The Fortingall Four !!
Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2018 6:19 pmHaving completed our 1st ever round of 4 Munros a little over a week ago my daughter in law Karen & I planned another 4 this time starting at a much lower level as in 100 metres !!!!
We set off early from Bridge of Earn arriving at Invervar for approx. 8.30am and once booted up set off up through the trees to the messy forestry area....bits of felled trees everywhere which did not make for an easy first part of the walk .
After a short time headed up alongside the land rover track eventually coming to the rickety bridge across the river which is mentioned in many reports
There are some useful signposts pointing out the way!!!!
I was a bit tired after walking 11 miles on Tuesday and had read some reports of this walk which filled me with some trepidation.....and really did feel that my legs were tired before even starting; but whatever the reason I made heavy weather of the 1 st hill...the weather wasn't the best but we did have some cracking views back down Glen Lyon
and eventually summit of Carn Gorm reached... it took 2.5 hrs, ….. I was a bit disappointed at my pace and was struggling big style!!…. have to say I was somewhat relieved to reach the summit and then happy to continue with a much more positive attitude
Its amazing how much a negative attitude can affect your walking!!!!
It was very cold and windy at the top here and we didn't linger too long refueling fairly quickly and looking out hat & gloves....the views were outstanding until the cloud swept in but my hands were too cold to hang about taking pictures
We set off with me in a much better frame of mind...if I'd had a mirror I would have had a good word with myself
It seemed no time at all till we reached the 2nd summit of the day Meall Garbh with its strange cairn
We met a very fit young lady who was undertaking her mountain leader course ….she soon disappeared quickly down the hill en route to the 3rd summit. The clouds were becoming darker so we decided to don the waterproofs just in case.... as it turned out the rain started shortly after so it was a good choice...Great advice Karen
Its quite a long walk to the summit of Cairn Mairg although not too difficult and the rain eased off which was great. We found a handy wee cairn and stopped for a bite to eat before gaining the 3rd of the day...Also it was a chance to look at the map and orientate ourselves...we are still trying to develop our map reading
A guy passed with a quick "hello" and we watched him make a quick ascent to Cairn Mairg all the while thinking my goodness he's racing up there....however once we got going it wasn't too taxing at all. At last our 3rd and penultimate summit of the day.
It was quite a tricky descent over rocky ground, perhaps taking a longer route round the side to the east might have made life easier..All the while I am looking up at the ascent to the final summit with a sinking feeling It looked very steep and my negativity started to niggle again...
!However I needn't have worried as I was halfway up before I realised it....way to go I had been mentally preparing for a really long slog and it was fairly easy even on tired legs..on making the very large rocky summit we did decide not to climb onto the top as the legs may well have protested...so just regular ground level summit pics!!!
Now it was time to begin the long walk down the shoulder to the forestry area..
We were both tired and the "jelly legs" made an appearance...however bolstered by the fact trhat we had conquered another 4 hills we plodded on.
Back to the car as the rain started lucky to have avoided walking downhill in it !!!
Both really pleased and tired in equal measure...bring on the next ones
We set off early from Bridge of Earn arriving at Invervar for approx. 8.30am and once booted up set off up through the trees to the messy forestry area....bits of felled trees everywhere which did not make for an easy first part of the walk .
- Obstacle course through the forestry
After a short time headed up alongside the land rover track eventually coming to the rickety bridge across the river which is mentioned in many reports
- Rickety Bridge
There are some useful signposts pointing out the way!!!!
- posts showing the way
I was a bit tired after walking 11 miles on Tuesday and had read some reports of this walk which filled me with some trepidation.....and really did feel that my legs were tired before even starting; but whatever the reason I made heavy weather of the 1 st hill...the weather wasn't the best but we did have some cracking views back down Glen Lyon
- Carn Mairg and Creag Mhor coming into view
and eventually summit of Carn Gorm reached... it took 2.5 hrs, ….. I was a bit disappointed at my pace and was struggling big style!!…. have to say I was somewhat relieved to reach the summit and then happy to continue with a much more positive attitude
Its amazing how much a negative attitude can affect your walking!!!!- It felt like a long hard slog to the first summit....
- and finally summit number one.... Carn Gorm with the broken trig point
- Loch Rannoch
- Karen at the 1st summit
It was very cold and windy at the top here and we didn't linger too long refueling fairly quickly and looking out hat & gloves....the views were outstanding until the cloud swept in but my hands were too cold to hang about taking pictures
We set off with me in a much better frame of mind...if I'd had a mirror I would have had a good word with myself
It seemed no time at all till we reached the 2nd summit of the day Meall Garbh with its strange cairn
We met a very fit young lady who was undertaking her mountain leader course ….she soon disappeared quickly down the hill en route to the 3rd summit. The clouds were becoming darker so we decided to don the waterproofs just in case.... as it turned out the rain started shortly after so it was a good choice...Great advice Karen
- 2nd summit Meall Garbh
- and again...
Its quite a long walk to the summit of Cairn Mairg although not too difficult and the rain eased off which was great. We found a handy wee cairn and stopped for a bite to eat before gaining the 3rd of the day...Also it was a chance to look at the map and orientate ourselves...we are still trying to develop our map reading
A guy passed with a quick "hello" and we watched him make a quick ascent to Cairn Mairg all the while thinking my goodness he's racing up there....however once we got going it wasn't too taxing at all. At last our 3rd and penultimate summit of the day.
- views opening up
- Schiehallion
- summit of Cairn Mairg
- lunch stop....and the sun coming out yay...!!!!
- number 3 one more to go...
It was quite a tricky descent over rocky ground, perhaps taking a longer route round the side to the east might have made life easier..All the while I am looking up at the ascent to the final summit with a sinking feeling
It looked very steep and my negativity started to niggle again... - Tricky descent from Carn Mairg
- looking back to Carn Mairg ...hard to believe we walked down this!!!!
!However I needn't have worried as I was halfway up before I realised it....way to go I had been mentally preparing for a really long slog and it was fairly easy even on tired legs..on making the very large rocky summit we did decide not to climb onto the top as the legs may well have protested...so just regular ground level summit pics!!!
- Karen at the summit of Creag Mhor
- Last one of the day yay !!!!
Now it was time to begin the long walk down the shoulder to the forestry area..
- and now the long walk back down...
- Looking back to Creag Mhor
We were both tired and the "jelly legs" made an appearance...however bolstered by the fact trhat we had conquered another 4 hills we plodded on.
Back to the car as the rain started lucky to have avoided walking downhill in it !!!
Both really pleased and tired in equal measure...bring on the next ones