walkhighlands

Some Grahams around Perthshire

Fionas: Creag Gharbh, Meall a'Mhuic, Meall Dearg, Shee of Ardtalnaig, The Stob

Date walked: 24/03/2024

Distance: 61km

Ascent: 2714m

Ah we had more exciting plans for this weekend - had hoped to have a wander around the Alladale Grahams & Corbetts but the weather just wasn't playing ball - snow and high winds don't make for high camps and long exposed routes. So I turned my eyes nearer home - there was a wee cluster of Grahams around the central area that needed done (again) - nothing particularly thrilling in there and mostly up and downs rather than lending themselves to more interesting routes, but sometimes teeth just need to be gritted and the task got on with. I felt slightly sorry that Allison was getting no summits that she needed (unless she's seriously going after a third Graham round). To sweeten the pill slightly, I booked us into Comrie Croft - first time we've been at a campsite in ages. There are fewer options for wild camps around these hills due to farming and houses...

Headed off into the rain on Thursday night - nice to arrive in time not to need the headtorch to put the tent up. And the rain had stopped for us :D Wolfed down some Persian salad things (hummus, baba ganoush, tabouleh etc) I'd made finished off by some rhubarb crumble. Stuffed, it was time for bed. Lot of rain overnight which fell as new snow higher up.


creamgarbh1w.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



I had in mind Creag Garbh, from Ardeonaig. We also had the Shee of Ardtalnaig to do, just a couple miles along the road although I was dubious that we'd have time/ energy to do both in the same day. Last time we'd done Creag Garbh from the west and I was keen to try out what I thought was a new route for us, utilising the Rob Roy Way. As we go to Ardeonaig Allison told me she was sure we'd done the hill from here previously. "No we haven't - you're thinking of The Shee" I say to her. There's space for one car right to the east of the bridge, which is where we set off from. The first section is up proper road, past a few houses, ending at Brae Farm. There's not anywhere to park up here unless you use people's driveways. Once you pass through the farm the track surface deteriorates into mud and bog, although it is signposted mud. Once again Allison says she recognises the terrain, forcing me to look up my walk report from 2017 which shows, clearly enough, that we went up this way the first time...I should really refer back to my own hill reports sometimes...

ImageIMG_1237 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1238 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1239 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1242 by Al, on Flickr


After a couple of kilometres of mush we come to a pipeline and a proper track, which leads us neatly to the foot of the hill, with maybe 150m to the summit. We've passed a couple doing the RRW who we chat to for a bit, then a group of about 5 including a woman in a red poncho who talks incessantly. She reminds me of the irritating posh woman in the old "Gold Blend" advert..."lovely coffee"


ImageIMG_1244 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1246 by Al, on Flickr

We pause for lunch out of the harsh and freezing wind then gird our loins to get to the summit. Allison is struggling with ascent. I stand near the top, waiting for her to come up the - admittedly very steep - section and make up a joke whilst I wait:

Jesus and the Devil are crossing the desert and come to this farmhouse. They're rather hungry, having been out for weeks and weeks. Jesus raps on the door, which is opened by the lady of the house. "Excuse me, Missus, any chance we could get something to eat? We've been walking for weeks with almost nothing to eat" says Jesus. "Of course, come in, we're just about to sit down to our tea" she says and leads them inside. A couple of extra places are set at the table and the guests sit down. Mum dishes out everyone steaming plates of pie, then big spoonfuls of mashed potato. Finally she gets a pan of petit pois off the cooker, adds some butter and mint, and dishes these out to her husband, her kids, Jesus and finally her own plate. The Devil, noticing the lack of green vegetables on his plate says "Hey Missus, how come everyone but me is getting they petit pois?" The lady turns to him, looks him in the eye and says "Well, Satan, you know there's no peas for the wicked"

My wife says I shouldn't give up the day job :lol: Anyway, we reach the top which offers some good views of the Lawers hills, white capped. It's very windy, to the point where my phone is blown out of my hand three times while I try to take a picture. We descend by the same route we used to go up. It's 3pm gone by the time we're back at the car. The Shee is just along the road, but it's 14k, a chunk of it on track. I decide we'll go and do it - partly because I don't like driving along the South Loch Tay road which is annoyingly narrow in places. Narrowly missing three strange looking ducks, who wander about in the middle of the road, we get to Ardtalnaig.

I think this looks like Grendel
ImageIMG_1247 by Al, on Flickr


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



There's a lay-by for three cars just to the west although you can actually drive up the dead end road until you reach the bridge before Claggan: there's a sign saying no vehicles past that point and some hardstanding to park on. Had we known that, we'd have saved 2.5km and 115m ascent.

