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Great ideas of a circular walk from Pubil taking in Maell Buidhe, Sron a'Choire Cnapanich and Stuchd an Lochain.
MWIS gave the temperature as max 14C with light winds - ideal, reality was 25C and melt down.
Left the car at 08.20 and decided to climb via Meall Phubuill from the lochside track, quite steep on soft tussock grass until the upper slopes towards spot height 796 where there were lots of pools and moss hags to cross.
- Loch Lyon dam
- Loch Lyon
- 796 spot with Meall Buidhe behind
- Meall Buidhe
- Sron a'Choire Cnapanich
The top of Coire nam Aighean bealach at 709m has a few hags to negotiate but nothing too much.
Steady climb to the top of MB in 2hrs 20mins but the light breeze had dropped away and the small stones at the summit started to reflect the heat. Stopped for elevenses and the view, which stretched around from the back door of Beinn a Chreachain, the black mount, big bookle, mamores, the Ben, Ben Alder et al.
- Meall Buidhe from 796 spot height
- Back door to Beinn a Chreachain
- Meal Buidhe summit
To avoid the hags in the bealach I traversed round ridge to come off the shoulder of the hill below them, slowly loosing height then dropping off to the Feith Thulam stream. I followed a faint path above the stream on right bank which peterd out in rough ground. I should have crossed to left bank for better path as height loss to aviod hags at the bottom of Cnapanich was minimal,
- Feith Thalain route down to and climb up Creag Doire nam Nathrach
- Looking back up passed Creag a Chaorainn
Following the stream was like being in a furnace, no breeze, dircet strong sunlight and high hummidity. Kept stopping to soak the hat in water from the side streams but it did not take long for it to dry out. It was a slow climb up Creag Doire nam Nathrach with plenty of stops Took just under two hours to top out on Sron Cnapanich at 12.48.
- Summit of Sron a'Choire Cnapanich with Stuchd an Lochain behind
- Loch an Daimh
- Very nearly trod on this wee mite
By the time I reached the top of Cnapanich it was no longer fun so I decided to call it a day and head out. The climb to Stuchd an Lochain via Meallan Odhar would have been relatively gentle but not for today, I was wiped out.
Turning for home I was to descent to Bealach a'Maim then to the Alt Phulbuill track but stretched over the hags and pools in the bealach was a herd of about 80 cows. So to give them a wide berth I went downhill towards the Feith a'Bhealaich. Walking past them at about 400mtrs distance when up came one head, two, three and more; then the running started.
Oh dear, I thought I had left my 'ugly face' at home as they all galloped away from me. Thought I was going to get done for cruelty to animals as they did not stop for about 1/2km.
- Back up to Sa'CC from the dam on the Alt Phubuill
- Meall Ghaordaidh
Arrived back at the car at 14.20, six hours dead and I felt like it.
- Lodge gates where you exit out onto the road
- Loch lyon dam
- Pubil Glen Lyon
I had weighed myself on Saturday morning at 13st 7lbs, I took 3 ltrs of liquids with me (6.6 lbs) and weighed myself on return 13st 4lbs. A loss of 10lbs counting the liquid intake, even had the wife weigh herself incase the scales were out - but no they were OK.
Think I'll be back up there next weekend - slimming club anybody?