free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
First attempt at writing a report, so here goes!!
Woke up early on the Monday morning at my B+B in Corpach, opened the curtains and guess what? low cloud, rain and miserable. Decide after breakfast to go into Fort William and get some provisions in case.
Driving into Fort William i see the Jacobite steam train, now there was an option! a two hour train ride to Mallaig or wait and see how this mornings weather turns out, cloud level really low, cant see any of the hills around F.W.
Decide to go ahead, and see how the weather pans out, in my head im geared up for it.
Driving along Loch Lochy and it did look like the cloud cover was lifting a little.
Make my way to Killfinnan farm for the start of the walk and the clouds are definetly lifting.
Parked the car, at the grassy verge,just before the bridge over the Kilfinnan burn, here goes, i say to myself, then think, are these two Munro's the right ones to start off with after the break i have had? I am here now no turning back.
From the bridge you walk along the Great Glen Way, past the farm on the left hand side and onto the forest track.
After about 10 mins there is a fork in the road, downhill to the left is the Great Glen Way leading down to Loch Lochy, but you take the right hand track as signposted!! to continue along the forest track.
This part of the walk is straight forward, which for me was good, to get warmed up, also it had been a while since i have done any serious hill walking, having previously lived in Peebles and now in East Lothian, there aren't that many hills around!! although there are excellent walks on the Lammermuir hills and good walks in the Borders, my last serious hill walking was a walking holiday in Elmau in Austria 3 years ago.
I digress, in about 10 mins you reach a boulder and a sign on the right hand side telling you to go up through the forest, and always doing what i am told, this is what i did.
The walk through the forest climbs at times steeply, and for me this was when the challenge starts, after 20 mins you come through the the forrest and there before you lies the Cam Bhealach track between the valley of Sean Mhall on the north side and Meall Dubh on the south side.
Starting up the track and after 10 mins you can look back and get a nice view over Loch Lochy, Lochaber and the Great Glen, yet to see anyone at all, even way ahead of me, got my jacket off as the sun is starting to shine, continuing up the track which is very visible all the way up to the bealach, the track is now running like a stream, not surprising after all the rain that has fallen recently, but it was easier to walk through it rather than walking at the sides which were very boggy. After striding on (between breaks to admire the views and the silence) the pass between Meall Dubh and Sron a`Choire Ghairbh is reached and what a view, over to the west is Meall an Tagraidh, Meall na h-Eilde and Meall Coire nan Saobhaidh.
Had a deserved lunch break before attempting Sron a`Ghairbh and from where i was sitting looked steep!! and there didn't seem to be any track up it.
Having been fed and watered, i didn't want to move , the sun was out and it was just so serene, you just want to climb everything in sight.
Having started on Sron there is a track, a bit rocky/stony in places that zig zags all the way up, or if your feeling fit and energetic you can ignore the track and just go straight up, not for me!! i stick to the track and once the grassy ridge is reached there is a short walk trek along the cliff edge to the summit, yippee.
The views by this time with the sun out were fantastic, just takes your breath away and the silence, wow. Sat at the summit for 20mins, just taking everything in, looked at Meall na Teanga and thought it doesn't look that bad from here!!
Walked back down the track that i had came up and looking what was coming up next was starting to look different!! although Meall is not as high as Sron it looked more difficult, or maybe it was the sun getting to me!.
Having reached the bealach, it was now time to go for it,feeling a wee bit tired in the legs , remembering i hadn't done much serious walking amongst the hills for a while, i thought i was doing OK, needed a red bull i think!!
There's not much of a track at first but i made my way towards the spur of Meall Dubh, then down to the bealach and up and onwards to the summit of Meall na Teanga, keeping right as i was climbing, a bit boggy in places and at times it was unaviodable, but it was to be expected after the recent rainfall, stopped a couple of times to catch my breath and to take in the views and still no one else around, weather was unexpected and very warm.
Once onto the north ridge, the cairn to the south is not far, about 150- 200 meters, done it, reached the summit,
although I'm feeling a bit tired, it really is worth it, a great feeling and fantastic views all around, Knoydart, and even over to Ben Nevis, which i wouldn't have thought possible this morning, and even although it is not as high as Sron i think the views are better from here.
I still feel great but it was time to move my butt and make my way back down, its basically the same track going down as going up and that means all the way back to the car, kept stopping and looking back at what i just did, felt after the break that i have had from the Munro's that i did ok, chuffed.
It was funny not meeting anyone, even on the Great Glen Way.
Looking back on the walk it was a fairly straightforward one, just the way i like them at the moment, and i was really fortunate with the weather considering what we had the previous few days, especially when i got back to the B+B and i looked in the mirror and i was sunburnt!!!!
I did take pictures on the way up but when i got halfway up Sron the batteries ran out, so i apologise for that, plus i don't have the lead to connect it to the computer, its on my to do list!!
