walkhighlands

Share your personal walking route experiences in Scotland, and comment on other peoples' reports.
Warning Please note that hillwalking when there is snow lying requires an ice-axe, crampons and the knowledge, experience and skill to use them correctly. Summer routes may not be viable or appropriate in winter. See winter information on our skills and safety pages for more information.

Gulvain: Clean boots on the Dirty Hill, in autumn sunshine

Gulvain: Clean boots on the Dirty Hill, in autumn sunshine


Postby bobble_hat_kenny » Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:34 pm

Route description: Gulvain, near Kinlocheil

Munros included on this walk: Gulvain

Date walked: 20/09/2020

Time taken: 9 hours

Distance: 21 km

Ascent: 1230m

10 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).

I'm cheering myself up, in what has been a nervous week for the world :? , by tidying up a couple of Walk Reports that I'd never gotten round to posting at the end of last year ... and it has worked, I'd have to say. My photos have reminded me what a lovely walk this was, and after all, the hills will still be there for us all, long after COVID-19 (and maverick world leaders) have been consigned to history's great dustbin, inshallah :roll: ...
Despite the very late start to the season, I'd actually managed to clock up more Munros than I'd initially thought possible during the ill-starred year of 2020. The fine weather, plus the impossibility of holidays overseas, probably both helped. By the end of August my tally stood at 13 new ones since the July "re-opening" of the hills post-lockdown, plus two repeats, taking me to the 200-Munros mark in total ... and with the weekend of 20th September earmarked for a walk and another surprisingly fine weather forecast to boot, I thought that I might just have a look at Gulvain before the winter weather set in, and try to make it fourteen for the year.
Gulvain is of course a real Awkward Singleton of a Munro, with a long walk-in for a single "tick" in a relatively remote corner of the country. It is potentially day-trippable from Glasgow at a push, but I thought that I might as well take it easy on myself (and give the hospitality industry some much-needed custom), by taking a Friday Annual Leave day and driving up to the Roybridge Hotel late afternoon. I hadn't bargained on a road closure on the A82 and a long and painful diversion via Connel and Ballachulish, of course :roll: ! Once I finally got to the hotel however, it was a pleasant enough stay (good bar food and draught beer fair perked me up after the nightmare drive :) ), and I took their room-only deal so that I could sort out my own breakfast and get an early start on the Saturday morning.
As per the website's route description, I parked at a handy parking area at the start of the A861 just beyond its junction with the A830, and walked back the short distance to the A830 to take the Gleann Fionnlighe track on the north side of the road. Thankfully the route-finding at the start of the route (usually the hardest bit!) was straightforward enough, and the weather was looking very promising as per forecast, once some early-morning haze had burned off...
WR1 - lovely early morning mist at start of route with ROW signpost to Strathan.jpg

The approach up the Gleann Fionnlighe track is long but scenic, through mixed forestry beside the tumbling waters of the Fionn Lighe burn that gives the glen its name, and soon enough the sun was shining brightly :D .
WR2 - sunshine at the start of approach track with a keek at shoulder of Gulvain in the distance already.jpg

Some nice spider-webs dusted with early-morning dew to the side of the track:
WR3 - some nice early morning cobwebs.jpg

...And a pleasing wee waterfall on the Fionn Lighe:
WR4 - a wee waterfall on the Fionn Lighe.jpg

It was a long walk in right enough, even after I'd passed the derelict building at Uachan, but a pleasant one on the whole. Eventually I emerged from the forestry with a grand view of Gulvain's south ridge and south top basking in wall-to-wall sunshine ahead:
WR4B - emerging from forestry with Gulvain S ridge and S top basking in sunshine ahead.jpg

