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Up until last summer, I didn't care a jot about bagging the munros, but after a couple of days in Kintail I caught the bug. As is the way I have caught the bug whilst living in London and not when I was living in Scotland and Bavaria where the peaks were on my doorstep.
Whilst this maybe my first WH trip report, I am in no way new to this website and I just want to acknowledge all the great trip reports that get posted on this site. Wilkie Murray, Dooterbang, Petr Dakota, Mountain Love - your stuff is fantastic! They are a great source of information and inspiration to me and no doubt countless others.
For this trip I was planning to do the Crianlarich Hills and the Cruachan 4. This trip like so many others for me starts out with a long drive up, flight or train from London. This time I had opted to fly and retrieve my car (hiking gear wardrobe) from Southern Edinburgh and do a quick after midnight shop in Corstorphine to stock up. Sadly no booze!
I got to the Strathyre car park at around 2am and decided to try and curl up in my sleeping bag and see what rest I could get. Sadly I had drunk too much liquid en route which meant I was forever having to get out of my sleeping bag and relieve myself.
At 5.30am I decided to get going and drive the final bit up to Crianlarich to start walking. I had decided today was going to be an early season fitness test for me in preparation for longer days out that I am planning this year. My aim is to do at least 100 munros this year, weather-permitting.
I noticed there haven't been many takers for doing all 7 of the Crianlarich Hills but thought I would drop my bike off at Ben More Farm just in case the red bull was working wonders.
I got to the unsightly layby at Glen Falloch around 6am and started getting ready (this always takes ages) and had breakfast. I was so looking forward to a cup of coffee but managed to knock it over just as I had finished stirring it.
I was off by 7am with good weather in prospect and great visibility up the glen.
Here are some photos that show my route and tell my story.
Twistin Hill from Sron Gharb
- Twistin Hill from Sron Gharb
The view north to the Central Highlands
Summit of Am Caisteal
Ben Lomond
Arrochar Alps and Loch Long
Looking to Beinn a Chroin from Beinn Chabhair
Looking like a gnome on Beinn a Chroin
Looking across to the bealach between Beinn Tulaichean and Cruach Ardrain
The pull up from below Stob Glas was tiring!
Looking back to Beinn a Chroin
By the time I got to the bealach I was feeling pretty tired and felt I would have been over-extending myself attempting Ben More and Stob Binnein.
The view across to Stob Binnein and Ben More
The summit of Cruach Ardrain
Knackered
The route back to Glen Falloch via Meall Dhamh and Grey Height
I got back to the car around 6pm. Where the time had disappeared to, I don't know but I had a great day out.