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Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach


Postby Sgurr » Sat May 06, 2017 11:53 pm

Sub 2000' hills included on this walk: Beinn Mheadhonach

Date walked: 05/05/2017

Time taken: 9 hours

Distance: 15.8 km

Ascent: 3602m

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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 viaCadderlie bothy

Or, 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

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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.
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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
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Looking back to Loch Creran
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And up
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And up overtaken by a mother and son combo who were climbing Sgulaird.
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And up
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Once at the top, we could see our hill, and behind it Trilleachan, and behind it Starav
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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
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We contoured around towards the north end of BM
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Looking back towards the south end
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We climbed up towards the horizon, and saw Trilleachan and Starav peeping out
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Looking back, the way across from An Grianan looks very long indeed, but it maybe has fewer ups and downs
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We walked up the wide ridge
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Passed all sorts of boulders, presumably abandoned up here by a glacier together with all the rocks in the glens below (R's photo)
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Over rocks until we finally saw the summit
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R approaching
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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)
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No, it wasn't the summit
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The rock overlooking Loch Etive was the true summit
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Beinn Trilleachan from the summit]
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And R sitting on the summit rock
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More views of Loch Etive
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Took a weather watcher picture of three clouds very like the symbols they use (but the Editors didn’t want it)
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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
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But we descended the same way, taking a photo of Trilleachan from the ridge
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We then reascended to the end of the track. It seemed a long way.
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Once back at the bealach we took o few photos back the way we came and set off towards Loch Creran
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During this walk, Rz managed to see eleven frogs and five lizards. My score was nil (his photo)
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We noticed the small hydro scheme that prompted the enlarging of this track
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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.
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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
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And the less good.

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And to wonder what the remaining island and Welsh Marilyns might bring.
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Last edited by Sgurr on Fri Dec 13, 2019 6:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Sgurr
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby nigheandonn » Sun May 07, 2017 9:43 am

That's a lot of hills - congratulations :)

Good luck with the rest - I assume you're not heading for the seastacks, although I wouldn't put it past you ;)
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby wilkiemurray » Sun May 07, 2017 10:18 am

good stuff and what a fabulous day to do it

An amazing achievement

ATB

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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby Mal Grey » Sun May 07, 2017 10:43 am

Congratulations on another landmark hill.

On the face of it, this one should be a fairly uninteresting lump with a pretty ordinary walk-in. But that summit looks like a gem, perched on the edge of the hill, with bare rock poking through, blocks scattered everywhere, and views to die for. Just goes to show that every hill is a good hill...
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby denfinella » Sun May 07, 2017 2:05 pm

Congratulations! And a great day for it.

Love the pictures at the bottom - especially the one involving crawling through the forest :shock:
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby rockhopper » Sun May 07, 2017 10:48 pm

Magic - congratulations to both of you :clap: :clap: Knew you'd been wondering how best to approach it - glad to see you've completed it now - cheers :)
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby weaselmaster » Mon May 08, 2017 8:13 am

The stuff of legends!
Congratulations on a special achievement and some fine memories.
:D
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby BlackPanther » Mon May 08, 2017 10:18 am

Joining the chorus here with warm congrats!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

What a fantastic achievement! You're both in a very exclusive club now (even if you don't get around to the stacks... They are just a few silly rocks sticking out of the sea :lol: :lol: :lol: )

Actually, I was looking at this hill last year from Sgulaird and I wondered about the shortest route up in case it was a Graham. Got back home, checked it was only a Sub and forgot about it :lol: But what a great wee mountain for "mainland completion"!
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby GillSte » Mon May 08, 2017 6:04 pm

Congratulations! That's a very fine achievement. And I'll tell Norman that you like his route
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby Sunset tripper » Wed May 10, 2017 12:28 am

A great achievement Sgurr. :D

And once you do Stac Lee the few you have left will be a doddle! :shock:
P1080167 (640x446).jpg
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby Sgurr » Fri May 12, 2017 6:05 pm

Sunset tripper wrote:A great achievement Sgurr. :D

And once you do Stac Lee the few you have left will be a doddle! :shock:


Sailed all round that without seeing an easy route up. Maybe getting a bit long in the tooth for it.
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby bobble_hat_kenny » Sat Jun 10, 2017 1:55 pm

What an achievement, Sgurr, and what a great hill to finish on - the inaccessible and intriguing Beinn Mheadonach :clap: !
I'm sure you'll have Stac Lee knocked off in no time :lol: .
Great lizard photo, too. I've frequently seen newts when out walking in Scotland, but I've never seen lizards - that definitely looks like a reptile rather than an amphibian in that photo, though.
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby iangpark » Sat Jun 10, 2017 2:50 pm

Congratulations Sgurr! There's not many of us around that can say they've completed a milestone as time-consuming as that :lol: Good luck with the remaining hills (those of which you are prepared to do of course!) :clap:
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby Alteknacker » Sat Jun 10, 2017 5:58 pm

That's a truly incredible number of hills! Well done :clap: :clap: :clap:
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Re: Our Final Scottish Mainland Marilyn: Beinn Mheadonach

Postby petelynn » Sat Jun 10, 2017 6:14 pm

Congratulations, I knew when I met you on Hecla a few days ago I was in the presence of a true hillwalking celebrity. Just amazing, inspiring persistence, especially with the knees.
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