Meall a'Choire Leith & Meall nam Maigheach

[yokehead]

g20.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

If, like I had last year, you climb Meall Corranaich but for some reason don’t get to Meall a’ Choire Leith on the same trip, this is a decent wee excursion to bag the munro and add a Corbett too. I started from the high point of the road just north of Lochan na Lairige. There’s parking space for 3 or 4 cars, walk back towards the lochan a bit and a rough path leads to the left into the boggy moorland. It was windy and showery as I drove and there was a heavy burst as I was changing, that was the last for a while though and the sun got through with clouds mostly above the peaks.

the start

I contoured round Meall nan Eun then headed straight up the ridge to the Corbett, sloshing across bog and peat hags but it wasn’t too bad going. It is only a couple of km to go and ascent of around 220m to the Corbett so you feel like you’re cheating a bit. No, I didn’t feel like that really!

joined photos of targets corbett left, munro right

The views that open out to the Lawers and Tarmachan ranges and the Glen Lyon hills are quite fine.

Carn Gorm group of 4, Glen Lyon

magnificent Tarmachan

Framed Ben Lawers, An Stuc & Meall Garbh with Meall nam Maigheach cairn

There is a small cairn at the summit but there was no shelter from the wind so I headed straight down to the east. There were some large snow patches still about, especially on the steeper section halfway down so I put these to good use which speeded the descent and was good fun as ever. I headed for a bend in the river, directly below the summit of Meall a’ Choire Leith, intending a direct assault.

heading down through the snow to the valley

However the river, whilst not wide, was fairly deep and fast flowing from the melt water so I walked about half a km upstream before crossing and stopping for lunch. It was completely sheltered from the wind here and a lovely spot in this valley, a perfect accompaniment to my chicken soup, sandwiches and scotch egg. Makes me hungry just thinking about it, food tastes so good in that setting! As usual I dallied for quite a while but finally hauled the sack on for the next leg.

delightful valley burn

I must say that the climb to the summit seemed to be a real slog and not one that I much enjoyed. It didn’t look too steep on the map but was the sort of terrain where you can’t keep your foot flat so I resorted to zig zagging, side stepping and too many stops for breath, I want to get much fitter than this. The cairn did appear eventually but offered no shelter so a quick photo and I moved down since a squall was imminent.

Meall a'Choire Leith cairn

I headed south west to contour around Meall Corranaich’s ridge, aiming for the faint path I’d spotted earlier. The squall arrived and I was lashed by an evil mix of hail and rain for about 10 minutes, this slackened a little by the time I crossed the Coire Gorm stream at the obvious spot. The path gives fast going and led to a small dam that isn’t marked on the map. The going was very wet; I flowed down the hill along with most of the hillside it seemed. The dam enabled me to cross the stream just below it otherwise there would have been a walk upstream.

dam heading back

From here it is a squelch through the bog again, at one point I came across a narrow 2 metre deep hole with a stream at the bottom and half covered with drifted snow, showing that care is needed in this type of terrain. I regained the path and zoomed back to the car.

[cjwaugh]

Thanks that's a handy one yokehead i,m off to climb the two Munroe's tomorrow and was wondering if the single track road was clear of snow it looks fine another nice report cheers

[yokehead]

Yep road is completely clear, enjoy your day.

[Freewheelin]

there's been a fair thaw in the last week - was doin' Tarmachan on 8th in gale, white outs, and spindrift that stung like hell.