Walkhighlands

A roasting hot bank holiday Monday and my first chance to get up a munro this year. The thermometer in the car read about 22 degrees afterwards - pretty hot for this time of year!

Parked before the reservoir and took the direct path up Meall nan Tarmachan rather than walking along the Tarmachan Ridge. The views alone are worth the walk. Not particularly difficult either - the "scramble" up the gully is easy going.

For the most part, the path is solid underfoot and it's difficult to lose sight of. The path along the ridge also seems well trodden. The walk doesn't really get steep until the final push up to the ridge. It's just like a large staircase - most people should have no difficulty getting up here. The rocks might get a bit slippery in the wet, but it shouldn't be too much trouble to walk up the grass beside them.


Meall nan Tarmachan from the beginning of the walk.


A quick break to enjoy the view over Loch Tay. Couldn't have asked for better weather, really!


Not much further to go - just a quick scurry up the gully and onto the top of the ridge.


Much easier going than expected - it's just like a staircase!


The summit cairn of Meall nan Tarmachan, looking roughly south-west. The view from up here is fantastic! Ben Nevis is easily spotted on a clear day.


Meall Garbh, with Meall nan Tarmachan on the right of the photo.

Nice pictures there, a what a great weather day. Hope I get it like this when I have to do this one.

Looks like you had some nice wether for it there. Was a howling freezing wind when i done this.

haha yeah the staircase is pretty easy going, id rather come down it than go down the small scramble off Meall Garbh again, be much more fun cimbing up that.

Yeah if I do those again (which I probably will), I'll defo go the other way round and go up the Meall Garbh scramble - I'll be able to do it that way!

Yeah certainly couldn't complain about the weather. If only every day were like that!

I'll have to agree with doing it in reverse next time. At least that way it's a shorter walk back to the car as well

To be honest, I prefer a long walk out to a long walk in - my impatience to get to the Munro/Corbett/summit I think that is mainly because I'm always afraid the weather will change and a) spoil the view from the summit and b) make me have to navigate!

Also, at the end of the day, I'm relaxed and can just daze along in a dream - on the way to the peak in question, I'm often stressed and wondering whether I'll manage to conquer my mountain cowardice enough to get up it!

I read some of this thread before heading up to Scotland last week for a few days, and Meall nan Tarmachan ended up being my first Munro. It was late when I arrived, but thought I'd go for it anyway along with the ridge. It worked out okay as there was still enough light at 10.45 in the evening when I finished. It was an excellent walk, and I was very impressed with the scenery. Here's a photo looking along the ridge from Meall nan Tarmachan.

mountain coward wrote:Yeah if I do those again (which I probably will), I'll defo go the other way round and go up the Meall Garbh scramble - I'll be able to do it that way!

fingeez wrote:...than go down the small scramble off Meall Garbh again, be much more fun cimbing up that.

I'd read a lot of comments about the scramble part of the ridge and was looking forward to getting to it. When I did, I remembered another thread here and sort of slipped down the rock slab on my backside. The best scramble of the trip was up Stuc a'Chroin from the Ben Vorlich side which I did on the last day. Have you tried that MC or fingeez?

Hey MC if you want to avoid the scramble totally you could always use the very faint path on the right hand side if your coming from the tarmachan side. You cant really see it from the top but once your down and look back you can see it off too the side

Hey Wurzel
Least your still here after your bum slide would def be easier going up haha
Nope iv not got round too Stuc A Chroin yet, was planning on it a while back but was waiting on the snow clearing first and have gotten caught up with others iv wanted to climb, gonna get back and do it soon though.

Nice pics, Euan.
Glad you enjoyed your day