The road continues around the Claggan Farm buildings - the RRW heads to the left down Gleann a'Chilleine but we were taking the track that leads some of the way up our hill. Snow showers came and went, ascent is slowly gained as you walk along the track. Allison was on the point of giving up and returning to the car, but decided to keep going. At the top of the track there's vague ATV trails which disappear into tussocks and heather - at least it's fairly flat over the 1.5km til you reach the final climb to the summit. You pass a dramatic section of landslip to the NE, the "Bual a'Chlaidheimh"...the strike of the sword maybe? There was a blizzard on by now, blowing right across our path. However, we were doing not too badly for time - it wasn't yet 5.30 so I was optimistic that we'd get down without the need for head torches...in any case we'd be on track. However I wasn't keen to return the way we'd come, with the blizzard being in our faces and said to A that we could go off the east side down to the track in Gleann a'Chilleine - she was happy to do anything that didn't involve going over more tussocks. The way off was fine, quite steep but not many craggy bits, and deer tracks to follow. Once on the track the going was straightforward - except the crossing of one of the streams that cuts the path - there's a marker off to your right identifying an easy crossing place, rather than the slippy stepping stones near the track. Says he having got wet feet :lol:

ImageIMG_1248 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1250 by Al, on Flickr

Ciste Buidhe a'Chlaimhaimh
ImageIMG_1251 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1252 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1253 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1254 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1256 by Al, on Flickr

We had a lovely drive along the narrow road in heavy rain and darkness and it was 8.30 before we got our tea. That's not what the intermittent fasting program calls for...Both of us were pretty tired, but despite that I didn't get any sleep, just lay listening to the rain, the owls and other unidentified night creatures.


DEARG1W-2.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



Saturday was going to be an easier day. First up was Meall Dearg over on the road to Aberfeldy. We'd done this previously from Amulree - it's a longer walk from there, about 18k. However if you do it from the A826 you can cut the distance to about 10k, almost all of which is on track. For a baggie weekend that would do. It's not really possible to park at the start of the track as it's quite a narrow space by the gate, but there's a lay-by about half a km north. Boy racers out on the straight road, which didn't make the prospect of walking along the road to the gate enticing. We cut over the fence and then through tussocks and bog to reach the track - Allison not impressed, preferring to take her chances with the speed devils. Track is good gravel, steady progress made along to the edge of the trees where you turn up hill. Again, the track takes you to the base of the summit, leaving only about 80m of ascent through the vegetation. We'd been protected from the west wind on the way up but the summit allowed some blasting - I quickly returned to a spot out of the wind to have lunch. Back the same way we'd come up. Wildlife crime is rife here - as in much of Perthshire it seems - we passed almost two dozen weasel traps on the few kilometres of track back to the gate.

ImageIMG_1257 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1259 by Al, on Flickr


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



2pm - plenty of time to drive along to Innerwick and get the Graham of Meall a'Mhuic. Had I thought the weekend out a bit more clearly I'd have stayed at Comrie for only two nights and brought the tent along Glen Lyon rather than having to drive back to Comrie after finishing this today. We parked at the Car Park and set off on the east side of the river. Smarting from yesterday's mistake, I had taken the opportunity to read my previous report on this hill. "Turn left at the deer feeder" it had said, as I'd missed the track that runs by the river that time. And I did exactly the same this time - walked past the deer feeder without even seeing it. So had to drop about 50m to join the track we should have been on. Matters didn't improve as we went up the hill - I was off in front, doubtless countering away in my head about something or other and manage to miss the turn off to go up the hill; I am following the track up by the Allt a'Mhuic. When I realise I panic a little, thinking how cross A is going to be, but she's not in sight. She had been paying attention to where she was going and was on the proper bit of track up the hill. Whew! The track zigs and zags up to around 550m after which there are some ATV marks visible but they disappear into the heather. As happened yesterday, as we near the summit, a blizzard starts. Blowing right into my face. It takes longer than I think it should to get to the top, but eventually I get there and wait for A to catch up. I'm sitting hunched up, my back to the snow, I reckon I look a bit like Jack Nicholson at the end of The Shining...

