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I decided to tackle the second Graham top Ruaidh Mheall straight from St. Fillans keeping just East of Creag Ruadh, as I had been to the "humane" trap at NN 686 286 three times before - see
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=67172 and "optimised the route".
NB some of the early pics were taken two weeks earlier when there was more snow
The humane trap has a very comfortable bench seat in the entrance I headed along the cycle path, up the zig-zag track to the top of the woods (45min) and on to a point just before it bears sharp left, where a rough vehicle track heads R up the hillside.
Down Loch Earn from just beyond the top of the woods A rough vehicle track heads RLooking back - the main track heads over into W Glen TarkenThe rough track heads past another "humane trap, and shortly further up the hill I traversed L into the this valley which provides easy going: The terrain heading directly up the valley from the main track is more difficultLooking back to St. Fillans and Ben Vorlichat the head of the valley there is a short climb over a heathery watershed which presents no problemsOn the watershed: Creag Ruadh at the backLooking up to the "trap" just R of a snowpatchdetail;
Pics from the summer when the easy grassy section leading to the trap is more easily seen - the snow patch was almost exactly centre picture I reached it in 2 hours 22 and after a rest headed somewhere up hereLooking back over the trap to the way I had come: across the heathery watershed and down the easy valleyI headed up to a 662m high spot - and WOW! what a view of the Lochan Creige Ruaidhe with the hill behind - a very underrated Grahaml I feel, if you approach it this wayfurther views of the lochan from different points: it lies in a fold in the hills - and is quite invisible until you are almost on top of it I headed round to the col at its end , and on towards the 660m heathery lump that can be seen behind: I decided to traverse round the back of it.
First view of Ruaidh Mheall - on this side a patchwork quilt of muirburnA wider view - I needed to get to the low ridge in the centregroundI traversed across and slightly down the slope: it was slow going through deep uneven heather and peat hags
until i could see the col (ca. 580m) at the head of the valley
The col from the ridge - I decided to head across the two stony lumps in the middle of the valley, but actually traversed around the L side of the first and stopped for a rest on the secondWider view with Meall Daimh on the L Another view showing the whole of "my" hill From the valley floor looking back the way I had come - the heathery lump is visible at the top I headed down and slightly up the valley, but the top part of the burn was a very uninviting looking quagmire and I had to go another 100m or so to cross There seemed be no path to the top from here so I just pushed on up through the heather which slowly reduced in height
It proved an amazingly heathery hill , but at last I reached a flat area where I could see the top - the one on the L: a tiny path led up the last steep section I could see down to loch Lednock nowThe summit cairn - I had taken around 2 hours 20 from the trap. The second top was quite a distance away, and I couldn't be bothered .Across Glen BeichZoomed view West through the haze to Stobinian, Ben More and Ben Lui I spotted a path through the heather . It led right down and across the burn where it was narrow and on to the stony lump I stopped to take another pic down Glen LednockI crossed the valley flloor and climbed straight up a grassy ribbon on the far R of this pic. At about 550m it levelled out and I was able to make an easy rising traverse L to the notch behind the heathery lump. I was back at the trap in 1 hour 30 - a vastly better route From the notch, a last look back at Ruaidh Mheall with the Lawers group behindEven sunshine lights up my return walkA last look back towards the trapI was back home just over 8 hours after starting - a REALLY enjoyable walk particularly the return
I leave you with this - perhaps the best view in my part of Perthshire