Tarmachan Ridge

[Wanderlust]

Easter Sunday. Forecast was for it to improve during the day with most tops to be clear of clouds later in the afternoon.

Thought it would make sense to have a later start for this one, (aren't these light evenings great?) met up with my friend Rachel for breakfast in Killin. The ice had melted enough on the Ben Lawers road to be able to drive up to the visitor centre car park. Set off from there at around 11:30, the top of Meall nan Tarmachan was covered in cloud and on our ascent we disappeared into the mists for a while. Saw some stupid people sliding down steep slopes as we got closer to the top.


Heading up into the clouds on Meall nan Tarmachan

Didn't hang around for long on the summit of Meall nan Tarmachan, just to check the map to check direction to continue along the ridge. In no time at all we'd reached the airy summit of Meall Garbh and sat down there for a brew and a bite to eat. At around 2 pm, the clouds started to lift and we got some good views.


Starting to clear up on Meall Garbh

Safely negotiated the rocky bit of the ridge, then put on my crampons to give me a good grip for the descent along the ridge.


me on Tarmachan ridge below Meall Garbh


Meall nan Tarmachan, Meall Garbh


Tarmachan ridge from Meall Garbh to Beinn nan Eachan

After the descent of Meall Garbh the going became a bit easier on the approach to Beinn nan Eachan, the visiblity was continuing to improve too.


Beinn nan Eachan


The approach to Beinn nan Eachan on the Tarmachan ridge


Meall Garbh


Meall nan Tarmachan


Meall nan Tarmachan and Meall Garbh


ascending Beinn nan Eachan

Stopped for a cup of tea at the top of Beinn nan Eachan, looking back along the ridge, the views were amazing.


Glen Lochay from Beinn nan Eachan


Tarmachan ridge from Beinn nan Eachan


looking towards Ben Lawers from Beinn nan Eachan


Meall Garbh from Beinn an Eachan

After descending Beinn nan Eachan, the snow got patchier, so I took the crampons off for the reaminder of the walk. There were fine views of the way we'd been from Creag na Caillich and also over towards Ben More.


Tarmachan ridge from Creag na Cailich


Ben More and Stob Binnein from Creag na Caillich


Tarmachan ridge from Creag na Caillich


Ben More and Stob Binnein (zoomed in!)


Glen Lochay from Creag na Caillich


Loch Tay and Killin from Creag na Caillich


Meall Ghaordaidh from Creag na Caillich


end of the Tarmachan ridge


Meall Corranhaich and Beinn Ghlas


Loch Tay


Meall nan Tarmachan

Made our way down from the ridge to meet up with a track that would lead us back to the car park, the snow was a bit deeper here but it wasn't a bad walk back and the views were good, though Rachel remarked that we should've done this part of the walk when the tops were in the clag and we'd have had it clear all the way along the ridge...why didn't we think of that 6 hours earlier??

[davgil]

Good report and nice pics too Wanderlust.
The Tarmachan Ridge was my favourite walk this winter!

[Graeme D]

Nice to see this. Thanks Wanderlust. Set out one day in May last year to do Meall nan Tarmachan with my wife and the dog, intending to continue along the ridge. It turned out to be a truly miserable day of weather, and despite hanging about at the Munro summit in the hope it might clear a bit, after half an hour or so we could barely see the ends of our fingers, so we bailed!