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Boy at 139, me on 140, decided to look for something reasonably short as weather outlook had not been brilliant and we had been brutalised on Carn Bhac the previous weekend ....
Walk reports show a bike'n'hike was possible thereby shortening time. As it happens, using our route, it's not as much as 26km all in, more like 24.5-25km. If you ride/push your bike to the ford that's pretty much 5km in and therefore the 5km out on the bike is minimal effort barring taking care on some of the rockier parts of the track.
Other people have written this route and the WH report is sound.
At the start go through the gate on the left, there's a construction sire there just now. Follow the track, turn right at a t-junction then keep left at a fork, all of a sudden you're at a lochan with a wee beach. Perfect swimming/drinking opportunity for dogs, ours certainly enjoyed the opportunity. That's about 4km from the start.
Cut across a grassy section then follow the track uphill. Some of this 1km section was not bikeable for us but I am sure that some bikers can manage it.
So, just followed the track having parked the bikes then picked a line across to BaC. There are a couple of rocky outcrops on the top of that spur so we aimed at those - and tried to pick as dry a line as possible through the bog. Walk is nothing to write home about and it was very windy on top of the spur so we trotted over to the cairn, got a photo of me bagging #141 and headed off to avoid being blown away. Cloud cleared on and off so got some views. Geal Charn's top was hidden by low cloud at this point and CP looked tiny !
So, there are a few ways to get across to commence the ascent of GC. A chap in front of us headed mainly back the way up then traversed; we headed further along, more northerly I guess and then dropped down. Bit of scree and steepish grass but easy enough. When you cross the bealach with the stalkers path, my advice is to start up the spur/shoulder towards GC sooner rather than later, much shorter and faster. It's 5km pretty much from the top of BaC to GC, feels quite a way as various rocks strewn around and a bit of a trek on the top plateau. Helluva a cairn though and pleased for son, at 14, to have reached his half way mark - although he did complain that the name of his half way hill was not exactly unusual !
From here it's more of a westerly bearing to cut across to the bealach that takes you up CP. The wind had been calmer but by the time we got across to the top of CP it was blowing hard again so straight up and straight off.
Here there are also a couple of options - another chap was just ahead of us, started dropping down not far from our route (attached) - but then he trotted over to the main path where we stayed on the north side of the Allt and took a more direct beeline to the Ford and our bikes. Not too boggy until you get near the Allt, then it was horrible and there is a rough path on this side but very boggy. If you have dry feet by this stage and want to keep them that way then traversing across to the path is a good plan.
Another stop for dogs at lochan on way out, back at car 5.5hrs after leaving car park. Cracking day, windy but at least got some views and now we start the downward trajectory for a Round ! Saw a fish in the grass beside the layby, big pike I think, what's that about ?
