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My first solo Munro trip.
Left the car by Loch Moraig around 09.30 am and reached the summit cairn of Carn Liath around 11.00 am.
- Looking south over the Vale of Atholl from Carn Liath. Blair Castle is a tiny white speck in the distance.
- Looking north from the Carn Liath cairn.
I followed the standard WH route along the Beinn Mhaol ridge. At the end, the path descends steeply into a corrie, then rises again before heading north to Braigh Coire Chruinn-bhalgain. On the way down a couple of lads - hereafter referred to the as the Brownlee Brothers - powered past me.
- The Beinn Mhaol ridge and summit path in the distance.
I stopped for a bite of lunch once I'd made the summit of BCCB. The Brownlees were now well ahead, and some walkers beginning to appear behind.
- Looking east over to the Carn nan Gabhar summit. The Brownlees are specks in the distance.
- Approaching the trig-point cairn of Carn nan Gabhar.
- Folded hills north of Glen Tilt.
- Looking south from the north-most cairn on Carn nan Gabhar. Airgiod Beinn and Carn Liath in the foreground.
- The Brownlees on the north cairn of Carn nan Gabhar. Last I saw of them!
It seemed daft not to do the Airgiod Bheinn so I dutifully followed the Brownlees but lost sight of them long before I got there. The views back over to Carn Liath were great, so I stopped for a final cup of tea.
- From whence we came. Looking south-west over to Carn Liath from Airgiod Bheinn.
I chose to come off the west side of Airgiod Bheinn - which in hindsight was madness! It's steep scree, and even with poles is decidedly dodgy. The common-sense route is to back-track to the Bealach an Fhiodha and descend on the path to the west of Allt Bealach and Fhiodha.
Once down, it was a long walk-out round the foot of Beinn Bheag and then Carn Liath. I was l lucky as the path was dry, but it must be murder in wet weather. Even so, it took the best part of two hours to get back to the car at Loch Moraig, arriving around 17.30.
A grand day out and an ambition realized.