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I've been very luck this year (so far) with my days off landing on decent weather windows and yet again I got lucky
I had been looking at my all hills map for something local to do as I didn't fancy a long drive (paying for the petrol to be honest) but because the weather was to be so good I must take these opportunities to do a Munro...the 'Rest and be Thankful' Corbetts must wait a little longer.
I had a look at the closest Munros I hadn't done and I had a few options however I decided on Ben Challum with extras because I wanted to have a nice row of blue blobs on my 'All Hills Map'...sad right?
The drive out of Glasgow was fine for a change, no dramas. The sun was out, shades were on with 'Smooth Radio' keeping me company.
I arrived at the layby about 9:30am, oops wrong one...drove the short distance to the next got ready and off I went.
The Graveyard. There are lots of information boards to read around the farm about the area, it's history and even about some of the hills in the area however it's very odd that there's no way markers for Ben Challum...am I the only person that finds this weird?
Crossing the tracks just along from the bridge.
As soon as you cross the tracks you leave the road here.
The path is faint in parts but having the fence to follow makes the navigation easy.
The views are pretty great even fairly low on the hill.
A large rock made for a decent reasting spot for breakfast. This rock was very welcome because I was feeling so out of shape and I couldn't really get going. I stopped here for a long rest and got my head together, I was ready to quit and turn back. Perhaps I didn't have a big enough breakfast or not enough sleep whatever it was, IT was kicking my ass!
While at rest an older gent passed me and we exchanged pleasantries and took off at a hell of a pace.
Ben Lui was my other option for today but I'll save those hills to enjoy with a friend.
Ben Challum from the farm has long pulls up, then short flat scetions and it sort of feels like it goes on for ages. The old guy was pulling away all the time, geezo this guy could walk.
Ben Lui is like the good looking firend in a group of ugly girls, there are other Munros standing there but you don't even notice them.
It just keeps going.
A cracking look at the Magnificent Seven.
I couldn't stop looking over to Ben Lui...hill perv! I'm now having regrets about not visiting today
The last big pull of Ben Challum, the south top just up there.
This is the first cairn you come to just short of the cairn at the south top...Ben Lui again.
The gent who passed me on the walk sitting at the south top, I had asked him if he had been to the top and back. He thought he was at the top so we set off to the proper top together. He was telling me that he is in 'training' to get in 'shape' for a September trip to Skye for 3 or 4 days of walking...I can tell you this man can walk. He was is also doing the big Welsh hills back to back just to keep himself ticking over.
The north top is a bit cheeky, you have to drop into a dip before a short steep section to the cairn. There's a fun wee ridge walk between the 2 tops and it's got a fairly hefty drop off.
Ben Challum summit cairn with the hills I walked a few weeks back.
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=61899After a fairly long piece break with the gent it was time for him to head off as his missus was waiting for him in their campervan. She doesn't do hill walking and she can't drive so I'm guessing she's happy to sit in the van.
After a short walk I seen something I wasn't expecting, a huge drop.
I was heading off the hill this way and it pretty unpleasent. The ground is very rocky but it's the loose rocks under the thin layer of moss that made the going tough, I kept rolling my ankles.
On my down the hill I got a fright. I came within 12 inches of a nesting Ptarmigan and it jumped out of the nest makeing a lot of noise and doing that silly walk they do to lure you away from the nest.
I was moving down at slow pace admittedly but safely I guess, my excuse anyways. Looking back up to Ben Challum it's a very impressive to look at from here.
I got to a fence, a fence that I was going to follow up the next hill. I also mat another guy here who was on his 3rd Munro of the day and he'd only been walking for 5 hours I wish I had lungs like his! He obviously observed my slow pace and passed commented on how uncomfortable I looked coming down hill...it's a fair comment. We spoke briefly and parted ways.
The people that made these fences that crisscross much of our fine landscape must have been a hardy bunch.
I followed the fence for a while but drifted left to avoid the steep craggy part of the hill.
The view back to Ben Challum.
Steep assent, it's pretty taxing on the legs.
The top of the hill. It's still a good distance to reach the summit.
The views back to Ben Challum just shy of the summit of Cam Chreag. Here you can see some of the hills personality.
Cam Chreag's summit.
Onwards to the final hill of the day, Beinn Chaorach.
The walk between the 2 Corbetts is easy enough, however I lost the path but picked it up a little later. It follows an old fence that has 2 short posts every 15 feet or so and it runs all the way to the top of Beinn Charoach and down the other side.
You notice a weather station in the bealach and the views down Glen Coralan towards the railway viaduct.
Views to the closest hills are decent.
The walk up Beinn Charoach is pretty featureless. I was thinking as I plodded up this slope how I was going to give up hill walking
Ben Challum in profile.
The only trigpoint of the day and it had to be one of these ugly round ones.
Ben Challum.
The Seven.
Ben Lui and those other ones.
The walk off the hill was nice and dry. Steady downwards at first but steepens closer to the bottom. I'll be glad to get to the road!
The weather did try to give me a going away soaking however a few spits fell and nothing more.
The road was reached. Thank goodness. The knees had taking a real pounding on the final decent.
There was still a lot of walking to be done from her but it was easy going along the good track.
The Lush green was nice change to the burnt looking grasses of the higher slopes.
I think it's possible to walk through the gorge and down to the campsite. The woodlands here are gorgeous and looking across the gorge you have got to wonder how some of those trees haven't fallen off the cliff!
Walnut Whip mound.
The bridge. Once under this bridge and down the road you are back on the West Highland Way, just go left. There's a wee shop here if you needed to a drink or ice-cream. I didn't know, I didn't have any money. I was craving some sugar.
