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Spring on Beinn a' Chlachair

PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 12:04 pm
by Cairngorm creeper
Beinn Chlachair has been on our radar for some time and as we had been up its two neighbours on shorter winter days we treated ourselves to a full east to west traverse of this enticing mountains.
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The route

8:30 and we are parked at Luiblea and on our way.
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Crossing the Spean with Beinn a' Chlachair beckoning us forward
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An hour later at Lochan Na -H- Earba
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Admiring the views before we cross the ford into Coire Pitridh
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Veiw from Bealach Leamhain to Craig Megiadh
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11:00 Standing at the Eastern end of Beinn A' Chlachair wondering which is the best route up.

We took the line to the right,
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Short section of snow
then to minimise step kicking with sore toes we scrabbled (Not quite scrambling) over the boulders.
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Geal Charn behind us.
It took just 30 minutes to complete this steep section and we were on the flat top and admiring the views
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Loch a' Bealach Leamhain
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The top was far more expansive than I had imagined
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Cornice around the top of Coire Mor Chlachair
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The clouds celebrating the summit approach
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Distance peak becomes a cairn
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12:50 and we are at the top
We eat out at all the finest places. :D
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Anoach Beag, our next challenge.

It was a wrench to leave on such a beautiful spring day but 13:30 and we are on our way.
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Good views as we descended the west ridge.
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Initially patches of snow and small boulders.
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Boulders give way to heather and grass

The 90 minutes of descent passed quickly, with the easy walking and expansive views but I think it would make a soul destroying slog up with nothing but false tops ahead of you. Especailly given the length of the walk in.
Once we reached the Altt Cam we were more than ready for our next brew then fortified by noodles and mulligatawny soup off down the track to the car.
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A final look back
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17:30 and the end of a memorable spring day traversing Beinn Chlachair.

Re: Spring on Beinn a' Chlachair

PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 12:17 pm
by jamesb63
You got some great pictures of your day and also got great weather for it
well done ,its nice to see hills I have still to do :D

Re: Spring on Beinn a' Chlachair

PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 4:14 pm
by skenesir
Hello! I was the (possibly the only) other walker who said hello to you on the approaches to the summit (wearing the shorts) passing through one of the snowfields - seems like an age ago now as I look out my Aboyne home window to frequent snow/sleet showers pushing through today - That was a fairly steep descent off the plateau down to the stalkers path avoiding the large snow patches...getting up in half an hour was good going....I got real lucky on the ascent of it's neighbour Geal Charn...just before the summit I got extremely fortunate to sight twice (and photograph) a white tailed eagle...the last I saw it was heading your general direction! - I Enjoyed your report and hope you did not end up with the sun burn I did and may well pass by you in future walking.

Re: Spring on Beinn a' Chlachair

PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 5:16 pm
by Petr Dakota
Some great photos, I love the combination of colours with snow :clap:

Re: Spring on Beinn a' Chlachair

PostPosted: Tue Apr 26, 2016 5:25 pm
by dogplodder
Lovely photos on a lovely day! :D

Re: Spring on Beinn a' Chlachair

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 8:40 am
by Cairngorm creeper
jamesb63 wrote:You got some great pictures of your day and also got great weather for it
well done ,its nice to see hills I have still to do :D

Thank you James, hope you and your handsome walking companions have an equally lovely day.
skenesir wrote:Hello! I was the (possibly the only) other walker who said hello to you on the approaches to the summit (wearing the shorts) passing through one of the snowfields - seems like an age ago now as I look out my Aboyne home window to frequent snow/sleet showers pushing through today - That was a fairly steep descent off the plateau down to the stalkers path avoiding the large snow patches...getting up in half an hour was good going....I got real lucky on the ascent of it's neighbour Geal Charn...just before the summit I got extremely fortunate to sight twice (and photograph) a white tailed eagle...the last I saw it was heading your general direction! - I Enjoyed your report and hope you did not end up with the sun burn I did and may well pass by you in future walking.

Hi Skenesir, glad you enjoyed the report. How lucky are you seeing a white tailed eagle, if it came our way we missed it :( . I'd have loved to have seen it or the pictures. Just after we passed you it looked like that tornado had dive bombed you and knocked you of the mountain. We've had some very wintry weather as well. lets hope the sun returns soon.
Petr Dakota wrote:Some great photos, I love the combination of colours with snow :clap:
Thank you, I was enjoying seeing the seasons change.
dogplodder wrote:Lovely photos on a lovely day! :D
Thank you. It was indeed a lovely day.

Re: Spring on Beinn a' Chlachair

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 2:02 pm
by Phil the Hill
A useful report, thanks, as I'm planning to do this one on my next trip to Scotland at the end of May. I'd been thinking of going up by the west ridge from a wild camp by the Allt Cam in order to combine it with a round of the Aonach Beag group. Is that track bikeable up to the foot of the west ridge? It looks good in your photo but I'm not sure how far up that was taken.

Re: Spring on Beinn a' Chlachair

PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2016 3:55 pm
by Cairngorm creeper
Phil the Hill wrote:A useful report, thanks, as I'm planning to do this one on my next trip to Scotland at the end of May. I'd been thinking of going up by the west ridge from a wild camp by the Allt Cam in order to combine it with a round of the Aonach Beag group. Is that track bikeable up to the foot of the west ridge? It looks good in your photo but I'm not sure how far up that was taken.

Hi Phil, There is a Landrover track to within a couple of Km of the west ridge then it becomes a very muddy path. This report has a few more pictures of this area you may find helpful. http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=61665

Re: Spring on Beinn a' Chlachair

PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2016 1:54 pm
by Phil the Hill
Cairngorm creeper wrote:
Phil the Hill wrote:A useful report, thanks, as I'm planning to do this one on my next trip to Scotland at the end of May. I'd been thinking of going up by the west ridge from a wild camp by the Allt Cam in order to combine it with a round of the Aonach Beag group. Is that track bikeable up to the foot of the west ridge? It looks good in your photo but I'm not sure how far up that was taken.

Hi Phil, There is a Landrover track to within a couple of Km of the west ridge then it becomes a very muddy path. This report has a few more pictures of this area you may find helpful. http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=61665


That's helpful, thanks. Good of you to recce my route for me! :thumbup: Looks a bit tussocky for camping, but hopefully I can find somewhere.