Geal Charn - Monadhliath - It's Done

[Gordie12]

After a great day on Friday at Loch Lochy it was back up the road to Dalwhinnie to do the last of the Monadhliaths. I was going to stop at the garage in Dalwhinnie and pick up some extra food but the place was swarming with Balfour Beatty vans and staff so just kept going.

I arrived at Garva Bridge a few minutes before 8am so probably disturbed the overnighters that were parked up with the curtains drawn.

The early morning was overcast and fairly cool so it was hat and gloves for the first half hour.

View from the Garva Bridge

Over the Garva bridge, through the gate and straight right to meet up with a construction track for the new power lines. Turn right over the bridge then straight left and after about 50 yds nip through the fence and enter the 2 mile bog.

Start of the track up the east side of the Feith Talagain

The track initially follows the east bank of the Feith Talagain then after a space in the fence it heads gradually away from the river and climbs through some boggy ground before crossing a stile and heading back closer to the river again.

Geal Charn

When the track reaches where the Allt Coire nan Dearcag flows into Feith Talagain it's time to leave the former and follow the ACnD uphill. The track is clear and it's just a case of deciding where you want to cross to enter the bog on the other side. I chose to use the track to gain height so stuck with it. I noticed a wooden stake on the other side of the burn, not sure if this was where the track started but continued on anyway until I reached the point where a small burn came in from my right and there was an island forming. An easy crossing as the burn was fairly low and it only took a few seconds to find the track.

Allt Coire nan Dearcag

By now the sun was breaking through the clouds and the day was brightening up which was good news as I wasn't enjoying this much.

Looking back towards the starting point

Looking ahead

Looking back again

After crossing the ACnD the lower slopes of Gean Charn are a bit on the wet side, initially I was trying to pick my way through the mush but in the end I just got fed up and plodded right through the middle of it as I didn't think my feet could get any wetter than they were. It was good to get on to the steeper section of the climb as suddenly it went from bog to bone dry. Spirits lift, the sun is out and I'm enjoying myself again.

It's a climb but at least it's dry now

Once the height is gained there is a walk of about 700 metres to the cairn.

First view of the cairn

The summit was reached in about 5 mins under the 2 hr mark so not a long walk this one.

Impressive cairn

After about 25 mins at the top (the views are brilliant) it was time to head back retracing my steps.

Mush

After the good track on the dry upper slope I lost the track which was actually good news as I was lucky enough to find some drier ground. Crossed the ACnD further down this time and joined the drier track back to the Feith Talagain.

Looking towards Geal Charn

Straight forward walk back to the car but much more pleasant than the walk in as the sun was out and it was warm enough for short sleeves.

Feith Talagain

Back at Garva Bridge

If I had only done 11 Munros this one wouldn't make my top 10. Not sure why really, walking in bogs is nothing new and normally doesn't bother me, maybe I was spoilt at Loch Lochy the day before. I can split this walk in to two halves, a fairly drab wet walk in to the hill and then a nice climb and really good views from the top. A bit of extra research would have meant I could have done a Corbett at the same time as this is a fairly short walk at just under 4 hrs.

[Fife Flyer]

Nice descriptive report with some good photo's
It is not much fun walking through the soggy stuff, like you I tend to wander off the beaten track to find drier ground

[Gordie12]

Nice descriptive report with some good photo's
It is not much fun walking through the soggy stuff, like you I tend to wander off the beaten track to find drier ground

Not sure it was intentional Fife Flyer..............I'm not bad at following a track uphill but on the way down I often seem to drift off line. At least this time losing the track was a plus.

[Silverhill]

Monadhliath done, well done! I hope the bogs will have dried out a bit when I do this hill in a month’s time.

[jamesjones]

Did this on the Sunday after you. Didn't get a view and bit of drizzle to contend with. Looking at your pictures views would have been pretty decent. Bit of bog along the way and lost any path after crossing the water and heading up the heather before finding it again higher up. Found the round of 3 near Newtonmore few days earlier the boggiest that I've had to endure at the start and the end.

Well Done Jimmy

[Gordie12]

Monadhliath done, well done! I hope the bogs will have dried out a bit when I do this hill in a month’s time.

Hi Silverhill - the worst part is the lower slope of Geal Charn after crossing the Allt Coire nan Dearcag but still worth it if you get a decent day as the views are good from the top.

[Gordie12]

Did this on the Sunday after you. Didn't get a view and bit of drizzle to contend with. Looking at your pictures views would have been pretty decent. Bit of bog along the way and lost any path after crossing the water and heading up the heather before finding it again higher up. Found the round of 3 near Newtonmore few days earlier the boggiest that I've had to endure at the start and the end.

Well Done Jimmy

Hi jamesjones

I seem to remember the walk through Gleann Ballach heading for Carn Dearg was a bit on the damp side when I was there last summer but once on the summit the walk over to Carn Sgulain was really good.