walkhighlands

Creag Gharbh bike n hike

Fionas: Creag Gharbh

Date walked: 07/11/2023

Time taken: 3 hours

Distance: 16.5km

Ascent: 626m

Earlier this year I was planning an exciting multi-day camping, hiking and bagging adventure in the Loch Lednock area, but my thyroid had other ideas. It seems to be back in balance now and I’ve got lots more energy - just in time for shorter days and cold nights. So I’ve been devising alternative ways to attack these hills.

I seem to enjoy the route planning as much as the actual event, and I had a great bike n hike route planned to link the Grahams Creag Gharbh and Meall Buidhe near Killin. I’m getting fed up with long drives, so much of my planning has revolved around public transport, but living in North Ayrshire it would not have been feasible at this time of year. So I set off very early in the morning… only to sit on the M8 for almost an hour, due, it turned out, to a car fire on the Erskine Bridge. The knock-on effects of then hitting rush hour meant that I didn’t get to Killin until 11.30 and it was almost midday by the time I was on my bike.

I hadn’t used my bike for about eight months, and it felt odd… the gears seemed to be in the wrong place on the handlebars. It was only after I’d cycled 100m that I realised the front wheel was the wrong way round. :oops:

Things did improve after that shaky start. It was a glorious autumn day and the views were spectacular as I puffed and panted my way up.

1 Tarmachan Ridge on the way up.jpg
Glorious views to the Tarmachan Ridge.

4 Killin and Beinn Bhreac.jpg
Killin overshadowed by Beinn Breac, with Sgiath Chuill beyond.


The path is well surfaced and perfect for cycling.

5 Gorgeous autumn colours on the route up.jpg


But the gradient was a killer! I was soon pushing my bike, and continued to do so for about two-thirds of the way from 150 to 400m elevation. After that the gradient eased out a bit and I enjoyed the smooth undulating terrain, despite saddle sore starting to set in!

5b Nice  view of the mountains to the left of the dam.jpg
Approaching the Lochan Breaclaich Dam.


6 Breaclaich Dam.jpg


7 Sunbeams on Loch Breaclaich and the Dam.jpg
Loch Breaclaich.


From the dam the road turns into a rough dirt track, though nothing that Betsy, my Carrera Vengeance mountain bike, couldn’t handle.

9 Reservoir tower thing.jpg


I stepped off the track to start the hiking section of the walk at NN632321. It took me about 25 mins to get to the summit - a round trip of 1.37km with 131m ascent, over tussocky ground.

It was already clear that with the late start, I would not have enough time to do the 3.5km bike ride followed by about 5.5km with 350m ascent to climb Meall Buidhe before sunset at 4.20pm. Still, it was a good bike-and-hike test outing. I’m hoping to do more of this in the future.

11 Views to Ben More and maybe Ben Challum beyond.jpg
To the west there were views to Ben More and Stob Binnein, Ben Challum and the Orchy hills.


11a Summit views to the south.jpg
Ben Vorlich to the south.


12 Trig point ahoy!.jpg


18a Gorgeous views of Loch Tay.jpg
And beyond the trig point, this – beautiful Loch Tay.


14 Summit selfie.jpg


19 Lovely vista towards Killin and Orchy hills.jpg
Lovely views to the west.


20 Views to the Lawers range.jpg
Lawers range to the north.


The bike ride back to Killin was fun, and mostly freewheeling. Just as I approached the forest, where the steepest part of the descent was to begin, I whizzed through a group of farmers gathered on the road, who seemed to be holding a small livestock market. They didn’t look particularly pleased to see me.

The whole descent took me about half an hour, and I used the brakes a lot on the steep bit - even so, Strava put my top speed at 36mph, not bad for a nervous nellie!

Despite the steepness I would say this is an ideal route for a bike-hike.


Creag_Garbh_bike_n_hike.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts


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Comments: 5



1, 2

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Sub 2000s: Cruach Neuran
Date walked: 13/12/2022
Distance: 13.3km
Ascent: 1600m
Comments: 17
Views: 4056


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Attachment(s) Fionas: Cairnsmore of Fleet, Millfore
Donalds: Cairnsmore of Fleet, Millfore
Date walked: 20/10/2021
Distance: 24.4km
Ascent: 1217m
Comments: 3
Views: 2242


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Attachment(s) Date walked: 21/11/2015
Distance: 12km
Ascent: 600m
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Attachment(s) Date walked: 21/08/2015
Distance: 29km
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natubat


Activity: Hill Bagger
Pub: Crask Inn
Mountain: Beinn Alligin
Gear: Map
Member: Scottish Hillwalkers, Mountaineering Scotland, MTA
Ideal day out: A great scramble with clear views

Munros: 207
Tops: 75
Corbetts: 83
Fionas: 83
Donalds: 89+52
Wainwrights: 4
Hewitts: 8
Sub 2000: 14
Islands: 7



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Statistics

2023

Trips: 1
Distance: 16.5 km
Ascent: 626m
Fionas: 1

2022

Trips: 1
Distance: 13.3 km
Ascent: 1600m
Fionas: 1
Sub2000s: 1

2021

Trips: 1
Distance: 24.4 km
Ascent: 1217m
Fionas: 2
Donalds: 2

2015

Trips: 2
Distance: 41 km
Ascent: 600m


Joined: Aug 21, 2015
Last visited: Mar 12, 2024
Total posts: 23 | Search posts