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Went up to do these two on Friday night - it was drizzly when I got to Lochearnhead, and by the time I was far down the road, it had worsened considerably. Headed up a minor road and onto the cycle track that zig zags up to the old railway. I headed left for a mile or so, then right up the track up the glen.. It was quite bonny really and I found a good patch of raspberry canes. The weather worsened further, and I got the impression that it was going to get horrific, so I quickly pitched my tent by the side of the track on a convenient grassy place. I was right though, it got worse, just as I got my tent up. I was too far away from water, and I got soaked through in the 100 yard trudge to get it
It was a wild night, but managed to stay dry, warm and merry and awoke to dry weather.
I went up the track just a short dstance, and left up a shoulder toward Meall an t-seallaidh. It was tough underfoot with bog and deep moss. The clag was in, so no views for the steep bit, and an eerie summit. I followed the ridge along a while on the baggers path, which fizzled out before it could be useful. I made it down nae bother though, and found a faint stalkers path that followed old fenceposts back to the track over the mass of peat hags. I crossed the track, and headed straight up the steepness of Creag Mac Ranaich. There wasn't really a path that I found, and I had to zig-zag wildly it was so steep
The plateau, was rather undulating, but I saw the summit eventually. The weather had worsened again, so by the time I got there I was tired from the fight against the wind, and huddled with my rucksack under my brolly for a while to sit out the worst of the shower. It subsided a little, and I headed off down the hill in the direction of the track. It was rather squelchy from the recent soaking, but the lower slopes were well grazed and joyous. The track was decidedly more bonny on this side, and I enjoyed the burn running over slabs, and the sun that had finally made a brief appearance. I was careful not to cross at the ford, taking the old path straight ahead, and into the forest. I turned right at the fork, and pushed my way through dripping wet pine trees on an overgrown track, as the rain came on again
Soaked through, I found a proper track, and followed it back to the railway, past a felling operation. The railway is a joyous thing, and it is a staggering feat of engineering, so an interesting walk back, made even better by the sun coming out to dry the waterproofs a couple of miles before Lochearnhead. Was a bit early to meet up with Dougie, but good to be out.
