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By this time 2015 I stopped walking the rest of the year after a particularly painful day in Glen Fyne. My knees were hurting for weeks after that day but this year somethings different, I am ok at the moment no real pain to report and that means more hills
Pieplough would be joining me this time out, it's been ages since we walked together so it was important we do a decent walk Ben Lui was a plan but we agreed it's probably best saved for the longer days next year...pitty I've been wanting to scratch that itch for months if you know what I mean.
Ach well, Ben Cruachan needs done and I see that hill on here all the time so let do it, it'll be fine.
We left Glasgow in the dark and arrived at the station layby not long after first light. There was one other car already parked up with a couple getting ready.
We set off just before them, up the stairs under the railway and into the woods. I read peoples horrendous reports of walking up the hot sticky jungle and I was feeling pretty happy it was autumn
The train station
Loch AweOnce out of the woods you can see the dam, this happens a lot soon than I thought t would.
The damWe elected to walk over the dam because we thought it would be cool.
Crossing the damThere's decent views of the entire horseshoe from here.
A panorama of the entire walk, looks well easy 
There's a few parties of folk coming up the muddy path from the woods.
The view from the damThe walkhighland description says to cut off here but you can't now because of earth works being carried out, no big problem just follow the road.
Danger
The reservoirThere will be a few pictures like the below image on this walk report I'm afraid.
Pieplough
Cruachan ReservoirOnce at the end of the road the path turns off and up. It's fairly easy going for a while then it gets steep and loose further on but this is over pretty fast.
The way up
The view from bealach
The wee lochanIt's a bit of a mission from the bealach to the summit, it seems so far away and as you look up you can't see a path but once you get going it's ok.
Sunny & cloud free!
The station seems a long way off
Meall CuanailOn reaching the summit, the clouds rolled in (typical) heavy dark ones. There was definitely the slightest hint of snow, tiny flakes that seemed to hang in the air as if the cloud it's self was frozen.
Pieplough looking chuffed at the summitWhat happened to the trig here and where did it go?
Ben Cruachan's summitOnce we scrambled our way way off the summit, we made our way along the sandy path until the slab loomed out of the gloom. We decided to walk over it. No problem what so ever. We walked across the rock until we reached a wee cleft/chute then made our way up that and hey presto it was all over.
THE SLAB
A wee cloud break
Another silhouette pic
Looking to Drochaid Ghlas
Loch Etive & Ben Starav
Looking back to Ben Cruachan
Beinn a'Bhuiridh looks a doesn't look so bad
Stob Daimh with Beinn a'Chocuill & Beinn EunaichWe took the extra couple of minutes to visit Drochaid Ghlas and the views were great, worth it.
Looking back to Ben Cruachan again
A panorama silhouette 
The decent off Drochaid Ghlas was maybe the most frustrating decent of the day it takes a while to drop a short distance because you have to take a bit of care as some of the path has hands on drops, large loose rocks etc. Just be careful, I stood a rock safe looking rock and almost came a cropper on some heafty boulders when the whole thing slid.
Once successfully off the rocks the path changes to that familiar muddy/grassy type which made the going a lot easier now. It was all up to the next Munro but it's a short forgiving section and it was done in one push.
Stob DiamhOn the summit we passed a group of 3, they were well ahead of us a while ago now we were standing with them on the summit. You can see a pair of Black Diamond woman specific walking poles in one of the pictures below that wasn't ours.
Pigplough looking chuffed again
A reluctant model...A few snaps of the walk between Stob Diamh and Beinn a'Bhuridh which is less flat than it looked from the other side off the horseshoe.
Looking to the Corbett from Stob Garbh
Glen Lochy
Ben Cruachan over there
Enjoying the views Pieplough?
Doesn't look so bad....................................We took a little time here to rest as we had practically raced over from Stob Diamh.
This last bit of accent is short and so bloody steep. I really wanted to add this hill onto my walk but as soon as we got going I knew I'd be digging deep. I said to my mate 10ft into the walk up I was done but he encouraged me to keep going.
I took a few wee breaks to catch my breath but mercifully it was all over quickly, we had opted for a direct route up, no **** about straight up the side.
Views down to Loch Awe...
and down Loch AweThis hill has an oddly flat top given how steep it is from nearly every side.
The summit cairn was just up ahead
Looking back to Ben Cruachan...
and back to Stob DiamhWe didn't spend a long time at the summit and when it was time to go I remembered what Bobble at Kenny had written in his report about heading or the near side of the dam to avoid the steep craggy area so I imagined where that was (as you can't see it from the summit) and we went. It worked a treat but the decent is still pretty fricken steep in parts.
The way, way down
Super chuffed to be off that hillThe walk back down the jungle path was 10 times worse than the walk up it in the morning. Big drops for awkward steps, branches everywhere, roots, dog **** and litter. I gave a whoop when I reached the steeps but even these were now painful to walk down
I was happy to finish.
(Walked with Pighplough)