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Big Yellow Taxi

Big Yellow Taxi


Postby litljortindan » Thu Mar 07, 2019 9:18 pm

Fionas included on this walk: Meallan a' Chuail

Date walked: 05/03/2019

Time taken: 6.5 hours

Distance: 10 km

Ascent: 650m

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It was challenging because of playing football the day before. Nevertheless I got to the start in reasonable time and was at the half way point in 1.5 hours. Then I looked ahead to the second half and thought this is going to be a struggle. However, the legs were working well and I got to near the top fairly easily. The last few metres consisted of frosted, slippery rocks though so I had to don micro-spikes and gloves. Well either that or fall and hurt myself. I prefer the former.
Fantastic views from the top, especially of the surrounding lochs but also the distant neighbouring hills. And quite mild overall. A bit slow on the way down but not too bad and an easy drive home but tired afterwards and a bit the next day. Clouded over quite dramatically when I got to the bottom and there was a huge raincloud over the hill by the time I passed it on the road. Would have been nice to have a bit of snow on the top and more fluffy clouds around but you can't have everything and I was quite pleased with having managed to squeeze this walk in. I think it is necessary to take the opportunities as they arise and as the body permits.

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Early view of Foinaven.

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Looking north across Loch Stack to Arkle and Foinaven.

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Pair of ears.

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At the foot of the final slopes feeling a bit like this looks further than I thought.

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Weariness is nothing that a sparkling loch can't cure!

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Bens Hee and Klibreck to the eastish.

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Ben More Assynt and Conival to the south.

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Ben Leoid to the west -not today.

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Lochs abound. Bens Hope and Loyal on the horizon. Ben Hee to the right.

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Last edited by litljortindan on Fri Mar 08, 2019 6:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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litljortindan
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Re: Big Yellow Taxi

Postby Cairngorm creeper » Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:59 am

That looked great! Some lovely views of the far north!
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Re: Big Yellow Taxi

Postby gaffr » Fri Mar 08, 2019 10:22 am

We enjoyed our day out here. In summer a very fine round of the three tops can be had here. The image that we have taken at the Lochan between Meallan Chuail and Meall an Fheur Loch looking out to Arkle and Foinaven is grand.
This is a special area of the North well worth walking in.
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Re: Big Yellow Taxi

Postby rockhopper » Fri Mar 08, 2019 2:32 pm

That looked good - as gaffr notes, it's a great area for walking. Nearly went up this hill on the return walk from Beinn Leòid last year but it had been a long day to that point and I was just too lazy in the end :shock: - cheers :)
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Re: Big Yellow Taxi

Postby rockhopper » Fri Mar 08, 2019 2:32 pm

That looked good - as gaffr notes, it's a great area for walking. Nearly went up this hill on the return walk from Beinn Leòid last year but it had been a long day to that point and I was just too lazy in the end :shock: - cheers :)
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Re: Big Yellow Taxi

Postby litljortindan » Fri Mar 08, 2019 6:22 pm

Cairngorm creeper wrote:That looked great! Some lovely views of the far north!


It is an interesting and hilly area just in from the coast there and fascinating to see the likes of Ben Hope and Ben Loyal on the horizon. I think it is the lochs and views of them that were the best aspect of this particular walk.
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Re: Big Yellow Taxi

Postby litljortindan » Fri Mar 08, 2019 6:35 pm

gaffr wrote:We enjoyed our day out here. In summer a very fine round of the three tops can be had here. The image that we have taken at the Lochan between Meallan Chuail and Meall an Fheur Loch looking out to Arkle and Foinaven is grand.
This is a special area of the North well worth walking in.


Definitely a good hill for views of other hills and I'll certainly return to this area to walk to some of the other hills. Firstly, though, I'd like to do a walk around Glen Dhu. That would now seem to be most practical from the west going by my reconnaissance photos.
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Re: Big Yellow Taxi

Postby litljortindan » Fri Mar 08, 2019 6:39 pm

rockhopper wrote:That looked good - as gaffr notes, it's a great area for walking. Nearly went up this hill on the return walk from Beinn Leòid last year but it had been a long day to that point and I was just too lazy in the end :shock: - cheers :)


I know you and gaffr probably don't mean it was a great walking surface but those comments have reminded me that I was thinking this is surprisingly easy going ground, even after the stalkers' path petered out. But aside from the fine surface some very fine topography too! I was the opposite of you looking at Ben Leoid and thinking I'll leave it for another day but that was partly down to saying I'd be home with the shopping by a certain time. See, no laziness here. Might have got caught in rain and cloud anyway so turned out for the best.
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