First walk of the year

[smudger831]

Finally the weather has cleared up a bit to get up into the hills without the need for an axe so a last minute choice was made to do Beinn Chabhair. This is one of the last Loch Lomond ones I have to do and I thought it should be an easy enough one. Ha!
Me and my friend (who had travelled up from Stockport the day before to help me celebrate my birthday-cheers Paul) left the Drovers car park about 0900 and after crossing the bridge and going past Beinglas Farm campsite we hit the path proper. After a few choice words about the steepness straight away we got stuck in! Quick word of warning- late night and lots of rum are not the best preperation for Munro bagging.
We got to the top of the first steep bit and had a long walk ahead of us across open moorland - one or two squidgy bits here) until we the reached the Lochan Beinn Chabhair.

At the Lochan

From here we headed North East, picking up the path proper near Meall nan Tarmachan. The winding path was easy enough to follow from this point. Or should have been. Unfortunately I decided to see what the view was like from the top of one of the rocky knolls. You know, the ones it tells you to avoid on the Walkhighlands route description. No problems getting off them, it was just an extra bit of unwarranted climbing.

The winding path upwards

We finally reached the top and enjoyed the views, having a quick chat with some of the many others we saw out doing this today, before heading back down a bit for some shelter and to have something to eat.

At the top at last!

On the way back down

The slog out was even harder than the one in and just passed in a blur, and the thought of what the steep bit right at the end again was going to do to our knees was in the back of our minds. However, we just kept remembering we were parked at the Drovers and there would be liquid refreshment available when we finally did make it back down.
All in all a great day out, weather stayed kind with the skies clearing at the top for some really nice views.

[mountain coward]

I did ALL the rocky knolls on the way to it - big mistake!! I was completely knackered by the time I got to the main event!

[malky_c]

Whew! Glad I'm not the only one who's done that then! I went over all of those then got annoyed when I got to the main hill, as they weren't necessary at all. Probably very nice on a good day though.

[smudger831]

Thanks for those replies. Nice to know I'm not the only eejit out there.

[magicdin]

went along that full ridge many years ago

lochan a'chaisteil is really worth the visit

[mountain coward]

Yeah - i saw that lochan and got a nice photo of it - it is very nice - probably the only bright spot on the tour of the subsidiary lumps though!