walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!


Postby jwramsay » Sun Feb 03, 2013 2:22 am

Route description: Beinn Chabhair, from Inverarnan

Munros included on this walk: Beinn Chabhair

Date walked: 02/02/2013

Time taken: 9 hours

Distance: 18 km

Ascent: 1010m

11 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

Not from GPS!!! Just a rough sketch of route!

our_route.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



3 weeks ago, mid January, Peter and I made the decision to give up and turn back when we thought we were half way up to Ben Chabhair.

Given the great weather forecast for 2nd February 2013, we decided to try again. The previous short report for the aborted attempt is here:

http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=28219

I'd mentioned to Duncan at work and he arranged to bring his wife Joyce. We arranged to meet at the Inverarnan Hotel at 9am. As Peter and I were running a little early, we stopped off at Firkin Point to grab photos of the sunrise and the snow topped Ben Vane and Ben Vorlich.

The sunrise from Firkin Point:
Image

Ben Vane, Ben Vorlich and Bin Dhubcraig from Firkin Point:
Image


After this we though the Cobbler at Arrochar might be looking good so popped over there to capture it and Beinn Narnain. We were not disappointed! What really amazed me was that Loch Long was partly frozen (it's a sea loch!). You can hear in the wee video I've attached the ice cracking! The pier with it's icy stumps reminded me of the Alien movie.

Beinn Narnain in early morning sunshine from Arrochar:
Image

The Cobbler from Arrochar:
Image

The pier at Arrochar:
Image

We then stopped off briefly at Inveruglas to catch Ben Vorlich and Ben Vane which were nicely illuminated.

Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond from Inveruglas:
Image


Ben Vorlich from Inveruglas:
Image

A'Chrois (not Ben Vane!) from Inveruglas:
Image

The road up from Tarbet toThe Inverarnan Drovers Inn was treacherous with black ice and twice the car drifted despite having winter tyres fitted! The drive home was uneventful thankfully.

We arrived at the car park just after 9am, Duncan and Joyce were already there. We sent off shortly after.

The Bein Glas waterfall from the Inverarnan Drover's Inn:
Image

The day was gorgeous, a lot of the snow from two weeks ago had gone and we only really hit snow on the open moorland section, just patches - check the difference from our failed attempt trip report 2 weeks ago!!!

Duncan with Ben Vorlich behind:
Image

Beinn Bhuide:
Image

Ben Lui, Benn Oss, Benn Dhubcraig from Ben Chabhair ascent:
Image


Duncan wanted to get right up onto the ridge, so we did that, passing the totally frozen first Lochan called Lochan an Caisteil, after that you drop down a bit and up a few times. This was using our valuable time up!

Frozen Lochan:
Image

Lochan with An Caistellm Beinn 'a Chroin:
Image

Ben Lui and Lochan:
Image

In retrospect, we should have stuck to the Walkhighlands route which keeps off the ridge and starts to climb just before Lochan Beinn Chabhair.

The view to the top:
Image

Duncan clearly enjoying the day:
Image

Anyway up high the snow was hard, so ice axes required. We reached the summit just as the clag moved in, so didn't hang around due to the extreme cold and the ravenous ravens - see video!

Loch Long from near the summit:
Image

Just before the summit, Duncan, Joyce & Peter:
Image

The final push for the summit:
Image

The summit itself:
Image

Loch Long from the summit:
Image

The descent:
Image

Sunset over Arran:
Image

The descent - last photo of the day!:
Image

We dropped down to the Lochan Beinn Chabhair as soon as we could as we were in a race against sunset! We followed the river back, a well known route to Peter and I and this time around found the higher (read safer) route at the gully I spoke about in the first trip report. It was the second style down before we had to get the head torches out.

Got back to the Hotel for 6pm so 9 hours on the hill!!! Totally exhausted what a hard shift. Glad to tick this one off!

Wee Video of the day:


And Peter's trip report and photos:
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=28638
Last edited by jwramsay on Tue Feb 05, 2013 9:41 pm, edited 3 times in total.
User avatar
jwramsay
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 304
Munros:109   Corbetts:8
Fionas:4   Donalds:3
Joined: Oct 11, 2010
Location: Wishaw

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby ChrisW » Sun Feb 03, 2013 3:56 am

Top drawer report JW, really enjoyed this. The video is pretty good too (sounds like hard work at 9:15 :shock: ) Some beautiful still photos throughout....an absolute cracker :clap: Congrats on getting back there and beating the hill this time around :D
User avatar
ChrisW
Rambler
 
Posts: 4941
Munros:18   Corbetts:5
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:6   
Joined: Jan 25, 2011
Location: Cochrane- Alberta - Canada

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby jwramsay » Sun Feb 03, 2013 8:45 am

ChrisW wrote:Top drawer report JW, really enjoyed this. The video is pretty good too (sounds like hard work at 9:15 :shock: ) Some beautiful still photos throughout....an absolute cracker :clap: Congrats on getting back there and beating the hill this time around :D


You should have heard me nearer the top!! Very tough in the snow for me..

