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I had time constraints. Not only the usual sunrise/sunset, but even earlier than that, a late afternoon meeting. Ugh. Such is my lot for the next five weeks, as I help moderate an online copywriting course. Double ugh.
So it had to be a quickie, and close to home. My only remaining Luss Graham was Beinn a’Mhainaich, and it fit the bill. I parked up at a gate leading directly onto the hill, and was on my way at 8:30am.
nice light on the morning after the Hunter's Moon
and again
looking back down into the glen
The first obstacle was the cows huddled around the next gate I was meant to pass through; they were definitely eyeing me up, and I didn’t trust them—a mixed group of girls, young ‘uns, and a big bull—one bit. So I detoured along the fence until I was out of their site, and then clambered over it, taking care to not catch the double barbed-wire along the top. I returned to the faint track from which I’d detoured. Next came the signs about the danger from the shooting range. I was prepared for these, but the flag wasn’t flying, and I also figured that they probably wouldn’t be shooting if there were cows in the field (would they?). What did surprise me was how far up the hill the signs went; I should have paid more attention to the map (but how unvery like me that would have been!
)
follow the signs (and the track)…
Anyway, the initial plod up the Strone was a bit steep, and when it finally levelled out and offered nice easy walking, the tradeoff was how wet it became underfoot (I need new boots).
From the Bealach an t-Saic, it doesn’t look like it’s very far down to the bottom of the glen; I figured that if I was hearing shooting on the descent, I’d just head for the reservoir and make my way back to the car from there. But it wasn’t necessary, no shooting today.
down onto Lochs Goil and Long
Beinn Eich and Cruach an t-Sithein
fresh snow further afield -- Ben Lui, maybe?
It took me just under an hour and half to reach the summit. I poked around there for a few minutes, walking out from the cairn in various directions to get uninterrupted views to the surrounding area. The day was mostly clear and bright, but oh my heck (to quote my Mormon ex-in-laws) was the wind COLD. I wasn’t surprised, the forecasts had pretty much unanimously promised it.
maybe these are the Arrochar Alps? that direction, anyway...
the exit route; hazy out to sea
some impressive cloud action over the Clyde
Back down the way I came, again making a wide detour around the cows, who were now much further up the hill, but still spread across both sides of the track I was following. I returned to the car just after 11am. Bish bash bosh. Loose end tidied up, with plenty of time to do me weekly shop on the way home.
