Stuc a Chroin, Ben Each and Beinn Bhuide

[spiderwebb]

A trip down the bottom end was planned to catch up on an old friend who had beaten me back on two attempts previously.

I didn’t exactly get to bed early on the Friday but the alarm was set for ….well…hmm early given the 3 hour drive.
I didn’t need my clock alarm as I was awoken by another, the kind you cannot snooze, the kind you get from having a last cuppa just before bedtime. So at 0230hrs on Saturday I was up, and surprisingly awake jeez.

Gear in the car and away, first stop Aviemore for breakfast and the customary Costa, some habits don’t change The journey down was peaceful, not too many folk about at these hours and soon I was heading along to Killin, past all the memories from previous trips to this area, The Lawers range that gave me a great day traversing the whole ridge, The Lawers Hotel, the Cruachan Farm campsite, Capercallie Restaurant (offered me a job once) and the Lawers road on which I was beaten back by snow in the first Thunderbird 1, amazing I got to the start of the walk really. Happy days

So onto Stuc and I was away from the layby at 0630hrs, heading to Ben Each the Corbett. I had tried this route before, starting then on a gorgeous day too, winter sun, good snow covering further up, but tell tale signs on the summit of Ledi, snow plumes being blown from the top hmm. On that day I didn’t make the summit of Ben Each after turning a corner that I now know was only 10 minutes from the summit, being stopped dead in my tracks by a 89.6mph wind that wasn’t letting me go anywhere, despite seeing someone ahead of me. I guess sometimes being only 10 stone has disadvantages.

So the track up, starts here I guess. It was a braw day…..did I get that right ? I need a new translator

The path up is pretty good, although not convinced I followed it completely on the previous visit, but then snow had covered it from about a third of the way up, but clear today and good progress made.
View across to Ledi, no snow plumes today.

Summit of Ben Each so close last time. View across to Stuc a Chroin, looked to be a bit lumpy to get there, but it was a beautiful walk.

View North from Ben Each, I could make out a tall obelisk left of Ben Lomond, the only thing I could think of was the Wallace Monument but it seemed too close given its Stirling way. Unfortunately my camera is made in Scotland and the screen isn’t designed for such bright conditions as today

The drop off Ben Each is fairly straightforward and soon I was traversing the lumps across to Stuc, the view north down the Glen was superb.

Looking back at the descent from Ben Each, gorgeous day.

Another view North, probably as the view the other side was not so appealing.

Passing beneath the huge crags on route to Stuc.

View back to ben Each from half way across to Stuc.

Good little bivi spot tucked under these crags.

Last bit of ascent as the locals clear the way

Down the Glen with the wee lochan now visible.

So to the summit, looking back to Ben each, looking a bit smaller now.

Summit selfie with Vorlich behind, as far as I reached on the first attempt. Was a tad fresh on the summit so the Rab had to come out, love this jacket £45 off eBay, new would set you back a bit more but worth every penny Maybe I'm not the best for modelling this stuff

And one without the author. I had these hills to myself. Saw someone descending Vorlich presumably to Stuc and two folk just starting up Ben Each when I reached the bottom track

I left the summit at 0945, 3 hours to reach Stuc, not bad for an old en and stopped for a pic at my 89.6mph spot on the way down off Ben Each…I’ll never forget this spot.

Eventually, all downhill back to the main track

I was back at the car for 1130hrs, 3 hours up, 1hour 45 down, it was too early to go home, not that I Planned to anyway so it was off to Beinn Bhuide plenty of time for that too on a day like this and I would sleep in my car if I had to.

Except…..the A 82 was shut south of Tarbet, no problem as I’m heading to Arrochar from Tarbet but didn’t account for the long queue getting to it !! So it was 1400hrs before I reached the start point of Beinn Bhuide. I had read up on biking in but well you know me and bikes, but hang on a minute this is tarmac…curses. Ah well, no choice now but to hoof it along the long road in. Not too long as it turns out and within an hour I was at the base of Beinn Bhuide, but would curse not having the bike for the haul out.

So 1400hrs start, it was later than hoped but the weather was perfect, it was doable.

The road in, with the ugly Hydro track which it turns out reaches just beneath the summit of Bhuide.

After an hour walking in, the gorge is above but no sign of Bhuide…anyone seen a munro round here. A chap was descending off the far side of the gorge which I had read was an alternative descent route, but chatting to him he said the nearside path was better, despite the couple of tricky rock sections to negotiate. Note to those with fearty dogs, I think this would be a no no

View back down the gorge, still no sign of Bhuide up above, an elusive hill this one, which didn’t help the tiring legs.