The fact this hill took a full 9 hours to complete vindicated turning back after 3 hours last time - 100% the right decision!
User avatar
jwramsay
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 304
Munros:109   Corbetts:8
Fionas:4   Donalds:3
Joined: Oct 11, 2010
Location: Wishaw

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby Jabber » Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:14 am

Absolutely Stunning! Can't wait to get my boots/crampons and axe out!
User avatar
Jabber
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 112
Munros:139   Corbetts:13
Fionas:3   
Sub 2000:2   Hewitts:9
Wainwrights:2   
Joined: May 18, 2011
Location: Bonhill

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby Stuart Angus » Sun Feb 03, 2013 11:45 am

:thumbup: That's a cracking set of pictures you've got there, really enjoyed that Jimbo! :thumbup:
User avatar
Stuart Angus
 
Posts: 288
Munros:81   Corbetts:6
Fionas:3   Donalds:2
Sub 2000:8   Hewitts:3
Wainwrights:4   
Joined: May 3, 2011
Location: Glasgow

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby Peter913 » Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:57 pm

Nice report and shots and another great day :D :D

Good to get back up a decent hill

Peter
Peter913
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 113
Corbetts:1
Joined: Jan 6, 2011

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby jwramsay » Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:20 pm

Stuart Angus wrote::thumbup: That's a cracking set of pictures you've got there, really enjoyed that Jimbo! :thumbup:


Cheers Stuey ;-)
User avatar
jwramsay
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 304
Munros:109   Corbetts:8
Fionas:4   Donalds:3
Joined: Oct 11, 2010
Location: Wishaw

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby Silverhill » Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:28 pm

Aha, it's in the bag, well done! Looks like you all had fun.
I must go back to this hill, just for the lochan. I missed it when I did this hill, approaching it from An Caisteal.
Very nice pictures! 8)
User avatar
Silverhill
 
Posts: 1360
Munros:282   Corbetts:27
Fionas:7   Donalds:42
Sub 2000:28   
Joined: Jan 13, 2013

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby Tomsie » Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:38 pm

Super photo's :clap: really stunning
User avatar
Tomsie
Walker
 
Posts: 1165
Munros:166   Corbetts:71
Fionas:38   Donalds:36
Sub 2000:21   Hewitts:5
Wainwrights:1   Islands:8
Joined: Jan 8, 2011

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby David-Main » Mon Feb 04, 2013 6:10 pm

Great photos, did you take your D800 ?
User avatar
David-Main
Backpacker
 
Posts: 418
Munros:280   Corbetts:47
Fionas:14   Donalds:2
Sub 2000:20   
Islands:21
Joined: Mar 29, 2012
Location: Elgin Moray

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby audreywaugh » Mon Feb 04, 2013 9:11 pm

Geat report and photos, have done that hill a few times but never in snow, looks like great fun! Hate to be an anorak..but well I am :wink: that is A'Chrois you can see from Inveruglas, its commonly confused as Ben Vane, which lies much further in and on the other side of Ben Vorlich :D
User avatar
audreywaugh
Wanderer
 
Posts: 193
Munros:196   Corbetts:46
Fionas:14   Donalds:13
Sub 2000:25   Hewitts:48
Wainwrights:47   Islands:20
Joined: May 10, 2009
Location: Glasgow

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby annakerr » Mon Feb 04, 2013 10:36 pm

Great report with fantastic photos, and I loved the video :D I can't wait to get back up to Scotland in 5 weeks time!
annakerr
Ambler
 
Posts: 8
Munros:1   
Hewitts:5
Wainwrights:2   
Joined: Mar 18, 2012
Location: Cambridgeshire

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby davedanson28 » Mon Feb 04, 2013 11:25 pm

Great report and stunning photo's. it was a great day to be on the hills! :D
User avatar
davedanson28
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 352
Munros:282   Corbetts:5
Hewitts:4
Wainwrights:4   
Joined: Apr 16, 2012
Location: Argyll

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby Simo » Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:52 am

Good report that. LOVE that pic of The Cobbler zoomed in. NO photoshop needed there :clap: That has got WOW factor
Simo
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 472
Munros:17   Corbetts:2
Donalds:1
Hewitts:119
Wainwrights:214   
Joined: Sep 16, 2012

Re: Beinn Chabhair - bagged on 2nd attempt!

Postby soapy27 » Tue Feb 05, 2013 3:34 pm

Great report there stunning photos to match , :clap: :clap: was up the Cobbler the same day and conditions were perfect
User avatar
soapy27
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 473
Munros:282   Corbetts:175
Fionas:23   Donalds:8
Sub 2000:54   
Islands:23
Joined: Apr 5, 2009
Location: Perth

11 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

Next



Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Jaywizz, Paul Webster and 63 guests