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After a fun day out on An Caisteal and Beinn a'Chroin I was keen to go back and do the other Munros in what I think of as a mini Glencoe landscape, all be it a very much greener and softer version.
After reading teaandpies report I was a bit put off going up from Inverarnan and james b63 said he did An Caisteal and Beinn a'Chroin from the other side
I'd be missing out on seeing the waterfall doing Beinn Chabhair from this side, but I would get to use my mountain bike, so that would make up for it.
I duly plotted a route using viewranger and google earth and set off late afternoon, just the way I am at the moment. An interesting road in, and a Buzzard flew close in front of me and landed on a boulder nearby, but I was too slow getting the camera out
I'll get a good photo of a Buzzard someday.
Got to the car park and it is full, but there is some space on the verge nearby, so that's fine. The Buzzard along with another flew back over, but just too far away for my camera to get anything good.
Got my kit on and assembled the bike and started off past all the other walkers who were returning from their days excursions with smiles on their faces
It was a nice calm sunny day, so every reason to be cheerful.
Through the farm and shortly afterwards disturbed a flock of small birds; wonder what they are
On getting a zoomed up photo I suspect they are humble chaffinches
On wards and inwards along the slow incline, this would be fun on the way back
with some nice views opening up and some interesting sheep pens with a bridge over
Met a nice lady on her way back from Beinn Tulaichean and Cruach Ardrain complaining about hot feet and the trudge along the farm track. We discussed mountain bikes briefly. Have to say they really do take all the misery out of these long treks to and from some of the Munros
Forded a couple of easy streams and through a few gates, this is cattle country, lots of young calves, so no getting between the cows and their calves
I didn't have any issues, everyone was enjoying the warm sunshine although their were a few loud moo's coming from further up the slope
Further along and the young bulls were all separated by another gate, they looked at me, but they were likewise chilling in the sunshine. Still I wired up my mobility allowance on the other side of the fence from them just in case they got curious
Started off up and system one started complaining that it was late and hard going in the pathless terrain, system two kicks in and reassures that we should at least walk up to the bealach after driving and cycling all this way ( I'm reading "Thinking, Fast and Slow" at the moment, very informative, apparently we are all two people
)
Anyway on wards and upwards and the views are inspiring
and a bit further on
Saw a gate on the other side of the Allt a'Chuilinn and was spying an interesting ledge further up which might provide a shortcut
and the nice slab the gate was on
and a close up of the ledge
mmm......
but difficult to say what's on the other side, so continue up the gully and get some interest from a couple of Yellow Wagtails I think
I continued up the relatively easy ascent to the bealach and came across a waterfall which you can more or less walk up, though perhaps a different matter in spate and it did have a few slippery bits
quite good fun though
Continued up to the bealach which isn't taking as long as I'd thought.
A view looking up the final ascent to the bealach
and a view looking down with the other side of the ledge that I'd considered on the right; turns out it would have been fine
Got to the bealach and fabulous views everywhere
Over towards Beinn a'Chroin
Over towards An Chaisteal
Directly over the bealach towards the ridge between An Chaisteal and Beinn a'Chroin
I'd made much better time than I thought I would, so carried on up towards the summit of Beinn Chabhair which didn't look that far away, assuming that this was more or less it
Some nice wee lochans and slabs on the way up this section
and views
to the big ridge which my original route s'd it's way up onto, I'd taken a much more direct approach than I thought I would be able to.
The big shelf / ridge looks nothing like it does on google earth, it's really quite quirky and interesting
a nice lochan in the middle
with some interesting plants growing in it.
If I'd stuck to my planned route I'd have walked to the southern end of the big ledge and up from there, but I could see going straight up the small stream on the other side in the middle of the ledge would be easy, so set off for the final few metres of ascent.
Looking back down to the big shelf with the wee Lochan
Found a path not far from the summit on the southern side. This looked promising, wonder if there is an actual path all the way back down
Got to the summit and fine views all around
Ben More in the background
To the North
Lochan Beinn Chabhair
and above
a small boat plane
I especially liked this one to the west with the start of the sunset
which reminded me I need to get back down onto the easier or at least the less dangerous slope on the south side of Beinn Chabhair while there is still plenty of light. The promising path didn't last long, probably just walkers taking in the views on the south side and before heading back down towards Inverarnan.
Oh well I'd worked out my route down and there was plenty of light.
It started fine with an easy and not too steep descent and nice interesting wee Lochans and fabulous views south in the calm evening, Ben Lomand in the background
Then I descended a grassy gully, looking back up
I'd deviated as the terrain didn't look too bad, but there are lots of dead ends with very steep drops which I wasn't confident of getting down
and eventually doubled back at one point and found a gully which led more or less towards the route I'd planned, if I could get down to the lower level of this I'd be saved
A look back up
From the lower level the walk is over an extended hay field with a few booby traps, hidden rocks and holes, but generally it's just a slog with a few squelchy bits.
Headed for what looked like the newest piece of man made hoping for a path, but nothing, crossed the stream and a short section back to the bike
phew it's still there and the cattle haven't eaten the handle bars
Stashed the poles and took on some fluids.
Looking forward to the cruise back to the car, and there's still plenty of light with a very pleasant view back down towards Inverlochlarig
Back at the car in thirty eight minutes from getting on the bike
Got changed and headed out of the glen past Loch Doine and stopped to try and get an artistic photo
A beautiful end to a nice day
