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Date. 14th June 2009
Completed by. Dave, Julie and Wilson
Weather. Sun, rain, heavy mist and more sun.
Time. 9 ½ hours
Celebs revieled at the end of the report !
Lochan Nan Cat Circuit to include Ben Lawers (twice) and Beinn Ghlas (6 for the day)
Starting from Ben Lawer’s Hotel
After reading Doogz’s report on the 5 munros round the lawers range it was decided that this would be our next area to attack. Although ours was a variation on his adventure, the hills were very much the same.
It must be noted that we never had any intension in trying to match his time of 2hrs 55mins as he forgot to leave the info on where to hire the rocket that he had obviously strapped to his back…
The plan was to park at the Lawers Hotel and complete the lochan Nan Cat route ( Meall Greigh, Meall Garbh and the dreaded An Stuc ) we would then decide depending on the weather and our fitness whether to carry on and complete Ben Lawers and then onto Beinn Ghlas (we would then have to head back over Ben Lawers (does that count as 6 for the day) and then down to the Lochan Nan Cat and follow the burn back out the way we had come.
Turned out that was exactly the way the day panned out making for a long and fairly tough day.
- rising up from loch tay
Meall Greigh was the 1st and least inspirational hill off the day, and probably took the longest time to reach. We scurried round the west side of Sron Mhor and made a straight for the summit immediately on reaching the top, the heavens opened and the temperture dropped, so on with the water proofs, and then we hot footed it in the direction of Meall Garbh.
- Sron Mhor with Meall Greigh in the distance with mist on top.
- looking over to ben lawers and an stuc from meall greigh
On approaching Meall Garbh, Back comes the sun, off comes the water proofs and its now suddenly turned in to a much nicer climate indeed.We spot the lower of the two ridges and have a good 30 mins rest, load up with chocolate, sannies and hot tea before we attempt the fearsome An Stuc, “should we be feeling nervous at this stage” well we are, very much so. So on we go to the 2nd ridge and the summit of Meall Garbh
- loch Tay from Meall Garbh
- first view of An Stuc
- im not climbing that.
- and more
- from the easier side.
I had mentioned An Stuc to my wife and said it would be similar to Stuc a chroin (loch Earn) but not near as bad I hoped. We did that on April 1st and got to about 30 meters from the top but turned back as there was a large cap of snow round the top of the stuc, now that was a scary day, I thought I had a head for heights Mmmm.
Soon we are there, we are at the foot of An Stuc and thankfully the rain has stayed away, 25 mins later we are on the summit of An Stuc, piece of cake… Lets rewind 10 mins… The first ¾ of the climb went really well, then the rain came, my wife froze then went quiet, Wilson was getting overly excited and a crowd of 5 people 4 gals and 1 guy were heading down, all this was happening at the steepest part of the climb. We hang fire and let the group pass, with the rain now off, and Wilson under control my attention is now with the wife, a bit of gentle talking and guidance she’s ok, she then goes on to reach the summit before me. With all those things happening at once, doesn’t half make the blood pump?
So, onwards and upwards, well downwards. We head for Ben lawers, and within an hour we are there, we reach the cairn and trig point in good time, still the views are not bad, cant complain at all.
- summit cairn Ben Lawers
- Ben Lawers from Meall Garbh
Well well no rest for the wicked, so off we trot to Beinn Ghlas our last munro for the day (nearly). Again about 1 hour we are there, but still it’s a long way back to the hotel.
We have no other option but to head back, and up and over Ben Lawers and head down to the lochan. About 200m from the summit of Ben lawers fast moving mist closes in very quickly and suddenly we are in a situation that we have not been in before, caught in heavy mist with next to zero viz.
- heading back to ben Lawers
- heading back to ben Lawers
But with walking comes experience we are able to navigate back to the lochan and head back tracking the burn from a distance to meet up with the outward path.
- Lochan Nan Cat 1
- Lochan Nan Cat 2
Great day, our best to date by far. Was made all the more memorable with the excellent food served at the Lawers hotel washed down with the Inky Pinkie Ale… superb.
Just a closing word on the 2 guys we met at the Lawers Hotel while enjoying our supper.
I look over and spot 2 guys several tables away, am sure I recognise them, I ask the wife but no she does not know them.
Then one guy turns right round, the penny drops Its Railtrack Driver and his mate Happy Rab, I had only just read his last report on this website 24 hrs earlier… Amazing.
Good to see you guys and thanks for your time.