A Baptism of Beef

[roscoT]

glen lyon 4.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

My kid brother Stuart A.K.A Beef had been wanting to get into hillwalking due to some outdoorsey stuff he was doing through work, so thought I would ease him in gently with this glorious round of 4 Munros

Sunday came with a dry forecast, and we agreed to meet at Aberfeldy, before sharing a car for the half hour drive to the busy little hamlet of Invervar, setting off at 10.30. A gate from the road leads pleasantly through woodland before emerging on to a hydroelectric access road, which follows the Invervar Burn to a rickety (and terrifyingly bouncy) bridge, from where the hillpath to Carn Gorm begins. Climbing steadily, views begin to open up of An Sgorr and Carn Gorm ahead, and back to Glen Lyon and Creag Mhor with the winding path. Cloud still low, Beef still full of the beans - would either last?

rickety bridge by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

P1030194 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

carn gorm and an sgorr by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

looking to creag mhor by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

P1030199 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

glen lyon by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

P1030202 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

We climbed into the clag at about 700m. Beef was now struggling a bit, but fair play to him, he plodded on, only his disdainful face, the odd grunt or 'how much further' to his detriment. 'This is nae Tinto anyway!' He was right
The smile came back on the approach to the summit, marked by a toppled trig point, which was reached about midday. 1 down, 281 to go!!!

carn gorm summit by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

We had a sandwich here, and I suggested the cloud would clear before 1pm, to which an 'aye right' look was received. We started descending the broad ridge, and you can guess what happened next...

loch rannoch by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

Skirting round An Sgorr, it is a short and gently undulating walk to the day's second munro, Meall Garbh, a line of fenceposts followed to the seemingly sculptured fencepost shrine of a cairn. Views to Loch Rannoch, south to the Lawers Range and, eventually, the mighty Schiehallion were improving.

walkers on an sgorr by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

to meall garbh by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

fenceposts to summit by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

meall garbh - no.2 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

P1030219 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

summit and schiehallion by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

meall garbh (lawers)? by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

P1030225 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

From here, the long but pleasant walk to the day's highest point, Carn Mairg, begins. A small lochan is passed before a gentle climb to the top of Meall a' Bharr, from which Schiehallion suddenly appears in all her glory. Beef was dubious of one the few interesting facts I know about the hills - that Schiehallion was the mountain used to first estimate (quite accurately as it turned out) the weight of the earth The vast hanging valley and corrie to the north of Meall Garbh of the Lawers range looked awesome from here.

Cloud clearing, the sun appearing, and most of the day's climbing done, we were in high spirits. The vacuum of quality brother-to-brother time for so long missing was finally being filled. In the words of Tom Weir, it felt very much like 'the peak of living'

P1030227 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

P1030232 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

lawers range and tarmachan ridge by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

Meall a Bharr summit and Schiehallion by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

P1030243 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

P1030246 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

Lawers Range by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

The rockily outcropped Carn Mairg then appears ahead and is climbed quickly. The summit plateau was quite disorientating, and we walked about for a few minutes before finding the cairn, where we talked for a while with a couple who were new to hiking (17 munros in 7 weeks though - not bad at all ). Our third munro of the day and, it dawned on me, my 50th. The slog up Carn Gorm in the clag now a distant memory, Beef was now looking well and truly in his element.

carn mairg summit by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

schiehallion by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

Further disorientation ensued on the descent, where we fell into the trap of the steep boulder field (easily diverted to the left as it turned out). Broken ankles avoided, we were on the path southward to Creag Mhor/Meall na Aighean (depending which map you look at), happy as larry! From this side Carn Mairg looks far more intimidating.

boulder field by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

back to the couple on carn mairg by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

P1030259 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

beef and carn mairg by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

After a left at the head of Gleann Pollaidh, the last of the day's climbs winds to an end on the small rocky top of Creag Mhor, celebrated (unexpectedly) with a cigar, which I tired to pretend to enjoy Lawers Range still looking majestic, a sliver of the snaking Loch Tay appeared, and the visibility was good enough to see the unmistakable Beinn a' Ghlo clearly behind Loch Tummel. Cracking!

creag mhor summit by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

P1030265 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

Loch Tay poking out by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

Loch Tummel and Beinn a Ghlo by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

The descent from Creag Mhor is less steep than it at times looks, the views directly in to Glen Lyon tremendous. The final part of the descent to the access road became a pretty fun game of running and hopping, testing the fortitude of our knees. Access road reached and circuit complete, we were happy with our day's haul.

4 munros on his first day - a great effort. Feedback suggests another convert with the bug

P1030276 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

Bothy by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

P1030280 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

P1030284 by Ross Thomson, on Flickr

[Alteknacker]

Great stuff! I think that anyone who experiences the hills in circumstances like these (good weather, good company) is likely to be hooked for life. You've done Beef a good turn there!

Glen Lyon is truly a magical place. Doing these last year, in similarly good weather (though via a slightly different route), I was just blown away by the views into the glen, and out to the Lawers group, and the Tarmachan Ridge. Really amazing and inspiring. Surely Beef will remain inspired!

[Jaxter]

Oh lovely, I'm glad the weather turned good for you too this was my first 'big haul' too I do remember the dodgy bridge, although I went the other way round so at least if have got wet at the end

[Gordie12]

You eased him in gently with a round of 4 Munros Ross - Schiehallion would have been gentler................

There was no way I was touching the top of the cairn at Meall Garbh when I was there - wasps everywhere!!

[teaandpies]

Done this yesterday. Easy Peasy

[KatTai]

Great report! Think I'll put this on my to-do list!

[roscoT]

Great stuff! I think that anyone who experiences the hills in circumstances like these (good weather, good company) is likely to be hooked for life. You've done Beef a good turn there!

Glen Lyon is truly a magical place. Doing these last year, in similarly good weather (though via a slightly different route), I was just blown away by the views into the glen, and out to the Lawers group, and the Tarmachan Ridge. Really amazing and inspiring. Surely Beef will remain inspired!

Thanks buddy! Was good to get him out and about in the hills - kind of rekindled a bit of that first amazement in me. Glas you had a good one last year too

Oh lovely, I'm glad the weather turned good for you too this was my first 'big haul' too I do remember the dodgy bridge, although I went the other way round so at least if have got wet at the end

Haha, yeah to be fair if we'd fell in at the start that might have been game over for beef's hillwalking carreer

You eased him in gently with a round of 4 Munros Ross - Schiehallion would have been gentler................

There was no way I was touching the top of the cairn at Meall Garbh when I was there - wasps everywhere!!

Hi Gordie, good to hear from you again. Wasps??! Was there a hive inside the cairn or something?

Done this yesterday. Easy Peasy

I don't doubt it Duncan! You seem to have been racking them up this year bigtime - more power to you

Great report! Think I'll put this on my to-do list!

Cheers KaiTai, you toally should

[teaandpies]

Having a car helps. Now just time to fine a part time job that pays full time wages