I Found my Chill on Raspberry Hill

[weaselmaster]

I had toyed with the idea of us heading up to the Meet in Applecross this weekend, but the prediction of snow and generally naff weather didn't encourage me to drive back up to the northwest after our holiday there last week. So it was to be somewhere nearer - I opted for Glen Lyon "the longest Glen in Scotland". We had three Corbetts lurking there which could be taken care of and it was easy to find spots for wild camping as well.

We arrived about 7 and were able to get our preferred spot near the Power Station at Cashlie. It was a very windy night - enough to interfere with getting the tent pitched, as a blustery and chill easterly wind forced its way along the reservoir at us. The wind continued all night making sleep somewhat difficult and it was quite cold also - we were at 300m. Morning broke cloudy but with some promising patches of blue sky in the mix. Snow line was at around 500m, though patchy.

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Friday was to be Meall nan Subh, which we did first time round as a wee add-on when doing Creag Mhor and Sheasgairnaich - I think it added about 30 minutes to that outing. Today it was getting a day all to itself as I was adding on a couple of Simms to the east of it. These should really have been done when we climbed Meall Ghaordaidh from Glen Lyon last year, as they are part of that hill, but lack of ambition seems to have prevented that. I decided we'd just walk from the campspot, which added a mile or so to the day. As we were getting ready, a car of women pulled up, coming from Pubil, looking for directions to Meall Buidhe. "It's back that way" I said, before Allison reminded me of the Meall Buidhe (Munro) up by Loch an Daimh...I explained where they should go, and the same to a second car of their mates, which followed sometime later. Over the bridge at Dalchiolich and onto a rough track that runs past forestry up the front of Sron Eanchainne.Ghaordaidh was white and shining to our left as we plodded to the first summit. Then on to Meall Taurnaigh, over peat hags. There we picked up a fenceline which we followed for some time towards Meall nan Subh. We had good views of Creag Mhor, and, over the other side of Loch Lyon, the hills on tomorrow's agenda.

?Chambered cairn entrance below An Grianan
P4050189 by Al, on Flickr

Dalchiolich farm, Meall nan Subh
P4050190 by Al, on Flickr

The north Glen Lyon hills
P4050191 by Al, on Flickr

Meall Ghaordaidh
P4050193 by Al, on Flickr



We had quite a drop before starting to gain height again on our way to Meall nan Subh. By now the sun was fully out, although the cold wind remained. We reached the summit and had good views down to the dam at Pubil. I'd planned to come off to the SW and join the road, but there seemed little reason not to head NW and take a more direct line to the road. In the lee of the hill it was warm enough to walk in baselayers. However, as we rejoined the road at Pubil the wind was still strong and chilly and by the time we'd walked the three miles back to the then our arms were frozen to the point where it was challenging to manipulate hands to take off boots. Nice to be back in the warmth of the tent.

Raspberry Hill
P4050197 by Al, on Flickr

Subterranean dwelling of a snow orc
P4050198 by Al, on Flickr

View back along Glen Lyon
P4050199 by Al, on Flickr

Meall nan Subh summit
P4050201 by Al, on Flickr

Meall nan Subh from the west
P4050202 by Al, on Flickr

Pubil dam
P4050203 by Al, on Flickr

Walking back to the tent
P4050205 by Al, on Flickr

P4050206 by Al, on Flickr

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For Saturday it was to be Meall Buidhe (Corbett) along with three Simms to the west of it. We'd done the other nearby Corbett, Sron a'Choire Chnapanaich along with Stuc an Lochain, last year. The wind had dropped to nothing, but in its place we could hear snow settling on the tent. Not lying on the road - at least for now - as we drove along to Pubil. We set off up the farm track with snowflakes the size of galleons sinking through a leaden sky. My route took us a few km along the lochside track until we reached the Eas Eoghannan then onto an ATV track up the steep sheep-cropped grassy slopes of Meall Daill. Allison was struggling today and her ascent was slow. This is quite a good hill, not far off being a Corbett itself (132.5m drop). From there we headed into the tundra-like hinterland towards Meall na Feithe Faide. Visibility was poor, the ground was swampy under-foot, although the peat hags were largely (but not always sufficiently) frozen.

P4060207 by Al, on Flickr

P4060208 by Al, on Flickr

Up Meall Daill
P4060209 by Al, on Flickr

Across the tundra
P4060211 by Al, on Flickr

We lunched under the orange shelter to keep out of the rain and wind, then continued to Feithe Faide. From here we followed the fence line west to Guala Mhor - keeping on further would have led us to Beinn a'Chreachain, only a cople of kilometres away. Instead, we retraced steps, going back over Feithe Faide on our way to Meall Buidhe. This is one of the taller Corbetts, at 907m and the snowy summit was shrouded in mist. The summit lies to the south of the large cairn, although I spent a wee while building up the summit cairn. Given the poor visibility, I decided to switch to the WH route for the descent, although I think, in retrospect, that the one I'd drawn out was more efficient. In any case, we followed the fenceposts for a time before breaking out over peat haggy ground and dropping steeply back towards the track. I'd have brought us down the shoulder of Meall Phubuill. The wind had dropped away again as we descended, the surface of Loch Lyon mirror-flat.

Creag Guala
P4060212 by Al, on Flickr

Meall Buidhe summit
P4060213 by Al, on Flickr

Loch Lyon
P4060214 by Al, on Flickr

P4060215 by Al, on Flickr

Back at the tent for 4, some reading and an early bed. For Sunday I'd thought we'd do Meall nam Maigheach and the two nearby Munros, Corranaich & Choire Leith. However, Allison was struggling with her back - whether the exertions of yesterday had been the problem, I don't know. So we opted just to do Maigheach, surely one of the shortest Corbetts to summit from the road, given a starting elevation of just over 500m for a 779m hill. We had the tent to pack away, in the course of which I found a spider had made a nest on the sleeve of my waterproof jacket overnight. Did my best to transfer nest and spider to a suitably dry place (the inside of a sheep's skull near the tent). We drove along to Bridge of Balgie, one of my feared roads. I have an irrational anxiety about driving along it, meeting a huge snow drift off the Lawers hills, being unable to turn the car around and perishing of starvation before the thaw comes. There were quite a few cars on it today, so I was thinking it was open We parked at the start of the WH route (last time I think we went up the hill from the road on its west flank) and took an approximate line for the saddle, then progressed through mist to the summit. The going was wet and tussocky underfoot and it was difficult to find the summit in the milky-white air (or it would have been without the GPS). Cairn discovered - my halfway point of 111 Corbetts - retreat by a modification of the WH route back directly to the car. We saw two other solitary walkers heading up the hill - a busy Corbett today.

P4070217 by Al, on Flickr

P4070218 by Al, on Flickr

A bit lost in the fog...halfway Corbett 111
P4070219 by Al, on Flickr

P4070221 by Al, on Flickr
Back down the road before 2pm - which I think is the earliest we've ever been home on a Sunday. Fingers crossed that Allison's back gets sorted out before next weekend.