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Following my walk up Ben Challum I started looking at the neighbouring Munros Sgiath Chuil and Meal Glas from Glen Lochay. There didn't seem to be many walk reports
It wasn't getting a great rating
Mmm
Maybe I'd better go and check this out for myself
It had a track and I hadn't used my bike for a while, so off I set up to Killin and along the Glen Lochay road to the car park.
Got my kit on, assembled the bike and headed off along the tarmac to the ford.
The hydro do things by halves here
A big pipe coming down either side.
Beinn Cheathaich back right
and coming down from the Innesraineach Burn
I got to the ford and it looked a bit deep, I contemplated taking of the boots and sock and wading across. Eventually I tip toed in and made it over dry
Met the only other walker I saw all day shortly afterwards, he went up over the hydro bridge and had just done Sgiath Chuil. He said there was no obvious path down off the ridge to the small damn over the Lubchurran Burn. He also said that earlier on there had been cloud on the summit and it had been a bit cold with a few spots of rain.
Got to the gate by the cottage, there were several gates further up as well; new with high deer fences.
I pushed and cycled up to the end of the track, it was at times steep, I wondered how I would get on coming back down.
Passed the damn. It looked to me like there was a path off the ridge
On up the track eyeing the ridge down from Meall a Churain
I wasn't sure if I was going to do the WH route or come back from Meall Glas to the end of the track, back down to the hydro damn and then the ridge to Sgiath Chuil from there. At the moment it was sunny and the views were fabulous, plenty of time to decide. A good zoomed view of Meall Ghaordaidh which I did earlier in the year, on a not so sunny day
Got to the end of the track, wired the bike and got the poles out and started to make my way up the grassy slope to Beinn Cheathaich, I didn't realise it was Beinn Cheathaich at this point, I thought I was going up to Meal Glas
Anyway as you can see there were ominous grey clouds rolling in
A few minutes later and I was in the clag. I put on my jacket and hat and carried on and was glad of the jacket as it started to rain
Oh well as the walker I met earlier said it was just a few spots he got and the forecast was for isolated showers, maybe I'd be lucky.
Got to the trig point
and checked the sat nav and discovered exactly where I was, mmm
I wasn't convinced about heading off into the clag as the start to Meal Glas is a bit rocky, but I did find a path and set off hopefully.
The sun started to poke through from above and it was definitely getting brighter
Then a glimpse of Meal Glas ahead
By the time I got to the summit it was definitely clearing up and I got a nice view of Ben Challum
and checked out the quartz vein, there was a similar one on Meall Ghaordaidh
It was definitely brightening and I could see from the weather being blown in from the South that it would indeed be isolated showers.
I started to make my way down to the col and the next section of the walk, but waited on the path to get a photo of the ridge from Beinn Cheathaich. It took a while for the clag to be blown away, by eventually I got it
Further down and a nice view of Ben More
There's a cotton grass bog with a wee lochan in the middle, I think I was a bit too far to the West, it could be avoided if you are on higher ground to the North East, but I love the colours
and skirting around the lochan it wasn't too bad, though I wished I'd put my gaiters on at the start and not left them in the car
Crossed the Allt Coire nam Moine and headed round the side of this outcrop of Beinn Cheathaich
I picked up the odd bit of sheep, deer track, but generally from now until the top of Sgiath Chuil it was make it up as you go along with much of it being a bit squidgy although surface squidgy, waterproof leather boots and gaiters and I would have been completely dry.
It did look steep on the other side
A stream coming down from Coire na Saobhaidhe
I was getting bored with the squidgy descent and was actually glad to get to the peat hags at the bottom
but knew that I had the toughest part of the walk ahead of me, it would give me an indication of what my planned route up Stob Binnein might be like on the last steep section before the summit.
Looking back up to Beinn Cheathaich
Half way up the other side and the view was stunning
Eventually I got up top after a definite mid section of paying attention to what I was doing. To be honest I kinda like that, being forced to focus on what you are doing now, it seems like it clears the mind somehow.
Not long to the summit and it is worth the effort
Meal Glas
and literally a few seconds later even more beautiful
I waited hopefully for Ben More to reveal itself completely, but even with a topping of clag it was gorgeous
It was definitely getting towards the end of the day and I more or less ran to Meall a' Churain, there being a defined path most of the way
and the summit cairn
From Meall a' Churain onward the path was very intermittent or non existent, maybe it was just me. The terrain was interesting though
The photos now getting a bit grainy in the low light
I eventually found a way down to the Lubchurran Burn and ended up at the old Shielings. On the way along the ridge I could see the flatter section of the track on the other side and considered going straight down and across, but didn't want to take the chance in fading light, in hindsight it would have saved me an hour and looks straight forward judging from this photo
and by the time I got to the Shielings the last of the twilight
Crossed the burn, that was easy and up the track; steep again for the first few hundred metres, and about two kilometres in total. Still it's dry and easy to follow though by now the head torch was on. Reached the bike and got organised, putting on my midge deflectors, £4.99 DIY safety glasses from a well known DIY store
Now all I had to do was roll back down to the ford. As I said I had concerns about some of the steep bits, especially as there were a few wash outs and in the dark, but managed it fine. Over the ford and back along the tarmac.
All in all very worthwhile, especially the fabulous views from Sgiath Chuil
Not sure how I would do this one again. The ridge all the way down from Sgiath Chuil did look interesting although I didn't really get to appreciate it with pushing on as darkness descended. Coming down early just after Meall a' Churain would be steep with crags according to Google Earth and the OS, although the photo suggests otherwise. At any rate I'd definitely want to do that in daylight
Enjoy