Page 1 of 1

Fort William Grahams and some Subs

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2016 8:12 am
by weaselmaster
Another beautiful weekend - have to admit to some disgruntlement about using it for short hill routes, but that was the way circumstances determined that it would be. Allison was returning from her first week of holiday in Torridon, meanign that I would meet up with her and Craig somewhere near Fort William and do a hill on the Saturday, whilst Craig went off to the Scotland game. I had been down to Birmingham wed-fri, not getting home til Friday evening, so it would be a saturday morning drive up for me. We'd decided to do Cnap Cruinn on the Saturday, maybe Beinn na Gucaig on Sunday - I was bristling with several exciting and long routes that I couldn't really do this weekend as a result, despite the fine, fine weather. You can bet that when we do have an opportunity - like next weekend - normal weather service will be returned :roll:

I was meeting Allison at 10.30 in Spean Bridge. I left the house just after 7, meaning I had a bit of extra time - just the thing to pop up a wee Marilyn on the road up. One such prefect candidate was Meall Mor, just to the left of the road going up Rannoch Moor. I nipped out the car, no boots, rucksack, just my camera and trainers. The first section was a little boggy - and I got wet feet - but it was an easy ascent- all of 20 minutes- and back at the car in 35 minutes or less. The Glen Etive hills were looking inviting, draped in scarves of cloud.


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



Meall Mor
ImageP1130916 by Al, on Flickr

Across the A82 to Glas Bheinn
ImageP1130917 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130920 by Al, on Flickr


Back on the road, we both coalesced at the Spar in Spean Bridge at 10.15. Short drive along to Coire Choille Farm and up the rough track towards the wee minister - doesn't get any smoother. Quite a few cars parked, no surprise with the weather today. We set off along the Lairig and just after the bridge by Cnoc an Ceann Mora cut up to the left, aiming for the bealach with Cruach innse. Reaching this we contoured around the north of Innse and dropped into the glen, aiming for the 497m point. The Easains impressed ahead, the eastern Grey Corries over to the right as we started to climb the grassy slopes of Cnap Cruinn. It's a fairly easy amble up to the summit, the views rewarding as we gained the top.


cnapcruin(2).gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



The Aonachs
ImageP1130923 by Al, on Flickr

Turn left after the bridge
ImageP1130924 by Al, on Flickr

The Easains and Sgor Innse
ImageP1130926 by Al, on Flickr

Grey Corries
ImageP1130927 by Al, on Flickr

Beinn Chlianaig from summit Cnap Cruinn
ImageP1130928 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130929 by Al, on Flickr

Allison wanted to head over to Beinn Chlianaig (not just me that's mental enough to do Simms) and we were surprised to see a figure already up on the hill. Gentle walk over heather to Chlianaig, good views up towards Loch Laggan and the Alder hills. Back down the same way we'd come up. I'd hoped to tag on Creag Dubh once we got back to the car - another Graham she needs to catch up on, but she was having none of it :lol: Instead we popped into the Morrisons in Fort William before heading over in the Corran Ferry to their house for the second week of holiday.

Towards the Alder hills
ImageP1130930 by Al, on Flickr

The Innses
ImageP1130931 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130932 by Al, on Flickr


Sunday morning was absolutely perfect Autumn weather - still sunny air, no clouds, just beautiful. Beinn na Gucaig was our target, lying just across Loch Linnhe. Trouble was I hadn't decided on the route. The SMC book has a nice looking route that takes in another Graham, Tom Mheadhoin and a Marilyn, Doire Ban. Trouble was that I had no 1:50000 map with me - must have left it at home - and the 1:25000 I did have missed off the start of the route from Inchree, which had forest trails to follow. I'd seen an alternative - heading in from Lundavra - which was significantly quicker, given that we'd already done Tom Mheadhoin when Corbetteering. I had all the relevant bits on my map, too!


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



We headed over in the ferry and drove back towards Fort William, turning right at the first roundabout towards Achintore. A rollercoaster single track road leads down to Lundavra, taking in some great views of The Ben. There's space for one car beside a gate, just shy of the turning area at the end of the public road. We geared up and decided to head straight up Sron Garbh. Lovely views down to Lochan Lunn Da-Bhra, with Beinn a'Bheither in the distance. As we gained height, the mighty face of The Ben appeared, riven with gullies, immense.

Lundavra
ImageP1130933 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130935 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130936 by Al, on Flickr

The Ben
ImageP1130937 by Al, on Flickr


Up to the ridgeline and heading for Beinn na Gucaig. Loch Linnhe was still as a mirror, the Ardgour hills ranked in serried rows. Garbh Bheinn the mightiest amonst them. Ben More (Mull) to the south. What a fine day. We reached the trig point and stopped to enjoy lunch surrounded by hills in all directions. A Hercules transporter plane hung in the air overhead.

Beinn na Gucaig
ImageP1130939 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130941 by Al, on Flickr

View to Ardgour
ImageP1130943 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130945 by Al, on Flickr

Summit Gucaig
ImageP1130947 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130948 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130949 by Al, on Flickr



Then we knew we had a drop - right back to our initial starting altitude before having to gain 400m up Doire Ban. All this for a Marilyn? It was steeper and harder work than the Graham had been. Mullach nan Coirean loomed large next to The Ben on our descent to the western end of the lochan. A boggy section on the glen floor then onto a farm track which led us back to Lundavra. A very enjoyable route, glad we chose this option for these hills.

Descent
ImageP1130952 by Al, on Flickr

Doire Ban
ImageP1130956 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130955 by Al, on Flickr

View back to Gucaig
ImageP1130958 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130960 by Al, on Flickr

Descent
ImageP1130962 by Al, on Flickr

Mullach na Coirean
ImageP1130963 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130965 by Al, on Flickr

I dropped Allison off at the Corran Ferry and headed back down the road. I was dreading the queues on Loch Lomondside it being a sunny Sunday and all. Driving over Rannoch Moor I decided I might as well do the partner of Meall Mor, Glas Bheinn on the northern side of the road. I pulled in at the large layby, got rucksack back on and headed up from the roadside. A deertrack led me to a gap in a fence then an ATV track took over and promptly took me the couple of hundred metres up to the summit of this hill. Over to my right, Beinn a'Chreachain and Achaladair, on the left, Creise and the Etive hills. Not a bad viewpoint. I returned by the same route and continued my journey home.


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



ImageP1130967 by Al, on Flickr

A'Chreachain/Achaladair
ImageP1130968 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130970 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130973 by Al, on Flickr

ImageP1130974 by Al, on Flickr

Re: Fort William Grahams and some Subs

PostPosted: Mon Oct 10, 2016 9:16 am
by rockhopper
Certainly was another great weekend - productive too for you two. Nowadays reading your reports I tend to have to go and look up the hills having never heard of the majority of them ! :wink: Suspect I'll never to get to most of them but they do make for good viewpoints - cheers :)