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Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Glen Dochart. A splendid day out


Postby teaandpies » Fri Apr 22, 2016 10:43 pm

Munros included on this walk: Meall Glas, Sgiath Chùil

Corbetts included on this walk: Beinn nan Imirean

Date walked: 21/04/2016

Time taken: 8 hours

Distance: 17.7 km

Ascent: 1480m

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Dang, the weather was looking great this week and boom, the best day was to fall on my day off! I actually had to get out, make the most of this opportunity. I had a quick scan of my Munro map and noticed these 2 blobs sitting close together so I done some reading before deciding to give it ago.

I had an alarm set for 5am, yes 5 am but did take a 10 minute snooze before getting up. I stuffed my face with as much carbs as I could handle at this time of the morning before setting off for what I thought would be a jolly drive along the road.....WELL...as it turned out it was so bloody jolly. I made my way along Great Western Road and just before I got to Erskine Bridge the road was closed forcing me to cross the bridge drive all the way to Bishipton to turn around and come back over the bridge. I was pretty annoyed. From here the going was fine until I got to Tarbet and I was stuck behind 3 lorries. As most of us know this road is one of the worst for getting stuck behind slow moving traffic but I knew there would be that short stretch of road with the overtaking lane.....WELL...as I dropped gear and was about to pull out one of the lorries pulled out to over take the other so the other lorry driver thought this would be a good idea and did the same however the first lorry used the whole length of road to do it's overtaking. The second lorry moved back in and my chance was gone. I did eventually get past the both remaining lorries after the Drovers where the road opens up.

Arriving at the entrance of the farm I decided I would park on the grassy verge, I didn't want to take the chance of getting my new car scratched by passing farm traffic by parking on the narrow farm track, however the verge it's self is in a bad state with large deep holes so be careful if parking there in the future, I parked 30 metres further along from the bins.

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I'm in the right place for sure.

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Still very misty at 07:30

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Today's target ahoy.

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I didn't realise that I would be walking right through the middle of a working farm so when jumping over the gates I disturbed the early morning silence by annoying the sheep as they all broke into loud bleeting at the same time!
I had started to wonder if I had gone the right way as I had now jumped 2 gates and I do recall reading about this farm on the walk description but I stuck with it. Just go through this gate and follow the fence line all the up.

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Early views back over to Ben More, last weeks walk :wink: http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=61671

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There is a sign post at the farm and these footprint markers on some of the fence posts to help you find way and put your mind at ease :D

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Having crossed the burn at an easy point well below the dam I was crossing open lumpy moorland towards the obvious lump on the horizon.

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I stopped for a wee break. It was my plan to stop more often today, eat more often. What a great view, sorry for the pole ruining the picture. I was borrowing a pair of Leki Makalu superlight from work to try out. Seems like a decent pole.

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When approaching Sagiath Chuil from this way you will see it has 3 cones what to do is aim to head between the first 2 and the 3rd one behind is the summit. Once you have gotten up between the first 2 the walk to the summit is pretty easy going, good ground.

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At the summit I was blessed with 360 degrees of blue skies 8)

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As I sat on natures couch and watched natures TV I munched my rolls, not a breath of wind to bother me as I did.

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The drop down between Sgaith Chuil & Meall Glas is very steep but the ground is mossy so it was pretty easy going and better yet good for the knees :thumbup:

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The gap between the hills isn't so wide and if you choose your route carefully the going is fine. I stopped off to drink at a fast flowing stream, fresh cold water, I couldn't get enough.

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I decided I was going to head straight up the steep side of the hill. I didn't realise how steep it was going to be. It was tough going but I knew this was going to be hardest part of the hill over.

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Getting to the top of this steep part you are rewarded with the only trig of the day atop of Beinn Cheathaich. From here the way to Meall Glas is pretty straight forward.

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After taking on another roll I made my way along the plateau.

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The weather was hot and I was a tad worried about being under snow but I figured it wasn't that deep. I was also careful to check that if the snow was to slide it wouldn't be pushing me over an edge.

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The summit of Meall Glas offers some decent views of Beinn Challuim, a hill I'll be visiting very soon hopefully.

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I left the summit of Meall Glas and headed straight for the Corbett Beinn nan Imirean (as seen above) but first I'd have to get off the hill I'm on and this involves another steep decent, this one felt longer. I was tired, slowing considerably despite eating more and resting more during my walk.

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During one rest I saw 4 runners go by me, can you spot them in the above picture? It's always depressing seeing people effortlessly do what you are struggling to do.

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I couldn't get enough to drink on my walk. I had 3 litres of water on my back with zesty 'Zero' added to it plus 500ml of sports drink which I had finished already but all I really wanted was some cold water and boom here's my chance. I filled my empty bottle 3 times and 3 times I emptied it right there and then before filling it and moving on.

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Again, conscious of the snow, especially that small cornice at the centre of the above picture. I kept clear of that and chose to head up just right of the crags, up a dying stream which had formed natural steps for me to climb.

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Views from the side of the Corbett over to the first hill of the day.

