Meall nam Maigheach

[Gordie12]

It was only a short drive over from Loch Lyon, the sun was out, the windows were down, it really did feel like spring had properly arrived.

I was looking to leave the car in the layby WH recommends (opposite the ruin and metal hut) and about half a mile short of this point I moved in to the side of the road to let a car coming down the glen pass. Was that a pop I heard, no, probably just imagining it as I had the window open and was hearing a bit more noise. The car was handling fine so I carried on to the layby and parked next to another car.

oh bugger

I know from past experience that getting the wheels off this car with the standard equipment is near on impossible so I decided to use the AA. Their timescales are usually about an hour and as this is only a 2hr hill I decide to go-ahead with the walk and call the AA from the top.

Frustrated, I headed off along the road till I'm close to the layby for Meall Corranaich and Meall a'Coire Leith.

The shed/ruin at the start

I read that there was a feint track to the left of the road but I never saw it and finished up with a steep climb away from the road to gain some height and then head directly towards Meall nam Maigheach.

All the reports I had read said the same thing, very wet underfoot but as with my earlier walk this was probably as good as it gets and it was relatively dry the whole way.

It's mainly just heather bashing and some short tussocky grass with no obvious path (for me anyway) but it doesn't take long to cross over from Meall nan Eun to reach the start of the climb.

Looking towards Meall nam Maigheach

And looking back to Lochan na Lairige

The climb itself is short and on a very easy gradient (I've only done 40 odd Corbetts but can't imagine there would be any that are easier than this one) and I found my self at the top in well under an hour. Phone out, time to call the AA............no signal . I wandered round the hill in the hope I could pick up a signal somewhere but nothing. There was another top a short distance beyond the cairn so headed over to it, no signal .

Views from the top 1

Views from the top 2

Views from the top 3

I left the top and headed back towards the road, keeping to the high ground and checking my phone continuously but still nothing. On reaching the road I couldn't see any point in heading back to the car and heading down towards Glen Lyon as I assumed there was more chance of a signal if I headed towards the Ben Lawers car park.

I was halfway along the road beside Lochan na Lairige when I got fed up and decided to head back to the car and try to fix the problem myself. Finally, a car coming towards me, so I flagged it down and asked if the driver had a signal on her phone - nope.

By the time I got back to the car a couple had just arrived at their car which had been in the lay by when I arrived. The man had a foot pump in his car and he had a go at pumping some air in to the tyre but we could hear a hissing sound and spotted a rip in the rim so the tyre was losing air nearly as quick as it was being pumped in. Decided to jump in the car and drive quickly towards Ben Lawers to see if I could get far enough to get a signal and about 100 yards beyond where I had walked, my phone pinged so I quickly stopped in a layby to phone the AA and then Andrea to let her know that I would be late.

It was Lix Toll Garage that arrived and the guy said that had I not mentioned Ben Lawers on my call he wouldn't have found me as the AA had him heading for Glen Lochay. Turns out there was no way I would have got the wheel off as the guy nearly emptied his van of tools before he managed it.

A long day in the end, 14 hours between leaving and returning to the house. Despite the problems, a great day in the hills but I'm paying for it today as I've just parted with £345 at Kwik Fit for 3 new tyres (and I've missed out on getting out today)

Due to the car problems my mileage and climbing figures are a lot higher than they would normally be for this hill.

[rockhopper]

Pity about the tyre - they always seem to come at the wrong time Nice day for it though - would agree that it makes for a straightforward walk - can remember making it even shorter by following the dry stane dyke up from the SSW instead of your slightly longer route - cheers

[Gordie12]

Hi rockhopper

Your 4 Corbett report was part of my homework for the day as I did Meall Buidhe & Creag Doire nan Nathrach in the morning. Looking back at the photos from your report it's amazing how similar the snow patches are on Meall Buidhe. I've just realised that you took a fairly direct route towards CDnN, I looked at the direct route and it looked a bit on the steep side for me.