little single track roads up into Glen Isla, but I found all the roads well cleared and gritted. Parked up by the bridge near Auchavan and walked back towards the houses, passing through the field on the track which was somewhere under the snow. Some footprints made post-holing the way to go until the snow firmed up, and it was a steady pull up the eastern aspect of the hill til the flatter area at around 600m was reached. Clag was down which meant no visibility and it was simply a matter of point upwards and stop every 100 paces to check the direction. The summit section has deep grooves of footfalls or tracks and the cairn was reached. Hoping for substantial edifice to shelter from the wind and drizzle we were disappointed by a carin that was about 3 feet high. Oh well. Ate our lunch and turned around, following our footprints in the snow. I was dismayed to find there were hardly any places that had enough incline to bum slide down
Didn't take long before we were back at the car, dried off and heading back down the road for an early tea.P1050593 by 23weasels, on FlickrP1050594 by 23weasels, on FlickrAuchavan
P1050595 by 23weasels, on FlickrThe mighty cairn
P1050597 by 23weasels, on FlickrP1050598 by 23weasels, on FlickrP1050599 by 23weasels, on FlickrP1050600 by 23weasels, on Flickr
I could have done with snowshoes in Glenshiel on Saturday, took 10 hours for around 11km