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Meall Lighiche - just what the doctor ordered.

Meall Lighiche - just what the doctor ordered.


Postby Gordon Ballantyne » Sat Oct 22, 2016 12:43 pm

Corbetts included on this walk: Meall Lighiche

Date walked: 20/10/2016

Time taken: 5 hours

Distance: 11 km

Ascent: 772m

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A leisurely breakfast in the hostel followed by a cruise round to the starting point at the suggested layby on the A82.
Soon realised why the warning about crossing the bridge on the main road was hazardous, with a narrow walkway below the stone parapits and mighty artic trucks whizzing by. We managed to get across during a lull in the traffic to avoid being minced against the bridge parapet.


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




It was a pleasant walk up the glen with the prow of Creag Bhan getting bigger with every step and Clachaig gully displaying in all it's glory on the flank of Sgorr nam Fiannaidh.

The massive slash of Clachaig Gully from Glean-leac- na-muidhe.jpg
The massive slash of Clachaig Gully from Glean-leac-na-muidhe



With the unusual paucity of rainfall recently, allied to the multiple paths of the burn, the Alt na Muidhe crossing presented no problems.
There seemed to be a number of faint paths through the deer grass and reeds to gain the slopes above, which tested our decision making, but as usual after detailed analysis, we just decided to go for it.
Further up, we spotted a lady with a dog descending. We walked across to try to extract some route intel from her, but it seemed that there was no established route. She had spent the night camped out on the top somewhere, enjoying the beautiful dawn. We just ploughed a route UP in the usual fashion.

Ascending  Creag Bhan & looking across to the Aonach Eagach.jpg
On the way up Creag Bhan & looking back to the Aonach Eagach


I was feeling the effects of yesterday's exertion, so was grinding up in GordonC's wake, who seemed to be unaffected by yesterday, or eating lots o jelly babies. He waited for me at the top of Craig Bhan, where we admired the developing vista. The walk round to the summit of Lighiche was marked by a path which allowed us to soak up the views and appreciate the ruggedness of the surrounding hills.
At the top we sat down in the virtually still air, eating our pieces and looking across at the glaciated north slopes of Sgor na h-Ulaidh, and further to Beinn Fhionnlaidh, which was reflecting the suns rays from its drooling N slabs.
Appin has a truly magnificent array of mountains !

GordonC in his summit pose.jpg
GordonC in his summit pose !



GordonC having a piece with Sgor na h-Ulaidh behind.jpg
GordonC having his piece with Sgor na h-Ulaidh behind



Bidean from the top of Meall Lighiche.jpg
Bidean from the top of Meall Lighiche



GordonB on Meall Lighiche.jpg
GordonB at the top of Meall Lighiche



The Ben from Meall Lighiche.jpg
Ben Nevis from Meall Lighiche



It was decided to descend by the corrie and so we back-tracked along the path for a wee bit. At this point, we spotted the 3 folk who we had seen walking up the glen track earlier, breasting the ridge below the top of Creag Bhan. We then keeked over the edge to plot a descent route. which was steepish at the top but soon flattened out. Quite low down in the corrie, we passed another ascending group of some 7 souls, the tail-enders of which had temporarily paused for a functional sacrifice. Wondered why they were so late starting off, as it seemed it'd be close to being dark before they got back down to the track. Maybe they were camping on top or had already done a hill in the morning or were just walking a lot faster than us !
Down on the floor of the corrie we squelched our way back to the path alongside the fence, crossed the burn and picked up the track down the glen, only pausing to take a pic of the view back up the glen, with the top of Meall Lighiche just peeping round the shoulder of Creag Bhan.

GordonC striding away from Meall Lighiche.jpg
GordonC striding back down the glen away from Meall Lighiche


Back at the car we guzzled our tepid coffee made at breakfast & headed northeast for Westhill.
Chippy stop at Kingussie and a fine tasty fish supper as reward for the days effort.
Bored GordonC with my endless ramblings, employed as a strategy to keep me awake. It seemed to work as I managed to keep the car on the tarmac till we got home !
Another superb day.... in glorious autumnal colours.
Last edited by Gordon Ballantyne on Mon Oct 24, 2016 11:58 am, edited 2 times in total.
Gordon Ballantyne
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 396
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Joined: Jan 30, 2011
Location: Westhill, Aberdeenshire

Re: Meall Lighiche - just what the doctor ordered.

Postby Sgurr » Sat Oct 22, 2016 3:27 pm

Gordon Ballantyne wrote:Bored GordonC with my endless ramblings, employed as a strategy to keep me awake. It seemed to work as I managed to keep the car on the tarmac till we got home !
Another superb day.... in glorious autumnal colours.


Watch out. I had to start overnighting away after I drove myself almost back home to Fife after 2 Munros by Loch Laggan, but found myself asleep on the pavement 4 miles away from home. Anno Domini catches up in the end.....or get GordonC to take turns. No amount of coffee, radio, wide open window or getting out for a wander had worked.
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Sgurr
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Re: Meall Lighiche - just what the doctor ordered.

Postby Gordon Ballantyne » Sun Oct 23, 2016 5:21 pm

Thanks for the warning Sgurr. I always stop & kip when I'm really tired - as like you, the coffee/windows open/runround the car only has a short impact and is ineffective on a long drive.

Cheers Gordon
Gordon Ballantyne
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 396
Munros:282   Corbetts:89
Fionas:20   Donalds:7
Sub 2000:59   
Joined: Jan 30, 2011
Location: Westhill, Aberdeenshire

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