walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Donich downpour but it's still good medicine!

Donich downpour but it's still good medicine!


Postby Graeme D » Tue Aug 01, 2017 10:41 am

Corbetts included on this walk: Ben Donich

Date walked: 29/06/2017

Time taken: 2.5 hours

Distance: 6.4 km

Ascent: 620m

2 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

School had just broken up for the summer holiday and as always, it was a 12 o'clock finish with a number of staff heading straight to the boozer to get the holiday kick started in earnest. There have been a few good staff nights out in the past year or so and I had intended to go to this one as well, but the last few weeks of term had been really stressful with staff shortages in the department and various other things going on, and quite frankly by the time the finishing line was reached, I was pretty much at the end of my rope and the last thing I wanted to do was spend a few hours in the company of teachers! Hills it was then!

I had sounded Kev out about the possibility of meeting him for a wild camp somewhere on the Thursday night, and suggested Arrochar, although I knew that he had pretty much cleaned up here. He was still keen and when I suggested that my likely targets would be the Corbetts of Ben Donich, The Brack and Cnoc Coinnich, he said he would text me on the day and arrange to meet at some point near the summit of The Brack. He was keen to show me where he almost died on Cnoc Coinnich a few years back! :lol:

The forecast wasn't great on the day, the usual recipe of sunny spells and heavy, slow moving showers that seem to have come to define this summer, so it wasn't too much of a surprise when Kev pulled the plug, citing domestic commitments. I was still up for it and headed off shortly after the bell.

I lost a good hour or two stalling for time in the car at the start point near the Rest and Be Thankful, waiting for the weather to clear up, which it did marginally by mid afternoon. Then I was off up the north ridge towards the great clefts I have heard so much about in various other reports.

By the time I reached the clefts and spent a good 20 minutes exploring them, I had decided to give the other two hills a miss today. They'll keep for a better day!

I just about got away with it, a slight drizzle setting in as I neared the summit which turned to a downpour about half way through the descent. Still, it was just what the doctor would have ordered - the perfect medicine to cure the ills of a long hard school year.

IMG_6593_zpscvi3crpd.JPG
Ben Donich north ridge from the car park at the start of the Gleann Mor forestry track

IMG_6596_zpsfol00tp7.JPG
Luibhean south ridge and The Cobbler

IMG_6600_zps9jmr0k7p.JPG
Loch Restil nestled between Beinn and Lochain and Beinn Luibhean, Binnein an Fhidhleir in the background

IMG_6601_zps1xuemsqf.JPG
Ascent of the north ridge

IMG_6602_zpsndlwzcly.JPG
Lochain and Fhidhleir

IMG_6603_zpsdy4mhnv3.JPG
Luibhean

IMG_6606_zpsx25sdh7i.JPG
Ahead towards the summit, reminiscent of Beinn an Lochain

IMG_6609_zpsuj8tfgib.JPG
Glen Croe and The Brack with the Luss hills beyond

IMG_6611_zpsd7fh9mox.JPG
The Brack and Cnoc Coinnich

IMG_6613_zpsbltdlcyj.JPG
Amongst the giant clefts

IMG_6620_zpscy2ht9fh.JPG
Looking down from above the clefts

IMG_6621_zpsxeisziu6.JPG
Final pull up to the summit

IMG_6625_zpsbe7a18rl.JPG
Loch Goil and Lochgoilhead from the trig point

IMG_6627_zpsh6arw6la.JPG
I appear to be supporting the trig pillar!


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

Last edited by Graeme D on Wed Mar 09, 2022 10:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Graeme D
 
Posts: 3995
Munros:251   Corbetts:123
Fionas:75   Donalds:22
Sub 2000:59   Hewitts:36
Wainwrights:28   Islands:6
Joined: Oct 17, 2008
Location: Perth

Re: Donich downpour but it's still good medicine!

Postby katyhills » Tue Aug 01, 2017 6:11 pm

Pity about the weather, but it's a great little hill, isn't it? A bit of everything :)
It's fairly local for me so I've done it in lots of different weather - always enjoy it, and ideal if nothing higher is suitable, or I've not been out for a while . A good day is always a bonus for photos though.

The Brack is beautiful at the top - and best done from the Ardgarten end. The lochan is a stunning place to sit on a nice day. Hope you get a good day for it.
katyhills
Walker
 
Posts: 375
Munros:120   Corbetts:28
Fionas:7   Donalds:2
Sub 2000:3   
Joined: Jul 7, 2015

2 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 64 guests