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I felt like cycling last weekend and searched maps and WH walks for something to cycle & climb. Meallach Mhor route, with the nice approach along Glen Tromie, appeared to me immediately. But when it came to preparing bikes on Sat afternoon, Kevin discovered that his cycle had a hole in the front tyre
With no spare anywhere in the house, we had to give up the idea of cycling (at least until the bike is fixed) but we still liked the route we picked, so we decided to walk it.
The advantage of doing this walk on foot is the option of returning along the ridge and visiting the top of Croidh-la. The latter doesn't count as anything (not enough drop from Meallach Mhor to make it a Graham) but it's a good viewpoint and makes this circuit much more interesting.
Parking could be a problem. We followed the WH advice and headed for Badaguish - there is some parking space in the forest just before the village. We left our girl there and started up the road:
We quickly noticed the lack of midges - hoooray! Not a single little beast in sight!
I was surprised, as conditions on Sunday were perfect for them, and the week before we got bitten all over, climbing in the western Highlands. But honestly, I didn't care why the wee b&*^%ds were not present - I was happy I could enjoy another adventure without scratching myself and spraying deet all over me!
We walked through the village, turned right and reached the entrance to Glen Tromie. As I expected, it's a good track to cycle and to walk as well - we moved pretty quickly. The cloud hung at about 800m and there was very little wind, but we kept fingers crossed it would lift, if only enough to allow us views from the summit of Meallach Mhor...
Croidh-la is the first top to show up:
We enjoyed this peaceful, tranquil glen walk and promised ourselves, we will definitely come back here with bikes, if only to explore its whole length... In next to no time we walked past a council block... Eeee... I mean: Lynaberack Lodge
Past the lodge, we noticed another top - Meallach Bheag. Our target Corbett was hidden behind this lower top:
I don't look very happy in this photo as I had just discovered that I lost my Cadbury chocolate bar. It was in my pocked but it must have fallen out when I was walking.
Had a healthier option instead
I had to be content with sweet views around me... Glen Tromie is enchanting, even the presence of pylons all the way along doesn't spoil the atmosphere...
River Tromie:
Busy filming:
We reached Bhran Cottage quicker than I expected - hey, it really didn't feel like a long walk-in!
Our hill now in plain sight:
The route description suggests turning off the road just past a tiny lochan, but as we looked around there was no lochan visible anywhere
so we simply charged up the slope of Meallach Mhor - and very soon we spotted the little body of water:
The lochan can't be seen from the road as it is situated on the top of small bump in the ground
From higher up:
As we gained height, views got interesting, even though the cloud was still hanging over us and the day was a bit dull.
The hill to the right in this picture bothered me since I first saw it, I knew I recognized this shape... Now, at last, I remembered - of course I know it, I've been up there! Meall Chuaich, one of Drummochter Munros
To the left, its neighbour, Bogha-cloiche:
So far, it has been flat walking, but if one wants to climb a mountain, there is no other way to do it but by going UP
The first 100m or so are quite steep, not that it was a big problem, but as the ascent is pathless, we had to climb through knee-deep heather. Higher up the angle eased and with views accompanying us, it was now pleasant walking.
The best pano is due south, to Loch an t-Seilich and the Gaick Pass:
We were not the only people enjoying this remote corner of Scotland...
Close up to Gaick Lodge - it looks like one can cycle all the way to that point. I'll bear that in mind for another cycling adventure
Say that Cairngorms are boring? Who said that!!!
Darker cloud coming from the east, but I was still smiling:
Meowing above Glen Tromie:
The summit was now only a few steps away...
...and five minutes later we reached the cairn. Meallach Mhor ticked off - Corbett no. 58.
Nothing unusual or very spectacular about this particular hill, but it is a surprisingly good viewpoint as for this part of Scotland. The Cairngorms can be seen in all their glory...
Clouds playing hide and seek with the tops of the Cairngorms:
Zoom to Cairn Toul and Devil's Point. I've been planning to do these two for ages, never get around to it
A shower lingering over Gaick Pass, it threatened us for a few minutes but eventually passed to the right and never touched us at all:
Looking west, the sky was much brighter and it seemed like a whole different day there:
We sat down by the cairn, enjoying the views, the remoteness, the silence, and the absence of midges! It may not be a milestone, but another hill climbed and another fine day up there...
Eventually, we moved on to complete the circuit. To start with, when descending from Meallach Mhor, we followed a sketchy path:
Clouds have eventually lifted from the Cairngorms:
Another shower passing by:
Ben Alder group on the horizon:
The day of sun and shadows...
Looking back to Meallach Mhor (left) and the lower top, Meallach Bheag:
The col between Meallach Mhor and the middle top of the ridge, Clach-mheall, would be a very boggy experience when walked on a wet day, but we were lucky, after a period of dry weather, the ground was bone dry. Soon we reached the middle top:
Filming the views while the good spell lasts...
View back to Clach-mheall and the two Meallachs behind:
The panorama of upper Glen Tromie and surrounding hills, with Meall Chuaich taking the centre stage:
The drop between Clach-mheall and Croidh-la is only about 80m, so it didn't take us much time to get to the summit of the latter:
The trig point is slightly off the summit cairn:
View north from the trig point. From now on, the rest of the route is easy, one simply has to follow the fence and then a path back down to the glen:
OK, it's not a classified hill, but I have a habit of posing with trig points
For the final stretch of the circuit, we walked along the fence - the path is said to be sketchy but we had no problem following it all the way to a slightly awkward stile, then straight down to the road just before Killiehuntly farm. We returned to Badaguish and to the car in six and a half hours (much faster than anticipated) - still not a single midge in sight! On the way back we discussed route options for climbing two other Corbetts in this area and we think we'll tackle them from Glen Feshie, maybe with the help of bikes.
Summing up, Glen Tromie & Meallach Mhor will not win the prize for the most exciting walk, but it's a good day with fine views and not too tiring. Hope that summer stays with us so I can practise meowing on Munros as well