free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
What? Beinn Mheadonach
When?Friday, May 5th 2017
Who? Rand Sgurr
Weather? Full sun
Distance? 9.8miles
Ascent?3602 feet
Map? 50
Dedicated to NormanW
Ever since we looked had across the long moor towards Beinn Mheadonach after climbing An Grianan, we had wondered how to climb it. Every one on the Hill Bagging site had either done it from Elleric (the same as An Grianan, or had come in via
Cadderlie bothyOr, horror of horrors, like Kinley and JimH, had combined it with Trilleachan or even Creach Bheinn.
None really appealed. A tent was even mentioned, and given how Realsquiz rates camping, he must have been desperate
[/ur]
Then, on facebook, NormanW mentioned that he had gone up the track from Elleric to climb An Grianan and wondered how he would manange that remote Marilyn Beinn Mheadonach, did it there and then, without countless evenings of planning and years of faffing about. What interested me was the he noticed a bull-dozed track coming in between Beinn Sgulaird and Creach Beinn. A quick look at google earth, and then at the larger scale map confirmed that there was indeed such a track, starting at Druimavuic. Although it was forgivable not to have realised that this track goes up to the bealach from our ascent of Sgulaird since we had climbed onto the ridge near the beginning, it wasn’t forgivable that we had forgotten our ascent of Creach Beinn, where we had used the track right up to the bealach. In his account, Realsquiz correctly guessed that it went to the purple area marked on the map as Forestry Commission.
Anyway, having decided on this route, as soon as we could get away and utilise the amazing high pressure that had been centred on Scotland, we booked two nights in Benderloch in a B and B and an early breakfast.
We parked in the lay-by just north of Druimavuic house and went through two newish gates, this one has a helpful notice indicating that this is the route to Beinn Sgulaird.
The we set off up the track. It hadn’t got better since 2005 when we were last here. Last time R had remarked that a bealach could have just as many false summits as a hill.
We went up
Looking back to Loch Creran
And up
And up overtaken by a mother and son combo who were climbing Sgulaird.
And up
Once at the top, we could see our hill, and behind it Trilleachan, and behind it Starav
My secret plan to go straight at it between the crags bit the dust when I took a look at it. However much I might feel like a scramble, R’s knee has the casting vote….and it did look steep
Pano of hills towards AnGrianan round to Beinn Mheadonach
We contoured around towards the north end of BM
Looking back towards the south end
We climbed up towards the horizon, and saw Trilleachan and Starav peeping out
Looking back, the way across from An Grianan looks very long indeed, but it maybe has fewer ups and downs
We walked up the wide ridge
Passed all sorts of boulders, presumably abandoned up here by a glacier together with all the rocks in the glens below (R's photo)
Over rocks until we finally saw the summit
R approaching
Having reached the summit, I wasn't sure
if I was actually at the summit and went back to take another look at this other rock, (R's photo)
No, it wasn't the summit
The rock overlooking Loch Etive was the true summit
Beinn Trilleachan from the summit]
And R sitting on the summit rock
More views of Loch Etive
Took a weather watcher picture of three clouds very like the symbols they use (but the Editors didn’t want it)
Looking across to the end of the bull-dozed track, we wished we could have just done a hop and a jump and landed back there
But we descended the same way, taking a photo of Trilleachan from the ridge
We then reascended to the end of the track. It seemed a long way.
Once back at the bealach we took o few photos back the way we came and set off towards Loch Creran
During this walk, Rz managed to see eleven frogs and five lizards. My score was nil (his photo)
We noticed the small hydro scheme that prompted the enlarging of this track
Towards the end, we were overtaken by a runner and his dog, but had no idea where he had come from, as he didn’t speak.
Finally back at the car, we were too weary to think about putting it in context, but our last Scottish mainland Marilyn seemed as good a time as any to think about the other good Marilyns we have done
And the less good.
And to wonder what the remaining island and Welsh Marilyns might bring.