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.

Tracking a Black Panther, giving up, doing something else

Tracking a Black Panther, giving up, doing something else


Postby Frogwell » Wed May 22, 2013 12:31 pm

Route description: Glas Maol Munros circuit, Cairnwell Pass

Munros included on this walk: Cairn of Claise, Càrn an Tuirc, Creag Leacach, Glas Maol

Date walked: 07/05/2013

Time taken: 5.55 hours

Distance: 19.63 km

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

Tuesday before last saw the morning arrive with a sky full of sunshine and I was not particularly looking forward to another day sitting in my North facing office. Fortune, however, was smiling on me for once as my daughter appeared to have been struck with a particularly unpleasant bug. Ill child = no nursery run! I rubbed her back as she vomited into her Hello Kitty bin and desperately tried to think of walks that required very little planning and could be reached quickly as it was already approaching 9 and I hadn't prepared anything. That's when I remembered the Munros on the East of the Cairnwell pass. I'd already been chased off Carn an Tuirc by bad weather a year or so ago, so I thought I'd give them another go. Nothing too technical or demanding so I didn't need to worry about my knee too much. I remembered reading a walk report by Black Panther where she'd headed East from Cairn of Claise to take in Tomount Tom Buidhe and then headed down a North West ridge to bring her back to her start point. This seemed like a good plan to me, rather than taking in the more traditional Glas Maol and Creag Leacach and having to trek along the main road for several miles.

A quick packing of the rucksack and I was on my way, phoning the school on the way down the drive. It's possible I should have tried to sound less happy as I told them of my daughter's vomitous morning.

Deciding to see if Nissan's sat nav could get me to the Cairnwell pass quicker, saw me arriving a good half hour later than expected, but I was booted and on my way by 11:30. A little over an hour of relatively straight forward ambling and I was at the top of Carn an Tuirc, the first Munro of the day. I sat in the little shelter out of the wind and ate my now slightly soggy cheese and pickle Sandwich.

There's not a massive amount of sightseeing to be done from Carn an Tuirc, so post sandwich I ambled off East to see what Tolmount had to say for itself. This is where things went a little wrong. There was still a good coverage of snow, but only 3 to 5 inches maybe, but very, very slushy so progress was very slow. I kept trying to walk round the patches of snow but the ground was so boggy it was no easier to walk on. It looked like the most of the distance to Tolmount was going to be pretty hard going, although the ground towards Cairn of Claise and beyond looked a lot better. I really didn't fancy a five mile slog through slush and bog, so I decided Cairn of Claise, Glas Maol and Craig Leacach would be a better bet for the day.

The three remaining Munros are particularly easy as there is little descent and ascent between them. Probably not what you'd call a spectacular walk for that matter, but still a far better way to spend a Tuesday afternoon than sitting in an office. Once I'd reached Craig Leacach I looked at the remainder of the route as it descended a ridge to the South and onto the main road, but I really didn't like the idea of that so I retraced my steps back to the other side of Glas Maol and followed a ridge to the North West back to my start point, where my car was waiting, having not been stolen.

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Another curious Scottish wall. It's a wonder that livestock never think to walk round them.
Image

A stone shelter between Glas Maol and Craig Leacach. Inside was a large pile of snow, sheltering from the cold presumably.
Image

A more ill positioned lobster pot than most.
Image

Image

Image
Attachments

cairnwell4.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts

User avatar
Frogwell
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 177
Munros:265   Corbetts:100
Fionas:8   Donalds:4
Sub 2000:2   
Joined: Mar 29, 2011
Location: Hills above Comrie, Perthshire

Re: Tracking a Black Panther, giving up, doing something els

Postby Mantog » Wed May 22, 2013 1:37 pm

Nice report. Oh to live so close to Munros! If I want to go climb a munro it requires minimum 2 days and realistically 3, plus hundreds of pounds in fuel, accomodation, booze and cake fancies!
Mantog
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 89
Munros:45   Corbetts:1
Fionas:5   Donalds:1
Hewitts:16
Wainwrights:21   
Joined: Mar 17, 2013

Re: Tracking a Black Panther, giving up, doing something els

Postby kevsbald » Wed May 22, 2013 1:48 pm

And I thought I was the only one who took pleasure (and employment) in infectious disease. Hope she's feeling better.
User avatar
kevsbald
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 2248
Munros:273   Corbetts:134
Fionas:82   Donalds:53
Sub 2000:16   Hewitts:17
Wainwrights:29   
Joined: Jan 15, 2009
Location: Glasgow

Re: Tracking a Black Panther, giving up, doing something els

Postby Frogwell » Wed May 22, 2013 2:33 pm

Mantog wrote:Nice report. Oh to live so close to Munros! If I want to go climb a munro it requires minimum 2 days and realistically 3, plus hundreds of pounds in fuel, accomodation, booze and cake fancies!


It's the cake fancies that are the killer!

kevsbald wrote:And I thought I was the only one who took pleasure (and employment) in infectious disease. Hope she's feeling better.


Seems to be. Weather looks good for Friday though so I'm hoping she picks something up at nursery today or tomorrow.
User avatar
Frogwell
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 177
Munros:265   Corbetts:100
Fionas:8   Donalds:4
Sub 2000:2   
Joined: Mar 29, 2011
Location: Hills above Comrie, Perthshire

Re: Tracking a Black Panther, giving up, doing something els

Postby ballarat » Wed May 22, 2013 5:06 pm

:? im sure im missing something here,so hope no offence taken,what did you do with sick daughter :? :?
ballarat
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 127
Joined: Feb 26, 2013
Location: city of sunderland

Re: Tracking a Black Panther, giving up, doing something els

Postby Frogwell » Wed May 22, 2013 9:04 pm

ballarat wrote::? im sure im missing something here,so hope no offence taken,what did you do with sick daughter :? :?

Told my wife about her as I left :)
User avatar
Frogwell
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 177
Munros:265   Corbetts:100
Fionas:8   Donalds:4
Sub 2000:2   
Joined: Mar 29, 2011
Location: Hills above Comrie, Perthshire

Re: Tracking a Black Panther, giving up, doing something els

Postby johnkaysleftleg » Thu May 23, 2013 8:45 pm

Great report and stunning pics as always. Hope your little'un is feeling a bit better.
User avatar
johnkaysleftleg
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 3340
Munros:25   Corbetts:11
Fionas:11   Donalds:3
Sub 2000:7   Hewitts:172
Wainwrights:214   Islands:8
Joined: Jan 28, 2009
Location: County Durham

Re: Tracking a Black Panther, giving up, doing something els

Postby rockhopper » Thu May 23, 2013 9:46 pm

Nice day for it and great photos as usual - hope you're not in the bad books with the wife now though :wink: - cheers :)
User avatar
rockhopper
 
Posts: 7446
Munros:282   Corbetts:222
Fionas:136   Donalds:89+20
Sub 2000:16   Hewitts:2
Wainwrights:3   Islands:20
Joined: May 31, 2009
Location: Glasgow

Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




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: Ashman, cambflatlander, hollyhotspur and 74 guests