Still going up and up.

I crossed the Hydro track and continued up as ever, but the weather was changing rapid.

I reached the summit ridge via the steep gully and the rain started together with a strong wind, but just about a view down to the Hydro track which could be used as a means of a descent I guess if that floats your boat, I opted to return via the gorge.

The wind was fierce across the summit ridge and it didn’t seem to be getting any closer, legs were on their last by this point and the wind and rain wasn’t helping, but eventually the summit, none of those spectacular views I had read about today. But still a happy bunny.

No sense being selfish, I'd had a great day, despite the bad weather that had hit me on the final approach, I hoped that it hadn’t reached further north and spoiled the fun of anyone at Beladrum or the WH meet and not to mention the hope that no one had been hurt seriously in the A82 accident, which had that not held me up for an hour I may have got some views, but thoughts to them.

It was a tough descent, trousers got soaked walking down through the wet bracken but given it was still warm I didn’t care. Then the tougher walk out, I’m sure its length had been increased whilst I was on the hill, but I reached my car at 2015hrs, it had taken 6 and a bit hours. I had a 3 plus drive home, so it would be after midnight before I could be tucked up in my bed

But what a day, sometimes the tough ones are the best But no rest day today, no time to sit on my a**e painting needs doing

[ancancha]

I have found memories of Stuc a Chroin, though did it on a nice day as part of Vorlich.
Think I'd have bottled it way before 90mph
Still to do Beinn Bhuide, are you saying I can take my mobility allowance (mountain bike) more or less to the summit

[spiderwebb]

I have found memories of Stuc a Chroin, though did it on a nice day as part of Vorlich.
Think I'd have bottled it way before 90mph
Still to do Beinn Bhuide, are you saying I can take my mobility allowance (mountain bike) more or less to the summit

You can pretty much take the bike to the base, there is a gate signed to leave bikes at that point. Its a tarmac raod nearly all the way to this gate, last bit is a track but reasonably ok, its all fairly level too. At the gate there is a large pipe on the right as per the sign to lock your bike too.

then just carry on a short distance along the same track until you reach the point of ascent, and as I said in the report I'd go via the left hand side of the gorge

[ancancha]

I have found memories of Stuc a Chroin, though did it on a nice day as part of Vorlich.
Think I'd have bottled it way before 90mph
Still to do Beinn Bhuide, are you saying I can take my mobility allowance (mountain bike) more or less to the summit

You can pretty much take the bike to the base, there is a gate signed to leave bikes at that point. Its a tarmac raod nearly all the way to this gate, last bit is a track but reasonably ok, its all fairly level too. At the gate there is a large pipe on the right as per the sign to lock your bike too.

then just carry on a short distance along the same track until you reach the point of ascent, and as I said in the report I'd go via the left hand side of the gorge

Ah you had my hopes up. Thought from what you were saying that there was another hydro track all the way to the summit, so that I could cycle / push to the summit and then roll back down after doing lunch with a big smile on my dial

As in Mount Keen http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=53316

[spiderwebb]

wel there I, you can see it on the left hill in the first pic, it goes up what I think must be Clachan hill and extends all the way to the flattish area between Bhuide and the top of the gorge, its a bit above the gorge so you don't see it until you climb above my 4th pic the one saying still going up. Last but one pic is from the summit ridge and you can see the track below.

Reckon it looked pretty steep climbing up from the bottom but it must lessen once the height is gained, and yes it would be a good freewheel, down, no doubt with brakes for the last bit. But the gorge is pretty

[ancancha]

:lol: wel there I, you can see it on the left hill in the first pic, it goes up what I think must be Clachan hill and extends all the way to the flattish area between Bhuide and the top of the gorge, its a bit above the gorge so you don't see it until you climb above my 4th pic the one saying still going up. Last but one pic is from the summit ridge and you can see the track below.

Reckon it looked pretty steep climbing up from the bottom but it must lessen once the height is gained, and yes it would be a good freewheel, down, no doubt with brakes for the last bit. But the gorge is pretty

mmm I'll go with the flow on the day, brakes are always essential

[Petr Dakota]

Nice report and photos
I wanted go there last week - Ben Each & Stuc a'Chroin, ( Ben Vorlich done last April as a part of our family trip ) but I got busy with something else... so nice to see how is it there Hope to do it soon in some short day - not far away from home