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Glen Lyon Four Carn Gorm

Glen Lyon Four Carn Gorm


Postby ancancha » Wed Jul 22, 2015 3:03 pm

Route description: Càrn Gorm, Meall Garbh, Càrn Mairg & Creag Mhòr

Munros included on this walk: Càrn Gorm, Càrn Mairg, Creag Mhòr (Meall na Aighean), Meall Garbh (Càrn Mairg)

Date walked: 22/07/2015

Time taken: 7.45 hours

Distance: 19.81 km

Ascent: 1409m

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Glen Lyon 20150722.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



Wanting to get my tally up the Glen Lyon four seemed like good value.
The drive into Glen Lyon is scenic in itself with a nice single track road at places cut into a steep hillside and the river Lyon deep in the Gorge.
Got to Invervar and there is a reasonable size hydro project underway with a field full of plant and more construction activity just down from the car park and also as I headed up the walk :shock:
The usual entry point is closed off and access to the path is just beyond the houses.

Undeterred I set off up the track into the woods, lots of evidence of the strong wind of a few months ago with blown down trees.
Spent some time chasing some butterflies around trying to get a decent photo, they weren't very cooperative and I was astonished to get the photos I did

Glen Lyon butterfly.jpg


There is a path down to the Invervar burn in the woods for a close up look of the water cascading down, quite nice, although I suspect there were some much better view points further up before the hydro project got underway



Exited the woods onto the excavator track which I crossed onto the fern covered hillside. Got a bit confused as the ferns are covering some of the paths and there is a diversion due to the construction. Debated the correct path with a hydro worker who was on watch duty for the big excavator taking chunks out of the hillside slightly further up. he wasn't unhappy that I was there, but I could tell he would rather I wasn't anywhere near.

Managed to get a path to follow and the views started to become a bit more interesting although the heavy engineering was kinda in my face for a while

Glen Lyon Carn Gorm excavators.jpg


Bumped into BP & Co's caterpiller on it's hols I guess

Glen Lyon caterpillar.jpg


Shortly afterwards the views started to open up with Carn Mairg

Glen Lyon Carn Mairg first.jpg


and what for me will be the final Munro Carn Gorm, slightly zoomed

Glen Lyon Carn Gorm zoom.jpg


The path undulates its way up with some steeper parts and then leveling out; a runner approached at pace on a steep bit :!: I wasn't going to even say hi thinking that he would be out of breath and concentrating, but he said hello first as he sped past.

A nice view down the Glen

Glen Lyon down.jpg


Aware of the time I sped up a bit and was soon at the Meal na Aighean with great panoramic views, this past the carin to Lawers and Tarmachan

Glen Lyon Meall na Aighean.jpg


It was around 5pm at this point, so really wanted to push on. Got a bit confused as to the exact path to Carn Mairg, but it's a clear day and the terrain although a bit squidgy in places isn't dangerous, so took a more or less straight line to the bealach where I picked up the path again.

Thinking the most likely route the path would take would be up the ridge and then up the rocky right hand side I donned gloves for a scramble

Glen Lyon Carn Mairg scramble.jpg


but the path actually and very surprisingly goes straight up through the middle of the larger rocky mound. I popped out on the rocky summit area at around 6pm. Views are likewise panoramic with Shiehallion being very dominant

Glen Lyon Carn Mairg Shiehallion.jpg


Thinking I was now doing ok for time I mooched around for a few minutes before setting off along the broad ridge towards Meall a Bharr

Glen Lyon Meall a Bharr.jpg


which as you can see is easy quick walking along what Fife Flyer euphemistically calls the modern art installation, the line of old tall metal deer fence posts presumably.
Nice views all the way along, this one down Loch Rannoch with some ominous dark clouds in the distance

Glen Lyon lcoh rannoch.jpg


It did get pretty breezy and the clouds darkened somewhat especially on the ascent up to Carn Gorm, but I was lucky the whole way round and it never actually rained.

