Beinn na Lap - 01/05/10

[M4RTIN]

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The bank holiday weekend offered the perfect excuse for a quick turnaround trip to Glasgow, and the chance to get another Munro under my belt. (Jessica stayed at home; tired and needing to do some preparation work for her impending final exam)

Chase & I headed up from York on the train, Friday dinner time, and arrived at the grandparents about 2100.
I explained all the do's & don'ts to Chase about looking after his Grannie & Grampa (He is only 3, so he needs reminding each time he visits them) and then after a quick stop off at the shop for my supplies I headed to bed.

Up early Saturday morning (0600), I had a quick breakfast, sorted my lunch and packed my back-pack. I was out of the house at 0700 and headed off on my 20 minute walk to Gartcosh Station (The familiar starting point for most of my walks). I caught the train just after 0730 and was in Glasgow Queen Street just before 0800.

- Station Information desk to confirm there really would be an 1825 train heading back to Queen Street.
- WHSmiths for Chocolate & Newspaper.
- Starbucks for my Coffee & Muffin.
- 0821 Train bound for Fort William, and my required stop at Corrour.

The train has busy but not overcrowded. Plenty of bikes & backpacks - and a whole variety of people heading somewhere along the Westhighland Line. I had planned to try and get a couple more hours sleep on the train before my stop at Corrour but it was just as relaxing to sit quietly drinking my coffee as I partook in a spot of people watching.

Walkers, Baggers, Climbers, Cyclists and plenty of excited children, all from various parts of the world made for unlimited entertainment on the 3 hour journey into the north.
One thing I did notice was that the Scots on the train were in the minority; were they all driving to their destinations or do too many people not realise that Scotland extends beyond Edinburgh & Glasgow?

The views along Loch Long were marred by some thick low cloud, but The Cobbler was managing to stand out for the camera wielding passengers to eagerly snap. The views improved a little, the further north the train travelled, but most of the mountains tops were hidden until the Bridge of Orchy Munros came into sight. They looked completely different to the last time I was up there, climbing them in the snow at the end of February.

From here, the train slowed, pulling its way up through Rannoch Moor and to my destination at Corrour Station (The highest station in Britain and the backdrop to one memorable scene in Trainspotting).

At Corrour, about 25-30 people alighted. Having a quick look around those standing on the platform, as the train abandoned us miles form the nearest road, I thought the hill was in for a bit of a battering.

It's not difficult to get your bearings sorted at Corrour, so I thought I’d just get a move on and head off down the road towards the loch before I ended up part of some Munro-Bagging Congo.


I knew I had plenty of time to get this single Munro done; even if I stopped every 10 steps, the 7 hour window until the next train back to Glasgow was not going to be a big issue. Plus, if the hill was going to be a busy place today, I at least wanted to decide my own route up the slopes. I wasn't interested in being first up the hill (I’m not that fit) but I didn't want to be just another sheep, following a train of people up the same line.

01. The track towards Loch Ossian.

The weather wasn't too bad (down here anyway) There was very light drizzle and no too much wind so, at 1130, I put my head down and just marched off to the first fork in the road, where I stopped and looked back to see where I was in relation to the other walkers.

There was no-one behind me. No-one at all. Tumbleweed, blowing across the road, would not have been out of place at this point.

"Where had everyone gone?"
"Was I really heading in the right direction?"

I knew I was on the right track so I had to accept that, whatever everyone else's plans were, I was the only one who was tackling this hill first.

Fairy Nuff ! The hill all to myself, I could cope with that. Plenty of time - enjoy the views & the solitude.

02. Low cloud over the loch; the Youth Hostel hiding in the trees.

03. The 'ugh' inspiring target.

Taking the left fork at the first junction, I followed the road to the next fork (just beyond the wooden bridge). I left the road here and took to the hillside where a faintly visible line was heading upwards. I decided to ignore this and make my own way up the grassy slope, it was hardly looking like a demanding climb.

04. The demanding hillside. Pick a route, any route.

I picked out the two small patches of snow, near the ridge line, and just plodded my way towards them. I did get a few pictures on the way up, but the low cloud did obscure some of the views.

05. Views back to Corrour Station.

06. The sun attempting to brighten up the wilderness.

07. The view across Loch Ossian.

08. The View down the loch, weather closing in.

The weather did deteriorate considerably as I made my way up the hills. What had started off as light drizzle and minimal wind has progressively turned to heavy rain, following by sleet & hail and all the way from the top of the ridge to the summit. It was a wet and slippery hill, with not too much to sing and dance about. Still, it's better than a day in the office.

I reached the summit just before 1300 and had great fun trying to get a picture taken that wasn't full of rain spots on the lens. This is the best of a bad lot. Note the joy in my face at having conquered such a magnificent Munro.

09. Beinn na Lap summit. The sleet & hail made it all worthwhile.

I spent about 30 minutes at the summit having my lunch. There are a few stone shelters along the ridge towards the summit but I sat up in the one closest to the summit cairn itself. It was the one offering the most relief from the now sideways sleet although I did have to plug a few of the holes in it to give myself some decent protection.

I know not everyone agrees with shelters being erected on summits. To those who disapprove I can only apologise and in my defence, I was merely stabilising the existing "structure", not adding on an extension.

I set off back down the hill at 1330, following roughly the same line as I had on the way up. It doesn't really matter though. If the hill is wet, the grass is slippery whatever line you take. Expect to land on your backside, I did several times.
I managed to get a couple of clearer pictures on the way down, when the cloud got itself out of the way.

10. Neighbouring Munros. They'll keep for another day.

11. Clouds lifting.

True, this is not an exciting hill by any stretch of the imagination. I climbed it simple because it was on the list and was easily accessible by train. That said; any day out walking, away from the stress & boredom of work is always enjoyable and appreciated.

12. Not a bad place to spend a day.

I was back at the train station by 1430 and with 4 hours till the train I spent my time sitting in the Corrour Station House, chatting to a various different walkers. I enjoyed a nice dinner and a couple of ciders.

Caught the 1825 train home to Glasgow by 2230.

[Fife Flyer]

Nice one Martin, can't beat a "historic" report, well done for remembering the details