Meall Greigh and Storm Desmond
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 7:49 pmSo, once again I picked a terrible weather forecast weekend to come up to Scotland and bag a few Munros. My plan was to finish off the Lawers hills but with the ominous threats of storm "Desmond" I knew this would be hopeful thinking!
After staying in Auchterarder thursday night and leaving early in the morning with a tad of a hangover (celebrating my cousins 50th!...I was trying to be good
) I knew the forecast was bad for the afternoon. The plan was to start for Meall Greigh, the most eastern in the Lawyers range, and see how I get on! Setting off from the Lawers hotel (ref 677395) at 8am I was quite surprised in the lack of snow in the hills. But as it was my first winter excursion I decided to take all my kit with me just for the practice more than anything. I walked along the road east for 10 mins till walking over the bridge and straight after the white house on the left, I took the wee lane signposted for Machuim Farm. The route up this lane and through the farm was well marked out to follow the signs for "The Hill".
The route then went through a small wooded section. After 1/2 hour I had reached the 2nd stile and started to make my ascent towards Sron Mhor.
Again, it was a 'lovely' morning (well for Scotland), I couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Still I carried on plodding slowly up the easy slopes. A sort of path appeared and disappeared along the way. I don't think it made much difference which route I took up this section as it was relatively easy going whichever way across the heather. After reaching Sron Mhor, it flattened out a bit, but the wind started to pick up fiercely.
At around 800M it really did turn for the worse. MWIS had predicted "tortuous" walking conditions. Unfortunately I was experiencing this. The wind was so fierce it was hard to take in any breath. Standing was a problem and with each step I had to dig in my poles to steady myself before I took the next step. My face was getting a real battering as it contorted my cheeks and continuously cleared my nose in an unpredictable fashion...lovely
I was hoping that I would be off the hill before this set in...but then again if the weather was to be bad this was the only hill for the weekend, so I plodded on. It took a further hour to climb those last 150m! Tough going. I looked at the route to Meall Garbh while crawling to the peak of Meal Greigh and knew it was one of those hills that would have to wait for another time. I managed to crawl off the cairn, in the torrential rain and gales and slowly made my descent back the same way, happy I got at least one in!
Later that night in Crianlarich the roads flooded and were closed as Loch Dochart broke its banks. And well, the rest of the damage caused by Desmond around the country is another story! I'm just happy I looked the storm in the eye and got down safely! The rest of the lawyers will have to wait for another time!
- Lawers Hotel at start
After staying in Auchterarder thursday night and leaving early in the morning with a tad of a hangover (celebrating my cousins 50th!...I was trying to be good
) I knew the forecast was bad for the afternoon. The plan was to start for Meall Greigh, the most eastern in the Lawyers range, and see how I get on! Setting off from the Lawers hotel (ref 677395) at 8am I was quite surprised in the lack of snow in the hills. But as it was my first winter excursion I decided to take all my kit with me just for the practice more than anything. I walked along the road east for 10 mins till walking over the bridge and straight after the white house on the left, I took the wee lane signposted for Machuim Farm. The route up this lane and through the farm was well marked out to follow the signs for "The Hill".- Turn off to route from road
- Farm sign from road
- Hill signs through farm
- Hill signs through Farm
The route then went through a small wooded section. After 1/2 hour I had reached the 2nd stile and started to make my ascent towards Sron Mhor.
- First Stile
- 2nd Stile
Again, it was a 'lovely' morning (well for Scotland), I couldn't see what all the fuss was about. Still I carried on plodding slowly up the easy slopes. A sort of path appeared and disappeared along the way. I don't think it made much difference which route I took up this section as it was relatively easy going whichever way across the heather. After reaching Sron Mhor, it flattened out a bit, but the wind started to pick up fiercely.
- Route ahead to Sron Mhor
- View of Loch Tay with ominous clouds
At around 800M it really did turn for the worse. MWIS had predicted "tortuous" walking conditions. Unfortunately I was experiencing this. The wind was so fierce it was hard to take in any breath. Standing was a problem and with each step I had to dig in my poles to steady myself before I took the next step. My face was getting a real battering as it contorted my cheeks and continuously cleared my nose in an unpredictable fashion...lovely
- Top of Meall Greigh
I was hoping that I would be off the hill before this set in...but then again if the weather was to be bad this was the only hill for the weekend, so I plodded on. It took a further hour to climb those last 150m! Tough going. I looked at the route to Meall Garbh while crawling to the peak of Meal Greigh and knew it was one of those hills that would have to wait for another time. I managed to crawl off the cairn, in the torrential rain and gales and slowly made my descent back the same way, happy I got at least one in!
- followed river back down to start
Later that night in Crianlarich the roads flooded and were closed as Loch Dochart broke its banks. And well, the rest of the damage caused by Desmond around the country is another story! I'm just happy I looked the storm in the eye and got down safely! The rest of the lawyers will have to wait for another time!
Perhaps not the ideal introduction to winter hill-walking - the predominance of warm fronts brought in by the Gulf Stream has deprived the mountains of much snow (until today!) 
- but good experience all the same. And a good report too! 
