A glimpse into the Wild
Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2019 4:51 pmFor my first 2019 Munro walk, I chose the relatively easy pair of Stob Coire Sgriodain and Chno Dearg, which have the advantage of being right in the centre of the area I had chosen for this year's trip to Scotland: Glen Spean. I hoped to be able to get a good overview of the mountains I intended to climb in the next 10 days, sort of doing a bit of recon.
Indeed there were good views in all directions, especially into the wild & empty area towards Loch Ossian. However, the walk itself was not that spectacular. The report will therefore be pleasantly short, and I'll rather let the photos speak.
It has to be said that the drive to Fersit from the A86 is really beautiful. Less beautiful is the first climb up the slopes of Sròn na Gàrbh-bheinne. Very wet underfoot, quite steep, and I always felt that it would be easier to go up a few dozen metres to the left or the right, no matter which route I chose.
On the slopes of Sròn na Gàrbh-bheinne. From left to right: Beinn a' Chaorainn, Creag Meagaidh, Loch Laggan with Binnein Shuas to its right, then Creag Pitridh, Geal Charn and Beinn a' Chlachair. Click to see large.
Loch Treig with Stob Coire Easain and Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin. Click to see large.
At some point here two hill runners silently ran past me, possibly doing the walk in a third of the time I used, or even less.
All the showers so far had been kind enough to pass around me, on the summit of Chno Dearg one finally git me, but it was very brief. It was quite cold, though, it felt as if it was hardly above freezing.
Some time during the long walk down the Northern slopes of Chno Dearg, I suddenly noticed two dogs approaching behind me in the distance, but no person. I was already mentally preparing to make use of my mighty +1 Blue Hiker's Red Stick of Defence (played too many RPG...), when I saw the owner catching up with the dogs. Being much faster, they went past me some distance to my right. The rest of the walk was uneventful and increasingly boggy until I was back on the track leading to the car park at Fersit.
Indeed there were good views in all directions, especially into the wild & empty area towards Loch Ossian. However, the walk itself was not that spectacular. The report will therefore be pleasantly short, and I'll rather let the photos speak.
- Altitude profile
It has to be said that the drive to Fersit from the A86 is really beautiful. Less beautiful is the first climb up the slopes of Sròn na Gàrbh-bheinne. Very wet underfoot, quite steep, and I always felt that it would be easier to go up a few dozen metres to the left or the right, no matter which route I chose.
On the slopes of Sròn na Gàrbh-bheinne. From left to right: Beinn a' Chaorainn, Creag Meagaidh, Loch Laggan with Binnein Shuas to its right, then Creag Pitridh, Geal Charn and Beinn a' Chlachair. Click to see large.
- Summit Cairn on Stob Coire Sgriodain, Creag Meagaidh visible in the left background, the Creag Pitridh Munros in the right background
Loch Treig with Stob Coire Easain and Stob a' Choire Mheadhoin. Click to see large.
- Light on Creag Ghuanach, Southwestern corner of Loch Treig
- Quartzite near the summit of Stob Coire Sgriodain
At some point here two hill runners silently ran past me, possibly doing the walk in a third of the time I used, or even less.
- One of the tops near Stob Coire Sgriodain
- The little lochan between Stob Coire Sgriodain and Meall Garbh, the Easains in the background
- View back towards Stob Coire Sgriodain from the little Lochan, Lochan Coire an Lochain in the right
- A little spring below the summit of Chno Dearg
- View from the Southern slopes of Chno Dearg towards Meall Garbh, Beinn na Lap in the left background
All the showers so far had been kind enough to pass around me, on the summit of Chno Dearg one finally git me, but it was very brief. It was quite cold, though, it felt as if it was hardly above freezing.
Some time during the long walk down the Northern slopes of Chno Dearg, I suddenly noticed two dogs approaching behind me in the distance, but no person. I was already mentally preparing to make use of my mighty +1 Blue Hiker's Red Stick of Defence (played too many RPG...), when I saw the owner catching up with the dogs. Being much faster, they went past me some distance to my right. The rest of the walk was uneventful and increasingly boggy until I was back on the track leading to the car park at Fersit.