Glen Lyon Big 4
Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2016 10:44 amAfter eyeing up this walk during deer stalking season last year, I was keen to get going on it the first chance I got. Free Sunday, weather looking good, we set off from the small car park at Invervar at around 11am (slightly later than planned) and made our way up through the forest.
There is currently a slight diversion in place due to the hydro works, but the route which now skirts round the Lint House is well laid out with green and orange markers.
After breaking from the forest, the climb up the track was steeper than expected, crossing one substantial bridge, and then a second, less substantial, more bouncy, bridge. Soon, we were on the path heading up the hill towards Carn Gorm, Munro one for the day.
After a quick cuppa at the summit of Carn Gorm, we set off again and reached the odd-shaped summit cairn of Meall Garbh sooner than expected. (The fence posts on the summit could be easily seen using binoculars from the previous summit, let us know we were going the right way!)
The walk between munros 2 and 3 of the day felt considerably longer. When we reached the summit of Meall a'Bharr it felt like we should have been hitting the summit of Cairn Mairg but we were only around half way. If it hadn't been for Kendal Mint Cake lifting the morale, the next bit might have been quite a struggle.
At summit of Carn Mairg, the weather turned slightly (it had been cracking all day) with some heavier cloud kicking in. We decided to head down the steep slope towards Creag Mhor and get the circulation going again.
By this point, it was starting to feel like a long day. Still, we plodded on and soon were approaching the summit of Creag Mhor.
Before today, the most we'd ever climbed in a day had been two munros, so this felt like a huge sense of achievement when we reached the summit of Creag Mhor. I say achievement although probably 50% achievement and 50% absolutely knackered is more accurate.
All in all, a challenging but cracking day on the hills. Very glad to have bagged four, we set off back down the straightforward route to the car, resisting the urge to kiss the tarmac at the carpark when we got there.
- Up Through The Forest
There is currently a slight diversion in place due to the hydro works, but the route which now skirts round the Lint House is well laid out with green and orange markers.
- Diversion Markers
After breaking from the forest, the climb up the track was steeper than expected, crossing one substantial bridge, and then a second, less substantial, more bouncy, bridge. Soon, we were on the path heading up the hill towards Carn Gorm, Munro one for the day.
- Towards Carn Gorm
After a quick cuppa at the summit of Carn Gorm, we set off again and reached the odd-shaped summit cairn of Meall Garbh sooner than expected. (The fence posts on the summit could be easily seen using binoculars from the previous summit, let us know we were going the right way!)
- Top Class Views
- Odd Summit Cairn
The walk between munros 2 and 3 of the day felt considerably longer. When we reached the summit of Meall a'Bharr it felt like we should have been hitting the summit of Cairn Mairg but we were only around half way. If it hadn't been for Kendal Mint Cake lifting the morale, the next bit might have been quite a struggle.
- Following the fenceposts
At summit of Carn Mairg, the weather turned slightly (it had been cracking all day) with some heavier cloud kicking in. We decided to head down the steep slope towards Creag Mhor and get the circulation going again.
By this point, it was starting to feel like a long day. Still, we plodded on and soon were approaching the summit of Creag Mhor.
- Towards the last one!
Before today, the most we'd ever climbed in a day had been two munros, so this felt like a huge sense of achievement when we reached the summit of Creag Mhor. I say achievement although probably 50% achievement and 50% absolutely knackered is more accurate.
- Done!
All in all, a challenging but cracking day on the hills. Very glad to have bagged four, we set off back down the straightforward route to the car, resisting the urge to kiss the tarmac at the carpark when we got there.
