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Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends

Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends


Postby mrssanta » Wed Sep 20, 2017 6:42 pm

Munros included on this walk: Beinn a' Chaorainn (Glen Spean), Beinn Teallach, Càrn Liath (Creag Meagaidh), Creag Meagaidh, Stob Poite Coire Àrdair

Date walked: 12/09/2017

Time taken: 28.5 hours

Distance: 28.9 km

Ascent: 1869m

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We we had planned for the Lochaber Traverse but delayed for a day to warm up on Geal Charn and hope for better weather. Unfortunately last night's weather forecast had deteriorated and it looked like the good weather would be unlikely to reach us before we got back to Yorkshire. We thought the Grey Corries and Aonachs worth saving for better weather and decided on an overnighter starting at Roughburn and finishing at Aberarder. I think we might now be on Plan D

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


Quite a considerable amount of time was taken faffing about, having breakfast, packing up and deciding things and we did not get to the start till nearly 11am. We dropped off one car at Aberarder in the Creag Meagaidh car park and drove to Roughburn finding a spot in a muddy puddle to leave the other car. Polite notices on the gate requested that we take care because of stalking but gave no specific instructions.
P9122005.jpg
the start

The first obstacle to ford the river at 363822. It looked like we might get wet but actually the river was broader here than further up, and not so deep and we managed across fine.
P9122008.jpg
Ford the river and go up between the trees and the river.

We followed the track up the river where it quickly turned into a very boggy ATV track. Once past the forest we aimed pretty much straight up the hill, stopping for our first lunch at about 550m where we met a burn in a sheltered spot. There were some views to be had over towards the Fersit hills and Grey Corries and we thought we had made a good decision as we could see plenty of weather.
P9122010.jpg
Mobility scooter on steroids? A track laying scooter with two gun rests on the handlebars. But we did not see any people.

P9122013.jpg
Easans on the left, stob Ban poking up in the middle, Grey Corries in cloud on the right

P9122015.jpg
Looking over to Loch Treig

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weather and sunlight over Loch Treig

There are two cairns on Beinn Teallach, the WH route visits both, but we only went to the one we thought was the summit, which is the more northeasterly one. It was in cloud by then and we were in cloud and/or rain for most of the rest of the walk. The other cairn has a 910m ring contour on the 1:25 000 map which is missing on the 1:50 000.
P9122018.jpg
Rudolph on Beinn Teallach

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Looking over the shoulder of Beinn a'Chaorainn to the Window of Creag Meagaidh

From the summit an intermittent path takes you down to the bealach at just above 600m and we came out of the cloud for a while. Up the other side we followed an ATV track for a short while before it started going in the wrong direction, then just went straight up the slope a looong way but gradually easing all the time till we reached the north top of Beinn a'Chaorainn. I left my bag here (remembering to take the GPS and the camera!) for the wet and windy trudge to the summit.
P9122028.jpg
Field Scabious at about 750m which surprised me

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the Window of Creag Meagaidh from the shoulder of Beinn a'Chaorainn

P9122040.jpg
Me on Beinn a'Chaorainn


We (all right then, I) had sort of thought that it might be possible to camp at the Bealach a'Bharnish at 800m but when we reached it the wind was whistling through and it looked an inhospitable kind of place. We had to get our skates on to get to the next suitable spot before dark, which was the west side of the Window, over the top of Creag Meagaidh.
We set off straight uphill and soon came upon an ATV track which made the going much easier straight up the slope. It disappeared at the flat area at 1020m which might have been quite tricky to navigate were it not for the line of fence posts which appeared, guiding us in the right direction up the ridge towards Creag Meagaidh.
We reached the summit in good time and then had the fun of navigating in the clag and rain to find the way across the plateau to descend to the Window.
P9122043.jpg
lovvely fence posts

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Top of Creag Meagaidh! Can't you tell!

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Mad Meg's Cairn

Amazingly as we set up camp the clouds lifted a bit and we had a short clear spell when the rain stopped, but it did not last. We set up our tent with the feet end of the tent both downhill and into the wind which was great!
P9122050.jpg
Camp

Morning came and the clag was down and it was certainly a bit dreich to say the least. Quick brew and breakfast and off we went.
P9132051.jpg
The Window in the morning

It's a short straightforward climb up to Stob Poite Coire Ardair and along the ridge towards Carn Liath but it was in clag and it was fun to practise navigation by pacing and timing.
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Look at the fabulous cliffs over there! Stob Poite Coire Ardair

P9132054.jpg
Hello Sheep! you don't bother with a compass!

