Not quite the Lawers group

[Benaden887]

Not quite the Lawers group. 02/02/1991
Beinn Ghlas, Ben Lawers, An Stuc, Meall Garbh and Meall Greig. 18Km 1600m. 8h.
The heavy snowfall this year, had led to many minor roads being blocked, thus prevented our Glen Lyon approach; so Meall a` Choire Leath and Meall Corranaich will just have to wait for another day. We are the Bae group and in two cars pass Killin bound for the Lawers Munros. Debunked at the Edramuchy road end our team walk the road to the NTS visitor c/p while a car is left at the Lawers burn hotel. The NTS own all the land above 1300ft on the south side of this range of hills so access in shooting season is not a problem. The snow deepens here as we cross a timber walkway thro planted trees beside a hidden burn. Cross the burn to where a sign post points the way. Amazingly, there are folk skiing in the corrie bowl and a hut. Later I would find out, this is the home of Scottish skiing. NE up a long steep rise for a cairned ridge with a bald top, Beinn Ghlas@1103m. has no cairn. Good views over Loch Tay and our hills, N a steep drop a col in Coire Odhar and the Munros we could have done from Glen Lyon. A break, then drop NE on an easy angled ridge to cross a wide col. Some tricky steps over iced rock gains a wide slope for the scattered stony summit of Ben lawers@ 1214m. A circular hill Indicator, a pillar trig point and cairn at where we rest. This is the ninth highest Scots hill, an attempt was made to raise the cairn 18ft higher, bringing it into the realms of the eight 4000ft peaks, but the weather deemed otherwise. Below lies lochan nan Cat and our way goes around its steep sided corrie. A rocky descent to pass the cairn of Creag An Fhithich for the icy step of An Stuc @1118m. Described as entertaining, it is, with some opting for the less severe slopes above Fin Glen, we regroup and head up a gradual rise for Meall Garbh @ 1118m. From the level top a broad ridge falls NNW towards Glen Lyon and Milton Roro our intended start. Still.
A last look back at Lochan nan Cat, then E down 300m, the ridge has a wide 3k easterly swing here and there`s cloud coming in. Mapchk and compass bearing then off to eventually reach twin cairns some 50m apart touch them both for Meall Greigh @926m. Drop SW then due S cross a high fence for the Lawers burn path, Machuim farm, the road end and hotel.

These hills were purchased by Percy Umma, for the newly formed NTS in 1950
The Tarmachan range still private when we climbed there was bought for the nation in 1996

In 1887 an effort to raise Ben Lawer to 4000ft height, saw 20 men build a 20ft x 50ft high cairn crowned with a large white Quartz block. The stones are still there, the block, long gone.

The Scottish Ski Club hut was built at the foot of Coire Odhar, Ben Ghlas, in 1932 at a height of 760m. It was blown down during a wild storm in March 1999, the walls collapsed under the roof and the concrete anchoring blocks were dislodged. Being deemed unfit for purpose, it was burnt down by its members in September of that year.