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We were keen to get started on our second Munro of the year and set off at just after six in the morning to make sure that we got a parking space in the wee layby down Glen Lochay just after the sign pointing the way to Meall Ghaordaidh. As it happens we were the first there but before long other walkers arrived and we were glad that we had got our car safely parked up.
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- Su showing me the way!
It looked as if it was going to be a bright sunny day and right enough the sun quickly came up whilst walking along the rough track and climbing over the stile, much to Ruby’s disbelief as she darted under the padlocked gate! We set a steady pace and on seeing the pole that marked the path to the left we set off in a north west direction before arriving at the small cairn.
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- Wee cairn
We didn’t realise that the way to the shoulder of the hill that leads to Meall Ghaordaidh was not the path straight ahead but should have carried on in a north west direction and as we carried on it is described in the WH walk it is mostly grassy and wet!
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- Meall Ghaordaidh with its winter hat on!
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- A wee snow flurry!
However we were happy with the pace and even the boggy ground - and I impressed on Su how good this was for a bit of stamina training for the Kintail weekend. Needless to say she didn’t seem to agree. As we kept moving towards our target we realised that we needed to be heading towards the shoulder and hopefully some sort of path. It turned out that this Munro and paths don’t really appear until you are almost at the bottom of the steeper ascent to the cairn.
We stopped and had a bit of lunch behind a large rock which gave us shelter from the odd winter squall that came and went all day and so pleased that we looked like getting a good day to see all around us. Su was snapping away and took some great panoramic pics.
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- Lunchtime - sheltering from the wind
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- Lawyers and Tarmachan
Before long after a number of false summits we had managed the path up to the top and met a few folk already in the stone circle that gave respite from the wind,duly taking photos and having another bite to eat before setting off back down the shoulder.
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- Second Munro for Ruby
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- Towards Beinn Sheasgarnaich
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- superb views towards Ben More
It wasn’t long before we were in our stride and making good time down the hill when we came across Rocket Ron and Charlie the Labrador. It’s always good to meet other WH people and we had a good blether before Ronald told us what he was doing in these parts and I was exhausted just listening to his agenda for the next couple of days!
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- Rocket Ron, Bri, Charlie and Ruby
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- Rocket Ron, Su, Charlie and Su
As we got to our car we also struck up a conversation with Martin who turned out to be Banditman On the WH site and had another blether so it’s a great advert for getting out and about on the hills, meeting people and hearing what they had done.
