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Stag before Starav, windy as flink !

Stag before Starav, windy as flink !


Postby scotdavid63 » Sat Oct 28, 2017 4:45 pm

Route description: Ben Starav and Glas Bheinn Mhòr

Munros included on this walk: Beinn nan Aighenan, Ben Starav, Glas Bheinn Mhòr

Date walked: 27/10/2017

Time taken: 8 hours

Distance: 19.6 km

Ascent: 2190m

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Move_2017_10_27_10_04_17_Trekking.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

Summary, I am more wrecked today, the day after this walk, than I was doing the SGR (including The Saddle and Sgurr na Signe) or the Mamores (9 out of the 10) - and both of those are longer with more ascent. The wind was brutal, no other way to describe it.
We planned to do the 5 by running the downhills and flat parts but this was an absolute scunner and we were pretty goosed by the time we got to the top of Ben Starav.
Issue 1 - this deer fence round the wee steading is basically a shitty bog route and no fun to start.
Issue 2 - we tried to stay on the higher deer fence and it's absolutely minging.
Issue 3 is that staying high brings you above the footbridge (which is about 2km in) and therefore requires a leap over the river. This was fine except I went back to encourage the dog and ended up in the river. Flinkety flink. 2km in many to go, wrung socks out, changed jacket and soldiered on.
The first photo is from half way up Bheinn Bheithir the day before, whit a country we have !

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What to say - well Ben Starav is a fantastic mountain, relentless ascent up the shoulder but if you read up in advance you know what to expect. The ridge round to GBM is fine although the drop goes down to c750m and if you want to do BnanA (the outlier) then you're down to c600m so this describes where all the ascent comes in for the three munros.
Stephen Fallon's notes are fine as well, not sure you could run this in 5.5hrs in gale force winds but good luck to anyone who can do the whole 5 munro circuit in that time.

The best parts - meeting a stag up close just after we parked the car and getting my wet socks off at the end. No time to enjoy views really, too windy and it was pretty cold as well - any temporary shelter we found we used (and met a lovely couple from the Lake District in matching Paramo jackets). Slept 10 hours, can still feel wind whistling in my head !
scotdavid63
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 87
Munros:282   
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:3   
Joined: Jul 10, 2011
Location: Edinburgh

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