ImageIMG_1261 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1262 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1263 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1264 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1265 by Al, on Flickr

We return by the ascent route, managing to find the proper track along the river at the end. It's longish drive back to Comrie, but we make it before the dark descends and have another quite late tea, but not as bad as the day before. Both of us get a better sleep, thankfully.


stob1w.gpx Open full screen  NB: Walkhighlands is not responsible for the accuracy of gpx files in users posts



It feels a bit warmer on Sunday morning, and it's dry for a change. We have a choice today - either The Stob or Creag Mhor and Ben Stacath. We decide on the former and drive along past Tulloch Farm to the parking area. A warm, sunny morning, we set off up the forestry track. Last time we did the couple of Simms over to the east, but today it's just The Stob. The good track ends at the border of the forest - there's a gate and a small river crossing before the boggier ground begins. We chose to follow the fence line, which passes through one steep section ut does lead up to almost 700m. From there, turn west and aim for the pointy summit of The Stob - this is a knobbly hill, not altogether easy to know where you should be going in poor visibility , but thankfully all is clear today. From the top we have grand views west to Stob Binnien/Ben More; to the east it's Stuc a'Chroin and Vorlich. We sit for a while enjoying the sunshine and an early lunch. The big question now is - should we just head home or should we do Creag Mhor too?

Stob a'Chroin
ImageIMG_1266 by Al, on Flickr

The Stob
ImageIMG_1267 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1268 by Al, on Flickr

VORLICH
ImageIMG_1269 by Al, on Flickr

Stob BInnien
ImageIMG_1271 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1272 by Al, on Flickr

ImageIMG_1273 by Al, on Flickr

It would be good to grab a full 6 Grahams from the weekend, but I feel quite tired and know it will be a slog going up Creag Mhor - there will be no pleasure involved and that's not the way I like to do my hills. So I think we'll just go home - I'm quite keen to combine it with Stacath anyway, which we wouldn't have had time to try today. It does seem a shame to be driving home in the mid afternoon when it's so nice outside, but sometimes you have just got to relax :lol:

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weaselmaster


Location: Greenock
Occupation: Idle and old
Interests: Searching for meaning
Activity: Hill Bagger
Mountain: Foinaven
Place: Assynt and beyond
Gear: Satmap Active 12
Member: MCofS MBA JMT RHB
Camera: iPhone 13 / Sony RX100
Ideal day out: One that lasts at least 72 hours...
Munro rounds: 2
Corbett rounds: 2
Fiona rounds: 2
Donald rounds: 2

Munros: 277
Tops: 221
Corbetts: 216
Fionas: 183
Donalds: 73+30
Wainwrights: 15
Hewitts: 33
Sub 2000: 391
Islands: 28
Long Distance routes: West Highland Way    Cape Wrath Trail   



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Statistics

2024

Trips: 11
Distance: 574 km
Ascent: 28434m
Corbetts: 8
Fionas: 26
Donalds: 33
Sub2000s: 1

2023

Trips: 51
Distance: 3123.8 km
Ascent: 151785m
Munros: 12
Corbetts: 54
Fionas: 163
Donalds: 19
Sub2000s: 9
Hewitts: 2

2022

Trips: 53
Distance: 3136.5 km
Ascent: 155385m
Munros: 59
Corbetts: 65
Fionas: 92
Donalds: 8
Sub2000s: 2

2021

Trips: 43
Distance: 2399 km
Ascent: 129611m
Munros: 135
Corbetts: 62
Fionas: 25
Sub2000s: 8

2020

Trips: 60
Distance: 1982.7 km
Ascent: 85039m
Munros: 13
Corbetts: 2
Fionas: 8
Donalds: 2
Sub2000s: 190

2019

Trips: 57
Distance: 2933 km
Ascent: 180392m
Munros: 11
Corbetts: 193
Fionas: 34
Donalds: 1
Sub2000s: 27

2018

Trips: 61
Distance: 3090.77 km
Ascent: 206176m
Munros: 271
Corbetts: 16
Fionas: 10
Donalds: 9
Sub2000s: 32

2017

Trips: 76
Distance: 2994.86 km
Ascent: 175243m
Munros: 67
Corbetts: 12
Fionas: 72
Donalds: 81
Sub2000s: 97
Hewitts: 13
Wainwrights 12

2016

Trips: 78
Distance: 2035.42 km
Ascent: 124390m
Munros: 18
Corbetts: 5
Fionas: 142
Donalds: 71
Sub2000s: 24
Hewitts: 15

2015

Trips: 68
Distance: 2453.94 km
Ascent: 164961m
Munros: 77
Corbetts: 126
Fionas: 17
Donalds: 8
Sub2000s: 2

2014

Trips: 64
Distance: 2406.7 km
Ascent: 166291m
Munros: 109
Corbetts: 112
Fionas: 16
Donalds: 10

2013

Trips: 64
Distance: 1894.46 km
Ascent: 127277m
Munros: 219
Corbetts: 17
Fionas: 4
Donalds: 3
Sub2000s: 1

2012

Trips: 24
Distance: 254.33 km
Ascent: 16304m
Munros: 26
Corbetts: 5

2011

Trips: 1
Corbetts: 1
Donalds: 1


Joined: Aug 22, 2012
Last visited: Mar 26, 2024
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