Some old art, Shiehallion as a backdrop

Glen Lyon old art.jpg


Down to the next bealach and up to Meall Garbh. Nice mini drumlins and rocks in the corrie. I detoured slightly to get a closer look at the snow patch as well

Glen Lyon mini drumlins.jpg


Got to the summit which is also the climax of the modern art installation. A view looking back Shiehallion on the left, Meall na Aighean back right

Glen Lyon modern art climax.jpg


Only one to go now and I am on time. Bit of a boulder hop for a few metres, but it is soon on a reasonable path. Great views all round

Glen Lyon carn gorm last munro.jpg


Think I took a sheep track around An Sgorr, although it did also have boot marks in it. There's definitely a slightly higher path, take it would be my advice. The sheep track was very narrow although not especially difficult, more just irritating :roll:

Last slog up to the summit of Carn Gorm is quite steep. Great view west and it looks like developing into a nice sunset

Glen Lyon Carn Gorm sunset.jpg


There's a couple of cairns at the summit, very close to each other and they're both on the beaten track. It's about 9:15pm, and rather than stop for something to eat I decided to keep going and make sure I am back at the car before dark. Head torches have their limitations and unlike some of my other recent walks I'd be covering a fair amount of unknown track on the way back.

Views are more than making up for the hunger pangs especially across to the Loch Tay Munros with the sun casting water colour shadows for effect

Glen Lyon water colour close up.jpg


There are some steep sections on the way down and although I was thankful for the lack of bog factor so far, this final section was very squidgy in places. On the steep sections the path traverses and takes the severity out of the descent.

The Hydro construction looks like spanning a couple of the deep v shaped gulleys

Glen Lyon pollaidh hydro.jpg


Got to the forest and the nice track down the burn

Glen Lyon woods path invervar.jpg


and I would imagine before the construction started this would have been a very beautiful and pleasant final return section across the bridge which has seen better days

Glen Lyon bridge.jpg


Shuttering for concrete pours

Glen Lyon shuttering.jpg


It's a difficult one for me, I did renewable energy as an OU module, and am generally more in favor of it rather than fossil fuels, I also worked offshore in the oil industry. I guess in a few years this hydro scheme won't be that noticeable and certainly I'm more in favor of small scale hydro than wind farms. Can't help thinking that if they made solar panels more aesthetically pleasing it would be the way forward and be more financially beneficial to the home owners as well.

Anyway on with the walk :roll: now down the excavator track, the hydro workers have gone home and there isn't any danger from being squished by their plant. I was in two minds whether to follow the excavator track all the way down, thinking there would probably be some padlocked gate at the end or back through the woods which would now be a bit dark in the fading light. Opted for the woods and ended up following the track down to the original entrance which is high padlocked railing, getting stung by a stinging nettle on the way, bring back the midges any day or evening :!:
Finally found my way out and back to the car.

A very worthwhile and interesting walk with great views 8)
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ancancha
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Re: Glen Lyon Four Carn Gorm

Postby Driftwood » Wed Jul 22, 2015 11:54 pm

I missed out on views when walking these in cloud (though have seen them from the neighbouring hills), but they are a scenic round - and good to see in clearer conditions. And a very accessible bunch of Munros too, especially with the beautiful Glen Lyon as a setting.
I remember that the footbridge over Inverar Burn looked worn out a few years ago, though the surroundings looked a lot greener before the hydro work.
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Re: Glen Lyon Four Carn Gorm

Postby ancancha » Thu Jul 23, 2015 12:16 am

Driftwood wrote:I missed out on views when walking these in cloud (though have seen them from the neighbouring hills), but they are a scenic round - and good to see in clearer conditions. And a very accessible bunch of Munros too, especially with the beautiful Glen Lyon as a setting.
I remember that the footbridge over Inverar Burn looked worn out a few years ago, though the surroundings looked a lot greener before the hydro work.