This hill's Gaelic monicker is somewhat unpromising - the usual translation seems to be "Dirty or Rough Hill" (from Gaor Bheinn), although I see that the Walkhighlands Munros book has it as "Noisy Hill". I'd have to say, however, that the entire route was unusually bog-free by West of Scotland standards, and I actually managed to finish the day without getting my boots wet or even particularly muddy :) ... which is something of a first for me in Scotland's Wild West. The grand weather undoubtedly helped, of course.
A bit further down the track, there was a pleasingly Tolkein-ish view of this Lonely Mountain, nicely framed between two trees ... although thankfully Smaug the Dragon was nowhere in evidence!
WR5 - Gulvain looking a bit Tolkeinish framed by two trees near the end of the track.jpg

Just about at the end of the track now, where it degenerates into a rougher (but still serviceable) path, and the Lonely Mountain was looming very large now. That had the look of being something of an unrelenting ascent :roll: .
WR6 - the Lonely Mountain looming large now.jpg

Before starting the ascent, however, I came to the rather cute footbridge over the Allt a' Choire Reidh, with some nice wee birch trees around it:
WR7 - footbridge over the Allt a Choire Reidh with nice birch trees.jpg

Well, it was a bit of an unrelenting slog up Gulvain's long but grassy south ridge right enough, but as is often the case, there were excellent views by way of compensation. The vista in this case is the spectacular one back down Gleann Fionnlighe, with various impressively pointy Glenfinnan Corbetts jostling for attention on the south side of the A830.
WR8 - fine view back down Gleann Fionnlighe to Corbetts on south side of the road during initial ascent.jpg

A zoomed shot of those Corbetts:
WR9  - zoomed shot of Corbetts.jpg

Eventually I reached an initial cairned rise, where the gradient suddenly starts to ease off, after which the effort of the long slog up the south ridge was rewarded with a long and exhilarating rollecroaster of a ridge walk. Gulvain's twin summits were both clearly visible ahead now. The first one has the trig point, confusingly enough, but it's the further-away northern top beyond it that is the true summit.
WR10 - at first cairned rise with Gulvain twin summits now clearly visible - higher one is the further away.jpg

Looking back southwards down Gleann Fionnlighe, there was now a truly lovely view of the long ribbon of Loch Shiel, framed by all those Corbetts:
WR11 - spectacular view south from first cairned rise with Corbetts and Loch Shiel.jpg

It didn't seem that much further from the first cairned rise to the trig point on Gulvain's South Top, with a lovely view of the ongoing sinuous ridge leading to the second (and true) summit to the north:
WR12 - at trig point on S top with lovely view of ongoing sinuous ridge to true second summit.jpg

Another impressive West Coast vista looking (I think) roughly westwards from the South Top, into the Land of the Corbett (there are some eighteen Corbetts in the corner of Scotland south of the A830 that the SMC calls "Section 10a", although there are no Munros - and they all look very distinguished hills indeed).
WR13 - fine view I think west from south top into Land of the Corbetts.jpg

Looking south again from the South Top trig point, with that fantastic view down Loch Shiel in the distance:
WR14 - the view south from the S top with Loch Shiel looking very fine and B nan Uamhachan to R.jpg

I pressed onwards down the twisting ridge towards the North Top, with a bit of descent and re-ascent, but again with fabulous views to make up for the physical effort, and before long I was at the well-built true summit cairn. Munro Number 201 for me - a tally that had scarcely seemed possible at the start of the lockdown in March 2020.
WR15 - at the well built true summit cairn on N top now.jpg

Well, splashing out on hotel accommodation the night before this walk may have been a relative extravagance, but I had consoled myself with the thought that after all those hotel comforts, I'd at least be looking unusually suave and debonair in the Summit Selfie. Um...
WR16 - BHK resplendent in new hat.jpg

Anyway, enough of that. Further jaw-dropping West Coast views from Gulvain's summit - this was the view westwards, with the neighbouring Corbett Braigh nan Uamhachan in the foreground, and with the Paps of Jura and the Skye Cuillin both clearly visible way out west:
WR17 - looking SW with Braigh nan Uamhachan etc and with Jura and Skye in distance.jpg

A zoomed shot of Paps (if it's not too early in the day for such a thing):
WR18 - a zoomed shot of Paps of Jura.jpg

