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If the Munros were ranked for providing extraordinary views for not much effort, then I'd put Beinn a'Chochuill near the top of the table.
I had a good MWIS forecast for the Sunday, so decided on Ben Starav, a hill I have long admired. So for the Saturday, I wanted something fairly easy that would not tire out my metal knee before Starav. With an ok-ish forecast for western Argyll, Beinn a'Chochuill (without Beinn Eunaich) seemed to fit the bill perfectly.
I parked near the bridge before Castles Farm. Cloud was topping the Dalmally Horseshoe, much as I expected from the forecast.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
My start was delayed by watching a treecreeper working over the trunk of this tree for several minutes. Of course as soon as I got my camera out it flew off.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
I was more successful with domesticated creatures. This is the pond at Castles Farm.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Yellow is the must-have colour for accessories this season.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The gorse thinks so too.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Th track took me easily to the cairn marking the start of the path up the south-east ridge of Beinn a'Chochuill.
From here, the little path was a delight to follow - unfolding ahead of me, a few steps at a time. I am a very slow walker, but it seemed no time at all that I had a fine view back down the valley of my ascent route, with a bit of Loch Awe and Kilchurn Castle in the distance.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Sron an Isean from the same spot.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
As I climbed, the peaks of the Ben Cruachan group were revealed, one after another - Stob Dearg was the first major summit to appear.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Beinn Eunaich and the valley of the Allt Lairig Ianachain - my planned descent route.Ben Lui in the distance.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Higher up, the path gave me a side view of the Dalmally Horseshoe - Sron an Isean almost completely hiding Stob Daimh from this angle, and Stob Garbh's north-eastern crags looking impressive.
IMG_1246 by
Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The upper ridge merges into the main mass of the hill, and I headed for point 896m on Beinn Chochuill's east ridge. After the grassy, sunny slopes I'd climbed, the sudden view to the north was a revelation.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Looking from the same spot towards Beinn a'Chochuill's summit ridge.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
From here, the walk was absolute perfection.
What I loved was not just the quality of the views to be seen all around from this long easy grassy ridge, but their variety.
Behind me, curving ridges led the eye to the southern Highlands.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
To my right, there were views towards Loch Etive and the hills of Appin.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
To my left, there was an ever-changing view of the massed Cruachan peaks, looking truly Alpine - they reminding me of views of the Weisshorn group from across the Zermatt valley.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The ridge ahead
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The ridge-top cornice just east of the summit
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The cairn
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
A few yards west of the cairn there was a patch of short-cropped grass like a bowling green, which had some of the finest views of all - this is looking down the west ridge towards Loch Etive.
IMG_1312 by
Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
South to the highest of the Ben Cruachan peaks - from here, they looked colossal.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
East across a sea of ridges to Ben More, Stob Binnein and Ben Lui, with Cruach Ardrain peeping over its shoulder.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
A wider view of the same scene.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
North across Glen Kinglass, with a skyline of the Glen Etive hills, the Blackmount and the Bridge of Orchy hills.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Eventually I had to set off back down the hill. A last fond look back at the summit...
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
From the Lairig Ianachain - a squall over Stob Ghabhar
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The descent into the corrie was pathless but very easy. I followed the Allt Lairig Ianachain, a beautiful stream with many falls and pools.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
From the valley, I could see clouds gathering over Sron an Isean, but I was in sunshine almost all the way down.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
I came to one of the hidden features of these hills - a tunnel leading down into the Cruachan Pumped Storage Scheme. Or possibly into the lair of a Bond villain.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The stream and pool near the tunnel.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
From the mouth of the tunnel, a good track led back to join up with my outward route.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
The new monarch of the glen.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
I was soon back near Castles Farm. Despite the snow on the peaks above, these woods seemed to be on the edge of Spring.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Industrial scenes and natural beauty.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Evening light on Loch Awe.
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr
Sunset over Beinn a'Bhuiridh
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Half Man Half Titanium, on Flickr