I wasn't sure whether to use the bridge, but there were no signs up to say not too.
The walk and views were more interesting than I'd expected.
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ancancha
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Re: Glen Lyon Four Carn Gorm

Postby jupe1407 » Thu Jul 23, 2015 8:12 am

Great report and lovely pics Ancancha. We did those hills on a scorchingly hot day and got great views as well, but that was before any of the hydro works started. The section by the forest was a pleasant path up, high above the burn. I think we did these last April. It's a fine round though and one i'd happily repeat.
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Re: Glen Lyon Four Carn Gorm

Postby ancancha » Thu Jul 23, 2015 8:51 am

jupe1407 wrote:Great report and lovely pics Ancancha. We did those hills on a scorchingly hot day and got great views as well, but that was before any of the hydro works started. The section by the forest was a pleasant path up, high above the burn. I think we did these last April. It's a fine round though and one i'd happily repeat.


Cheers jupe, I wondered where exactly the original path went, the Hydro have made a path on the last bit which does go down by the stream, but it's marked silt trap, I didn't investigate as it was getting late, though suspect it is their own creation. As you say on a fine day the views are fabulous.
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Re: Glen Lyon Four Carn Gorm

Postby BlackPanther » Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:22 am

You nailed that caterpillar - it's the fastest one in Scottish Highlands :lol: I guess it will turn into Turbo Moth!

Interesting to see this group of M's without snow, very green indeed :D

I have similar feelings about the hydro scheme. It looks even worse in your photos than in mine, maybe it wasn't so messy in April when we did the circuit... Over the last couple of years, we saw a few small hydro developments built in picturesque glens and on mountain slopes (Gleouraich, Fionn Bheinn, Gleann Cia-aig, Allt a'Chonais in Strathconnon). Perhaps the worst was Glen of Allt Dubh above Loch Arkaig - a tiny, tiny hydro dam on a small stream with access road a jet could land on! I had been in this glen before the works started and I almost cried when I saw the carnage done to the landscape :( Which makes me wonder why we call these projects "environmentally friendly"...
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Re: Glen Lyon Four Carn Gorm

Postby ancancha » Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:39 am

BlackPanther wrote:You nailed that caterpillar - it's the fastest one in Scottish Highlands :lol: I guess it will turn into Turbo Moth!

Interesting to see this group of M's without snow, very green indeed :D

I have similar feelings about the hydro scheme. It looks even worse in your photos than in mine, maybe it wasn't so messy in April when we did the circuit... Over the last couple of years, we saw a few small hydro developments built in picturesque glens and on mountain slopes (Gleouraich, Fionn Bheinn, Gleann Cia-aig, Allt a'Chonais in Strathconnon). Perhaps the worst was Glen of Allt Dubh above Loch Arkaig - a tiny, tiny hydro dam on a small stream with access road a jet could land on! I had been in this glen before the works started and I almost cried when I saw the carnage done to the landscape :( Which makes me wonder why we call these projects "environmentally friendly"...


Looking at the rush of water under the bridge in your report photos
http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/posting.php?mode=reply&f=9&t=50924
I can see why the Hydro are so keen. As you say though once they are finished construction they should only need a landrover track for maintenance, hopefully :!:
That really is a great pic of Nevis :clap:
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Re: Glen Lyon Four Carn Gorm

Postby Alteknacker » Wed Aug 19, 2015 11:46 pm

Hi Ancancha, I meant to acknowledge your report earlier, since this was one of two (yours and BP's) that decided me on doing this ridge a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks!
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Re: Glen Lyon Four Carn Gorm

Postby ancancha » Thu Aug 20, 2015 9:57 am

Alteknacker wrote:Hi Ancancha, I meant to acknowledge your report earlier, since this was one of two (yours and BP's) that decided me on doing this ridge a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks!


You're very welcome Alteknacker :D
I get a lot out of other walkers reports when doing my planning and always try to convey the terrain, quality of paths etc as well as the views in mine :wink:
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