Meall nan Subh from Kenknock

[PeteR]

Bank Holiday Monday and I was up for a second walk of the weekend, having done a circuit of Grahams and Donalds round Afton Water the day before. I plumped for the Corbett Meall nan Subh, parking up at the parking area on the Glen Lochay road just before the farm at Kenknock. I was a bit late setting off, so the parking area was pretty full by the time I arrived.....ended up parking just beyond the car park on a grassy verge.
P1180113 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr
Not a bad view for the start of the walk........toward Ben Challum

My plan was to walk the private road passed the farm, up to the Lochan Learg nan Lunn and then head on to the hillside from there. I know some people are happy to navigate the fences across the private road and then destroy their car suspensions on the many potholes and general lack of tarmac I’m not sure what the condition of the road is like from the Pubil side, but I would certainly advise not attempting the Kenknock side in a car as there were chunks where the tarmac appeared to be completely stripped.
P1180119 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr
Starting up the potholed road

It’s difficult to know what to say about the walk up the road. Navigation was easy It’s perhaps a bit of a grind, but there were some nice views either way down the Glen, with Ben Challum looking impressive and Meall Ghaordaidh and Meall nan Tarmachan opening up Views south toward Sgiath Chuill and Meall Glas and further south also opened up as height was gained
P1180124 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180126 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180130 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180135 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr
The route zig-zagging upwards

P1180138 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr
I even had an audience

Eventually I was arriving at the Learg nan Lunn and looking for the best line up the open hillside. I chose a line that followed a fence for a few yards and then took a line to my left up an obvious grassy rake. Disturbed a few sheep who were happily munching on some grass until I came lolloping along.
P1180140 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180141 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr
My route took me to the fence at the point it disappears, then headed left up the grassy rake behind the pilon

P1180143 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180155 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

From the top of the grassy rake it was then a steepish, but short climb up onto the minor top of Creag na h-lolaire, which gave good views toward the Corbett summit itself. Good views also of the multitude of other tops and high points that might be considered as a part of the hill

P1180156 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr
My route onwards and upwards

P1180165 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180182 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr
My target

P1180188 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

Worryingly though I spied the delectable peat hags I needed to cross in order to gain the Corbett Thankfully they didn’t pose quite the problems I had imagined and I was soon at the base of the final, easy climb to the summit.

P1180190 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

I have to say, it’s a fine summit, with good all round views

P1180195 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180196 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180197 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180201 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180206 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

I would have enjoyed the views for longer, but it was a bit chilly in the breeze, so I was soon heading off. Rather than return the way I had come I chose instead to make my way toward the famous cairn on the distant minor top and then pick up a fence line back down to the car

I enjoyed a very interesting steep little descent off the 780 point, just below the Corbett summit. All a bit loose and slippy, but still great fun

P1180226 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180228 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180230 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

This was then followed by a bit more bog trotting across to a very short climb up to the 774 point, before a stroll across to the cairn.

P1180236 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

Nice views back to the Corbett, as well as the surrounding hills

P1180240 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180248 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180251 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180261 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

Then it was a sometimes boggy descent down to pick up a fence line, which I followed to the left and a junction with a new deer fence which I would follow down to the parking area

P1180281 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180284 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

More great views down Glen the length of Glen Lochay as I made my way down

P1180288 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180298 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

Did a good turn on the descent too. I was hearing a lamb bleating, along with its mother. At first I thought I was perhaps too close to the lamb (which I couldn’t actually see at this point) and the bleating was a bleating of warning to me. But the bleating seemed more urgent than that, so I thought I would go and take a look, only to discover that the lamb had successfully managed to get its head stuck through the wire deer fence With a little bit of manhandling, and despite the lamb being freaked by this beardy baldy bloke, I was able to free it from its predicament and leave it to scamper back to its mother
P1180303 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

All that was then left was to continue my increasingly steep descent, eventually dropping down through some trees and eventually deposited back on the road side close to the parking area.
P1180305 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180317 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180318 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180324 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

P1180328 by Pete Riedel, on Flickr

Meall nan Subh has been one of those hills that has been on my radar for a while, but has never quite tempted me sufficiently to put in the effort to get it bagged. I have to say though that it delivered a much better day than I had perhaps expected. It’s certainly a great viewpoint and the alternative steep descent makes for a good little circuit

[Fife Flyer]

Another good one Pete
Is that you getting a wee bit scrambling practice in ready for your 'big' trip

[PeteR]

Cheers Martin. Think I'd need more scrambling practice that this for Skye. Not sure I could get enough practice for that trip This weekends trip (report will follow eventually) did give me a bit more practice, but it's still not enough

[Graeme D]

Nice one - but where's the fun in not negotiating that road????

[PeteR]

Nice one - but where's the fun in not negotiating that road????

Just spent a fortune on the motor recently Graeme Didn't fancy parting with any more cash on the thing for the sake of a few hundred feet

[rockhopper]

Yup - certainly a good viewpoint - well worth the walk up - cheers

[PeteR]

Yup - certainly a good viewpoint - well worth the walk up - cheers

Cheers rockhopper. Totally agree........a great wee hill