walkhighlands

Not the most iconic, but maybe the best for views.

Route: Beinn a' Chrùlaiste, from Altnafeidh

Corbetts: Beinn a' Chrùlaiste

Date walked: 29/05/2023

Time taken: 4.5 hours

Distance: 6.5km

Ascent: 575m

I'm still trying to up my game after illness but not feeling ready (and not sure if I ever will again, tbh) to tackle any Munros.
Since late January I've done Dumyat (twice), Tinto, Craigmore at Aberfoyle and last week I did Duncolm in the Kilpatrick Hills. Indeed on the descent from Duncolm I realised I could see the Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank where I had my open heart surgery and it hit home how lucky I was to be out and about on the hills.
But I yearned to get back to the West Highlands and climb a hill with a Gaelic name to make me feel like a proper hillwalker again :lol: :lol:.
Trying to find a hill that I hadn't done before but would physically stretch me a little further, I decided there was one that met my criteria. One that I had driven past many times, one that I had walked along the foot of, one that I had viewed from other hills, one that I knew had terrific views, Beinn a'Chrùlaiste!
MWIS's forecast for Mon 29th was brilliant and even had a cloud free summit prediction as "virtually guaranteed". Not too often you get that 8)
I contacted Andy, a work colleague of my daughter and occasional hillwalking partner of mine, and he was more than happy to come along. He would come to my house and we'd travel in my car.
Andy couldn't get to my house till around 07.30, and the Bank holiday traffic was already busy as we headed up via Callander. I began to get concerned that I may have parking trouble at Altnafeadh and I didn't fancy taking my car on to the rough ground on the Buachaille side of the road. The last time I tried that I was seriously concerned about suspension damage due to the huge potholes near the entrance. I don't know if it's any better now but I was hoping to avoid parking there. After a slow journey north, I could see how busy Altnafeadh was as we approached. Just a few hundred metres short of the layby bend, we sussed (but passed) a possible off-road parking place on the Buachaille side and luckily we were able to turn round and claim it on return.
We were able to set off just after 09.30 and a short stroll along the roadside took us to the gate on the other side of the road which is the entrance to the foot of the hill and the beginning of the hike.
The route initially heads in the opposite direction from the summit before turning round to begin the rise to the top.
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Altnafeadh and the Baby Buachaille (Buachaille Etive Beag).
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Buachaille Etive Mòr
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Andy and the Buachaille..

During the first half of the ascent there is a path, but after that there doesn't appear to be, or there is only fleeting signs of established path or paths. Or at least that how it seemed to us. It is however (in good weather) straightforward navigation over tufty, tussocky ground.
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Heading up 1.
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Heading up 2.
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Heading up 3.
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Heading up 4.
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Heading up 5.

This is a decent hillwalk, but what this hill is really about is the views, especially of it's more glamorous neighbour across the A82, Buachaille Etive Mòr. Andy and I both thought the best views of BEM were from around the halfway point of the climb rather than the summit, but to be honest there is no bad place to view BEM on this hill.
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Lochan pic 1.
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Lochan pic 2.
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Obligatory double selfie.
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Was certain this was going to go wrong.

We were overtaken by two young girls and a lad but not before some pics were taken.
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Taken by the other "group" on the hill.

It was now a warm day and I began to sag a bit over the last 100m or so to the summit and I tried to persuade Andy to push on, but he was adamant we would reach the trig point together. Thanks Andy for putting up with my snail's pace :clap:
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Cairn and Rannoch Moor.
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Andy trig point pic.
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I'm going to do a heroic pose.
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Me, the trig and the Ben.

A final push brought us to the summit. I'd climbed a Corbett :D, something I did not think I would do ever again when things were looking bleak for me during the second half of last year. I'd given up hope of ever seeing a trig point appearing before me, to be standing on a hilltop (especially one in the area where I stood at that moment) so taking in the panorama on the summit was special. And what a panorama it was. Roughly to the east there is Rannoch Moor with Schiehallion at the rear. Across the A82 there is Creise and Meall a'Bhùiridh and, of course the magnificent Buachaille Etive Mòr with Stob Dearg obviously standing out. Moving round there's the "baby Buachaille", Buachaille Etive Beag. Stob Coire nan Lochan and Bidean nam Bian loom over Beinn Fhada, one of the "Three Sisters. A small area of Loch Achtriochtan can be spied. Spinning further around Ben Nevis, the Mamores, the Grey Corries. Altogether too many summits to mention. The Blackwater Reservoir lies below to the north. While at the summit a chap turned up and flew his drone for a while. He was the only person we saw other than the young threesome.
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OK it's me and the Buachaille again.

After a leisurely lunch, it was time to leave the summit. In the strong sun, we jointly decided to retrace our steps and forego the option of descending towards the Kingshouse Hotel and walking back to Altnafeadh along the West Highland Way.It just didn't seem worth it. We came across some feral goats on the way down.
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Feral goats.

We arrived back at my car just shy of 5 hours after setting off, and set off for a very slow drive back to the central belt {with a stop in Crianlarich for an ice lolly :lol: )
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Back at the car 1.
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Back at the car 2.

What next? Well I'm not really sure. I'll just let a few days pass and see if another hill inspires me.

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johnscot55


User avatar
Activity: Mountain Walker

Munros: 67
Corbetts: 7
Fionas: 5
Donalds: 9
Sub 2000: 8



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Statistics

2023

Trips: 3
Distance: 18.3 km
Ascent: 1175m
Corbetts: 1
Sub2000s: 1

2022

Trips: 1
Distance: 9.5 km

2021

Trips: 3
Distance: 31.5 km
Ascent: 1772m
Munros: 2
Corbetts: 1

2020

Trips: 9
Distance: 109.65 km
Ascent: 6396m
Munros: 10
Donalds: 2
Sub2000s: 2

2019

Trips: 16
Distance: 137.5 km
Ascent: 10450m
Munros: 22
Fionas: 1
Donalds: 1
Sub2000s: 2

2018

Trips: 6
Distance: 53.5 km
Ascent: 2029m
Munros: 9

2017

Trips: 2
Munros: 2


Joined: Aug 15, 2017
Last visited: Feb 09, 2024
Total posts: 117 | Search posts