We picked up water and had a brew at Uinneag Coire a'Chaorainn where there was a sheltered spot, and actually when we reached the final summit the cloud was lifting a little.
P9132060.jpg
happy mugs doing their best

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Carn Liath. I think that counts as a cloud-free Munro.

Coming down off Carn Liath was fun - we took a direct route down the steep heathery slope - a bit of bum sliding was involved - reaching the path with complete jelly legs!
We spotted treecreepers in the woods on the way down, but no photos sorry.
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Looking down to Aberarder.

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Looking up into Coire Ardair from our steep way down

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Alien invasion in the woods

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Lovely woods

Reaching the car park we planned our next adventure - potentially three days of holiday left - will we make it to Lochaber - ? - find out in the next instalment!!
Last edited by mrssanta on Wed Sep 20, 2017 9:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mrssanta
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Re: Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends

Postby gammy leg walker » Wed Sep 20, 2017 8:27 pm

One day
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Re: Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends

Postby mrssanta » Thu Sep 21, 2017 8:50 pm

gammy leg walker wrote:One day

oh yes. As they say, the hills aren't going anywhere
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Re: Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends

Postby Alteknacker » Thu Sep 21, 2017 9:29 pm

Glad that you got at least some decent weather on your hol. The mugs were smiling! And you got a bit of nav practice :) (that's the thought I also console myself with when the clag descends...).

This has been a really useful read for me, because I've never hitherto looked at this area; but it looks from the contours and some of your clag-free pics, that it will be a superb ridge walk in good weather. For some reason I didn't clock the ridge when I was on Beinn a'Chlachair or Geal Charn in August. I've already started looking at possible routes (probably involving a bike to close the round). So thanks for that.

I am quite surprised you managed the river crossings in only boots - it looked quite deep. I always now take a couple of rubble bags with me for this purpose since reading about the technique in (I thought) a Black Panther report a year or two, and I've found it very useful indeed - most recently for a knee-deep crossing the Allt Cam in the Alder Forest.

Awaiting the next installment....
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Re: Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends

Postby Alteknacker » Thu Sep 21, 2017 10:41 pm

Ref my earlier reply on the subject of river crossing, I then read this...

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=75730

:D
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Re: Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends

Postby Mal Grey » Fri Sep 22, 2017 11:13 am

Fair play for managing to enjoy yourselves in the dreich weather!
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Re: Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends

Postby spiderwebb » Fri Sep 22, 2017 9:20 pm

A fine traverse, and great report :D
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Re: Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends

Postby mrssanta » Fri Sep 22, 2017 9:57 pm

Alteknacker wrote:Ref my earlier reply on the subject of river crossing, I then read this...

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=75730

:D

that was fun!
Mal Grey wrote:Fair play for managing to enjoy yourselves in the dreich weather!

thanks. we don't get to pick and choose the days being several hours drive away from the nearest Munros. so you just have to grin and bear it!!
spiderwebb wrote:A fine traverse, and great report :D

thanks. I think Creag Meagaidh is definitely worth coming back to in good weather, and that was an excellent place to camp.
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Re: Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends

Postby malky_c » Sun Oct 01, 2017 10:05 pm

Nice last photo :lol:

Camping high in the rain does appear to be your standard thing for the Highlands :)
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Re: Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends

Postby mrssanta » Sun Oct 01, 2017 10:31 pm

malky_c wrote:Nice last photo :lol:

Camping high in the rain does appear to be your standard thing for the Highlands :)


Thanks.
Camping high does help avoid midges. I find rain is conducive to sleep, although I prefer it not to start till after I am in bed, and to stop by morning! We have forgotten what good weather is this year - but had some memorable trips nonetheless.
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Re: Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends

Postby Roger n Sue Fellows » Sun Oct 22, 2017 11:20 pm

Anybody into moths will probably expect some good finds on Creag Meagaidh and co. Warm calm weather is a bonus for moths and for walkers. Some good birds too.
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Re: Not the Lochaber Traverse. (plan D?) Meagaidh & friends

Postby mrssanta » Tue Oct 24, 2017 11:03 pm

Roger n Sue Fellows wrote:Anybody into moths will probably expect some good finds on Creag Meagaidh and co. Warm calm weather is a bonus for moths and for walkers. Some good birds too.

we saw a lot of birds including a treecreeper. I am not good at birds as they move before I get a decent look. I'm better on flowers.
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