And a zoomed shot of Skye's "antlered Cuillin" away in the distance:
WR19 - zoomed shot of distant Skye Cuillin.jpg

Another view south, to that fantastic vista along Loch Shiel:
WR20 - looking S again to Loch Shiel and Corbetts.jpg

Looking east now, with Ben Nevis inevitably being prominent in the middle distance:
WR21 - looking E now with Ben Nevis prominent.jpg

A zoomed shot of the Ben:
WR22 - zoomed shot of Ben Nevis.jpg

Well, needless to say it felt just as long a walk on the way back downhill and along the full distance of the Gleann Fionnlaighe track back to the car, although to my considerable relief the A82 had re-opened for my drive back to Glasgow :) .
On a day like this, though, Gulvain amply repaid the effort involved in reaching its summit - it really is a fabulous viewpoint, and a very special place indeed. The hills are still there...
User avatar
bobble_hat_kenny
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 382
Munros:238   Corbetts:43
Fionas:43   Donalds:19
Sub 2000:26   Hewitts:2
Joined: Sep 3, 2011

Re: Gulvain: Clean boots on the Dirty Hill, in autumn sunshi

Postby scottnairn » Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:26 pm

Looks like you had a fantastic day for it!

Been planning (with extra doses of hope) to get out on many grand adventures in 2021 compared to a relative non-starter in 2020 - I only managed a total of 9 so well done on 14 and breaking your 200 Munro mark :clap:

Had Gulvain in the 'maybe' pile but your report has convinced me to check it out, perhaps as a more lesiurely 'one-and-done' treat with a stay somewhere nice nearby. With everything crossed, it'll be this year! :lol:

All the best,

Scott
User avatar
scottnairn
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 55
Munros:123   Corbetts:42
Fionas:17   
Sub 2000:14   Hewitts:1
Wainwrights:1   Islands:3
Joined: Jun 25, 2015
Location: Nurn

Re: Gulvain: Clean boots on the Dirty Hill, in autumn sunshi

Postby Huff_n_Puff » Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:41 pm

Thats for posting this - another enjoyable read. :clap: :clap:
Gulvian became a favourite hill when we did this with Dogplodder, who wasn't feeling too great that day. Our older dog Biggles latched onto her feeling ill and kept a very close eye on her for the whole trip. Sadly he died just before Christmas but his consideration for Kathleen that day is something I'll never forget: he was determined no harm would come to any of HIS pack :lol: :lol:

Biggles escorting Kathleen home
Image
User avatar
Huff_n_Puff
Walker
 
Posts: 1083
Munros:278   Corbetts:20
Fionas:10   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:19   Hewitts:5
Wainwrights:1   Islands:19
Joined: Apr 13, 2012

Re: Gulvain: Clean boots on the Dirty Hill, in autumn sunshi

Postby Graeme D » Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:50 am

I call it the Filthy, Lousy, Miserable Hill, but in fairness, your report proves that it is indeed a very Fine Hill and I just got the shitty end of the stick the day I did it! :lol:
User avatar
Graeme D
 
Posts: 3996
Munros:251   Corbetts:123
Fionas:75   Donalds:22
Sub 2000:59   Hewitts:36
Wainwrights:28   Islands:6
Joined: Oct 17, 2008
Location: Perth

Re: Gulvain: Clean boots on the Dirty Hill, in autumn sunshi

Postby dogplodder » Thu Jan 14, 2021 2:45 pm

Another enjoyable read from BHK! Your summit selfie makes it look a lot more effortless than I found it that day when Biggles took me under his canine wing. Here he is giving me a much needed word of encouragement on that unrelenting ascent. 8)

11988318_873499589364638_3633140351425657478_n.jpg
User avatar
dogplodder
 
Posts: 4238
Munros:242   Corbetts:74
Fionas:25   
Sub 2000:32   Hewitts:4
Wainwrights:9   Islands:24
Joined: Jul 16, 2011

10 people think this report is great.
Register or Login
free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to Walk reports - Scotland

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Owen b, roxk, WalkingWithKids and 63 guests