Great Garbh! It's Garbh Bheinn
Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 10:59 pmA great looking forecast for Saturday 21st January, so I decided on Garbh Bheinn at Kinlochleven for my outing.
A longish drive, but the car was scraped and I was on my way before 8am, so not too early to get out of bed
Lots of fog en route, and plenty of people waiting to get the right moment for photos at Rannoch Moor. The fog lifted a little just beyond the best spots, so I stopped for a quick pic of the Black Mount hills and surrounds
Fog was gradually clearing, and by the time I parked at the layby near Caolasnacon, a few miles west of Kinlochleven, the sky was clear and it looked like I was in for a great day. Half an hour in, and the views were already superb. Looking back (west) down Loch Leven - the Pap of Glencoe stood out
and to the north, those beautiful Mamores were already making their presence felt
The walk is fairly straightforward - you're basically heading ESE over the three tops, and there's a reasonable path most of the way in these good conditions, but that does this hill an injustice. It's a steep little beggar! The first of the three summits was just ahead - Torran nan Crann
Pushing on towards the next summit of Stob Coire Sgoilte, it was hard not to keep stopping for photo opportunities. Definitely a hill for looking back from, as these views prove. The Ballachulish Horseshoe in the background with all the hills west of Loch Linnhe seen behind Loch Leven's other Corbett, Mam nan Gualainn
The sun was getting up above the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glencoe to the south, making photos of that tricky, so I waited till the summit for better ones. In the meantime, Garbh Bheinn's summit was looking inviting
Twenty minutes later and I was on the summit, with 360 degree views of some of Scotland's most famous hills. North to the Mamores, with 'The Ben' and the Aonachs behind, and... well - it's just 'aw the hills'
The Aonach Eagach, looking close enough to touch!
East to Schiehallion-is it really visible from almost any peak on a clear day? It certainly seemed that way today!
Summit pano - complete with my shadow
So much sun and so little snow - how often can we say that in January!
Time to head back, enjoying those great views again all the way. The little bits of scrambling on the hill are easy in those good conditions, but easily avoided if you don't fancy them.
It's always a different walk on the way back, and I took the opportunity of another photo across to Stob Ban from the little stretch between the summit and S.C.Sgoilte
I'd had a thoroughly enjoyable few hours on the hill, including a lengthy chat with a lovely chap from Fort William. It was warm and sheltered enough at that point to stand for half an hour without adding an extra layer. Better than many summer days! Glorious skies on the journey home too, until a big bank of fog approaching Tyndrum, but the fading light and low winter sun gave me a final chance for a pic of my 'local' Munro, Ben Lomond
I know lots of people had a great day on the hills on Saturday. How lucky are we?
A longish drive, but the car was scraped and I was on my way before 8am, so not too early to get out of bed
Lots of fog en route, and plenty of people waiting to get the right moment for photos at Rannoch Moor. The fog lifted a little just beyond the best spots, so I stopped for a quick pic of the Black Mount hills and surrounds
Fog was gradually clearing, and by the time I parked at the layby near Caolasnacon, a few miles west of Kinlochleven, the sky was clear and it looked like I was in for a great day. Half an hour in, and the views were already superb. Looking back (west) down Loch Leven - the Pap of Glencoe stood out
and to the north, those beautiful Mamores were already making their presence felt
The walk is fairly straightforward - you're basically heading ESE over the three tops, and there's a reasonable path most of the way in these good conditions, but that does this hill an injustice. It's a steep little beggar! The first of the three summits was just ahead - Torran nan Crann
Pushing on towards the next summit of Stob Coire Sgoilte, it was hard not to keep stopping for photo opportunities. Definitely a hill for looking back from, as these views prove. The Ballachulish Horseshoe in the background with all the hills west of Loch Linnhe seen behind Loch Leven's other Corbett, Mam nan Gualainn
The sun was getting up above the Aonach Eagach ridge in Glencoe to the south, making photos of that tricky, so I waited till the summit for better ones. In the meantime, Garbh Bheinn's summit was looking inviting
Twenty minutes later and I was on the summit, with 360 degree views of some of Scotland's most famous hills. North to the Mamores, with 'The Ben' and the Aonachs behind, and... well - it's just 'aw the hills'
The Aonach Eagach, looking close enough to touch!
East to Schiehallion-is it really visible from almost any peak on a clear day? It certainly seemed that way today!
Summit pano - complete with my shadow
So much sun and so little snow - how often can we say that in January!
Time to head back, enjoying those great views again all the way. The little bits of scrambling on the hill are easy in those good conditions, but easily avoided if you don't fancy them.
It's always a different walk on the way back, and I took the opportunity of another photo across to Stob Ban from the little stretch between the summit and S.C.Sgoilte
I'd had a thoroughly enjoyable few hours on the hill, including a lengthy chat with a lovely chap from Fort William. It was warm and sheltered enough at that point to stand for half an hour without adding an extra layer. Better than many summer days! Glorious skies on the journey home too, until a big bank of fog approaching Tyndrum, but the fading light and low winter sun gave me a final chance for a pic of my 'local' Munro, Ben Lomond
I know lots of people had a great day on the hills on Saturday. How lucky are we?
