Munro One Hundred and Eighty Eight

[Chris Henshall]

Tuesday, 11th. August, 2020:
A "covid bubble" of Alex, Chalky and me had left Loch Awe on Sunday afternoon and, having camped in Corrie Lochan below Stob Daimh, traversed a few Munros and camped again by the Allt Easan, high on the southern slopes of Glen Kinglass, we were heading (quite slowly) for Bridge of Orchy - a staging post on the route to our intended eventual destination of Dalwhinnie.
The first move was to descend to the floor of Glen Kinglass and it proved to be the most difficult of the day. Easy, grass slopes on the burn's right bank led into a forestry plantation and the sort of terrain to which orienteers refer as "fight"; it took us at least 40 minutes to cover a kilometre. The River Kinglass, though, was low and we forded it easily to gain a track up the valley which we had seen from afar; this was, though, no rutted track for ancient landrovers but a wide, white highway of compacted gravel sitting on a raft of hundreds of tonnes of granite cobbles over which heavy machines rolled on behalf of either the estate or the hydro, possibly both. It is difficult to envisage how such a roadway could be made more disfiguring and intrusive in this beautiful glen. Hamish Brown had passed this way on his round of all the Munros in 1974 - finding it peaceful - and I had considered following his footsteps up the Allt Hallater to camp high on the west side of Beinn nan Aighenan. Now, however, there was a massive track made by the hydro on the river's eastern bank and we left it alone, heading further up the glen for some peace.

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This finally arrived at the point at which the path to Victoria Bridge crosses the Kinglass and we set up our tents in the sun by some fine waterfalls and a perfect plunge pool; Alex and Chalky went for full immersion and I washed my feet!

Chalky enjoying the campsite plunge pool on the Kinglass.

Chalky refreshed.

Beinn nan Aighenan was, however, the day's unfinished business and Alex and I set off to clamber up it's east ridge in late afternoon. The heat had taken its toll and we were not especially quick up the initial steep grass slopes but, once on it, we enjoyed the minor ups and downs of the ridge and the summit was a superb place to be.

South east from final slopes of Beinn nan Aighenan.

Looking down Loch Etive from the summit of Beinn nan Aighenan.

A gourmet feast of crushed Ryvita and squeezy cheese on Beinn nan Aighenan summit.

We stayed for fifteen minutes or so before heading down the north ridge to the col and descending Coire na Caime to regain the tents at dusk; midge Armageddon! We went to our sleeping bags swiftly and without cooking supper.
The following morning was windless and the midge situation, therefore, was no better so we packed quickly and headed out to Bridge of Orchy, stopping only for a couple of paddles in the Abhainn Shira in the sunshine and a pint of orange and lemonade at the Inveroran Hotel.

A midge-ridden breakfast brew on Wednesday morning.

The midges were no better as we crossed the low pass to Loch Dochard.

Chalky strolling alongside the Abhainn Shira in his boxers once the sun was out.

We arrived at Bridge of Orchy, of course, with hours in hand before our train but, fortunately, the hotel there possesses a public bar.
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