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By now I was shattered, almost completely toast. There were a few crows overhead, I felt like they were waiting for me to keel over so they could peck at my body. The last approach to the summit was fairly flat but it felt like 90 degree slope. I was glad to get there.

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Here's all 3 summits in one shot.

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I couldn't see an obvious path so just winged it over the rough ground. I knew I was heading more left of this from this shot but I knew I was in for a long walk.

After crossing the moor for what seemed like ages I eventually found an old farm track and the way back to the farm was very natural. I wasn't effected by the Hydro works at all but I did see the diggers.


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Last edited by teaandpies on Sat Apr 23, 2016 3:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
teaandpies
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Re: Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Postby kev_russ » Sat Apr 23, 2016 12:33 pm

Looked a Braw day 8) Nice Instagram pics tae :wink:
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Re: Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Postby 1Magnus » Sat Apr 23, 2016 12:58 pm

Hi - are you sure you got the 'date walked' right? I was there yesterday (22 April) and the weather looked different from what's in your photos; I also didn't see any other walkers all day. Yesterday wasn't bad either, but by the looks of it, you caught the mountain on an even better day!

Great report with fantastic pictures - thanks for posting.
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Re: Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Postby Gordie12 » Sat Apr 23, 2016 1:47 pm

Oh how good did that look???

I had planned to do these hills last year but got fed up driving along the A85 every week so started going elsewhere (I also wasn't that sure where I was meant to leave the car).

Good to see the crows didn't get you :lol: :lol:
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Re: Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Postby roscoT » Sat Apr 23, 2016 2:48 pm

Nice one man! Great report.

I too, was cursing my luck with my only day off on Friday. Still had a good day on the Lawers Range, but you got much less cloud :clap:
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Re: Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Postby teaandpies » Sat Apr 23, 2016 3:26 pm

1Magnus wrote:Hi - are you sure you got the 'date walked' right? I was there yesterday (22 April) and the weather looked different from what's in your photos; I also didn't see any other walkers all day. Yesterday wasn't bad either, but by the looks of it, you caught the mountain on an even better day!

Great report with fantastic pictures - thanks for posting.


I was out on the 21st. Edited that now.

Do you walk in Bhutan's by any chance?

kev_russ wrote:Looked a Braw day 8) Nice Instagram pics tae :wink:


It was and cheers. Your IG is very impressive!

Gordie12 wrote:Oh how good did that look???

I had planned to do these hills last year but got fed up driving along the A85 every week so started going elsewhere (I also wasn't that sure where I was meant to leave the car).

Good to see the crows didn't get you :lol: :lol:


I'm pretty glad too! I'm already sick of driving along Loch Lomond...there's always a traffic issue.

roscoT wrote:Nice one man! Great report.

I too, was cursing my luck with my only day off on Friday. Still had a good day on the Lawers Range, but you got much less cloud :clap:


I omitted so much details from my day out, I couldn't be arsed with all the typing but it was a stonking day.

What were you doing on the Lawers Range?
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Re: Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Postby 1Magnus » Sat Apr 23, 2016 5:11 pm

Sorry - I don't know what Bhutan's is! Cheers, 1M.
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Re: Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Postby teaandpies » Sat Apr 23, 2016 8:56 pm

1Magnus wrote:Sorry - I don't know what Bhutan's is! Cheers, 1M.


Meindl Bhutan's are a very firm leather boot. I was following a pair around on the hills this day :lol:
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Re: Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Postby 1Magnus » Sun Apr 24, 2016 7:18 am

I usually walk in my trusty and v. dirty Scarpa Rangers - except at the bit along that fence, where I went on my knees a lot. Folks: do this hill when the ground is frozen.
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Re: Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Postby goth_angel » Sun Apr 24, 2016 9:02 pm

Good post. These hills are some of the ones people think boring but not on a day like that. We did Meall Glas on a summers day and saw loads of wildlife 8)
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Re: Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Postby teaandpies » Sun Apr 24, 2016 10:46 pm

goth_angel wrote:Good post. These hills are some of the ones people think boring but not on a day like that. We did Meall Glas on a summers day and saw loads of wildlife 8)


I saw a heap of lizards, a huge heard of dear, frogs splashing about in a wee lochan (behaviour I've not seen before), crows, tons of wee birds.

Yep, plenty of wildlife to be had here :thumbup:
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Re: Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Postby litljortindan » Mon Apr 25, 2016 12:10 am

Sublime weather and great surroundings but sounds like you really needed all that water.
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Re: Glen Dochart. A splendid day out

Postby Jaxter » Mon Apr 25, 2016 10:48 am

1Magnus wrote:I usually walk in my trusty and v. dirty Scarpa Rangers - except at the bit along that fence, where I went on my knees a lot. Folks: do this hill when the ground is frozen.

:lol:

Aye, I did these as my first snowy munros back in November. So funny seeing them without the snow :D you had a brilliant day for them though :thumbup:

The "parking area" was still very boggy, had a wee nervous moment getting my car oot after, and lorries on that road are a nightmare at any time of year :lol:
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