free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
Ahhhh…. The kids are back at school so time for the mid-week sneaky peak club to ride once more into the damp & soggy highlands.
After some changing targets due to who was & was not coming out to play & a PM from Quoman, the two Munros at Loch Lochy where chosen.
On the Monday MWIS had said windy, showers & 60% chance of cloud free, so having watched the torrential rain all day I thought ‘I’ll take that’. My positivity drawing some cheeky comments from friends on Facebook. I decided to have a quick look again on Tuesday morning before heading out to meet my friend Alastair & the weather report had changed. My eyes went straight to the 80% cloud free. Hurrah. Then I noticed except near or west of Loch Linnhe 20% boo. Every line said except near or west of Loch Linnhe.
Hayho off we go anyway. On route to meet Quoman we past a very lovely traffic notice that said A85 closed at Glen Lochy! Alastair started thumbing through the book for alternatives that would be near a shop selling maps! Then the next notice had the same message but with an addition. Night Closure.
Book down all systems go again. Picked up Quoman & off we went drawing in to the start point at about 08:45 with a gale blowing & driving rain!
The rain did die off as we walked along the track. At the point where you turn off the boot has gone! There is a sign saying due to forestry work the right of way is closed & a wee map showing the 4K diversion. Err I don’t think so, we pressed on. There are a few new trees planted at the side of the path & some drainage work, but nothing to hinder our progress or for us to muck up by walking there.
Once out of the trees the path slowly rises towards the bealach & was almost like a river after all the recent rain.
We took Meall na Teanga first straight forward with a path all the way to the summit, heavy rain turning to hail & battering us for the westerly wind. A couple of times we had to stop & turn our backs into the wind whilst pretending to brace as if we were in a crashing plan, it was sore.
Touch the cairn, quick photo & off back to the bealach. Quick hello to a speedy lady who we had seen ascending Sron & was now nearly at the summit of Meall. The water was running down the path like a wee torrent, eroding it in front of our eyes & making the mud very slippy.
The zigzag path up Sron takes the sting out of the ascent but the weather was still awful. Just head down & get it done. We were being chased up by another speed freak who caught us up on the shoulder a quick chat about was the summit right or left. Following our advice she went right we then checked the GPS & went left whilst trying to get her attention. Eventually she saw & followed us up.
Again quick photo & down we went, before the zigzag the clag lifted & I got a couple of photos all be it a tad shaky as it was still blowing a gale.
Once off the bealach & on to the main path through the glen it was well & truly in spate. Yes I do mean the path, ankle deep at some points.
The rain did eventual ease when we were about 20 minutes from the car.
All that said we did manage to have a good banter & a laugh when we could actually hear each other.
- The boot is gone!
- Meall na Teanga
- The zigzags to Sron a Choire Gharbh
- Alastair approaching the summit & speedy leaving
- Sron a Choire Gharbh
- View
- taps aff
- Path in spate