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Sub 2000 Marilyns: Tom Bailgeann, Creag nan Clag.
Date: 01/02/2015.
Distance: 7km (walking), 41km (cycling)
Ascent: 435m (walking), 480m (cycling)
Time taken: 5 hours.
Weather: Cold, sunny, deep soft snow.
With bigger plans for next week (hopefully), it didn't seem worth going too far afield this weekend. After all, you can wade in knee-deep snow in most parts of the country just now, so why waste the petrol doing it elsewhere? These local hills seemed like a good plan - both done previously 6 or 7 years back, but with good enough scenery to be worth another visit. To make a day of it, I decided to cycle out from the house.
The road down Strathnairn was pretty clear of snow, although there was the odd icy section to watch out for. Away from the road, there was still plenty of the white stuff left, with the sunshine making for good photos.
Stac Gorm from Brin Nursery:
Brin Rock:
Turning off the main Strathnairn road at Croachy, the going became a little slower. However I didn't ever have to get off and push around any icy sections or drifted snow as I was expecting. This circuit makes up one of my most used after-work summer cycles, so it was nice to see it in different conditions. Stac Gorm and Loch Ruthven looked as impressive as ever.
Stac Gorm and Loch Ruthven:
A quick photo stop on the Dalcrombie road:
A favourite section is the part around the head of Loch Duntelchaig - you get the best views of Creag nan Clag from this direction.
Creag nan Clag and Tom Bailgeann:
The crags of Creag nan Clag:
A landrover approaching from behind made me pull up the icy hill to the Dores road faster than intended, leaving me quite short of breath. A couple of minutes later and I was at the foot of the ATV track which leads to the mast on the summit of Tom Bailgeann. This appeared to have been widened lower down to assist the construction of replacement electricity pylons, but it was hard to tell with a blanket of snow over it.
Looking back to Creag nan Clag:
Loch Duntelchaig:
Kessock Bridge and the Black Isle:
As expected,the snow was unconsolidated, making hard work, but as the ascent was short I didn't mind. Taking a detour to miss out a zigzag of track, I was surprised to meet a couple coming back down. They were fully kitted out with axes and probably looking for some firm snow to give them a bit of use.
Big drifts:
Loch Duntelchaig and Carn nan Tri-tighearnan:
It is unclear whether the summit is the one with the mast and trig point on it, or the one a short distance NW (according to the
bible, it is the trig point). Regardless, the NW summit is the one with the best views westward. Too much snow and cloud on the Affric hills made individual summits hard to identify, and Meall Fuar Mhonaidh looked like a big marshmallow, indistinguishable from the lower, closer hills.
Summit fence:
Loch Ness and Carn a’ Bhodaich:
Beinn a’ Bhathaich and Meall Fuar Mhonaidh:
Glen Cannich hills across Loch Ness:
Glen Urquhart and Affric hills:
Beinn a' Bhathaich looked like a much better viewpoint for Loch Ness, but getting to it in the deep snow would have tested the leg muscles to the extreme. Instead I decided to drop down to the SW end of Loch Ceo Glais, giving me the option of a short walk back along the road or more snow wading on Creag nan Clag.
Loch Ceo Glais and the Monadh Liath:
Halfway down from the summit was a nice sheltered boulder out of the wind which made for a pleasant lunch stop.
More big drifts:
My route down:
Even amongst the mixed woodland lower down, the going was not too awkward. I crossed a burn in a small ravine and ended up on another pylon access track leading me to the road.
Loch Ceo Glais and Creag nan Clag:
I decided to include Creag nan Clag - I could do with the exercise. So I turned south on the Errogie road for a short while. On the far side of the burn feeding Loch Ceo Glais, there is a new footpath which forms part of the Trail of the Seven Lochs. In order to get on it, I crashed across snowy marshy ground. Although buried in snow, the path helped me make quick progress for a short way befoee I had to leave it and wade upwards.
My line down Tom Bailgeann again:
The heather is deep enough here that this line would probably be a bit tedious even in the summer. Now it was worse.
Tom Bailgeann from Creag nan Clag:
Beinn a’ Bhacaidh:
Beinn Mheadhoin and Beinn Dubhcharaidh with the retiring Corbett of Carn na Saobhaidhe behind:
SW down the Great Glen:
Crannog in Loch Ruthven:
The road I approached on from Loch Ruthven:
A snow shower blew in as I reached the summit (a couple of bumps here are contenders). Then it was down NW through more deep heather back to the loch. I saw very little of the impressive crags on this hill so was happy to have passed them on the bike earlier. The ascent from the other side is a better bet if you are doing this hill on it's own.
Spindrift blown over ice on Loch Ceo Glais:
Although the burn at the outflow of Loch Ceo Glais is small, it is quite deep and I had to use a couple of submerged boulders to cross it. Not too difficult but being back on the Seven Lochs footpath, I had expected easier.
Soon I was back at the bike for the pedal home via Loch Ashie. The sun popped out again just before I descended into Inverness, making for a good view back to Meall Fuar Mhonaidh.
Carn a’ Bhodaich from the road back to Inverness:
Afternoon light:
Down Inverness and the Kessock Bridge:
Looking back to Meall Fuar Mhonaidh:
Quite pleasing to have all this on my doorstep
.
